Description

ERNST KRAUS (ERLANGEN, 8 JUNE, 1863 – WÖRTHSEE, 5 SEPTEMBER, 1941)

He studied singing under Anna Schimon-Regan in Munich and later with Cesare Galliera in Milan. He made his debut in 1893 at the Hoftheater in Mannheim as Tamino in Die Zauberflöte. He remained with this opera house for three years. In 1894, he made his first guest appearance at the Hofoper in Berlin as Lohengrin. During the 1896-1898 seasons, he was engaged as the leading tenor by the Damrosch Opera Company in North America. In 1898, he returned to the Hofoper in Berlin, where he sang until 1924. He quickly became regarded as one of the leading tenors of his generation.

At the Hofoper in Berlin, he participated in several significant premieres, including Der Bärenhäuter by Siegfried Wagner and Der arme Heinrich by Hans Pfitzner in 1900. On April 9, 1902, he created the role of Heinrich in the world premiere of the opera Der Wald by English composer Ethel Smyth. In 1904, he sang in the Berlin premiere of B. Smetana’s Dalibor, and in 1906, he performed the role of Herodes in the Berlin premiere of Richard Strauss’s opera Salome, a role he reprised at Covent Garden in London in 1910. In 1899, he performed in the Berlin premiere of the opera Mudarra by F. Le Borne.

From 1899 to 1909, he frequently appeared in Richard Wagner’s operas at the Bayreuth Festival. His international guest appearances included Covent Garden in London (1900, 1907, and 1910), La Scala in Milan, the Grand Opéra in Paris, the Vienna Hofoper, the Munich Hofoper, the Dresden Hofoper, the Frankfurt Opernhaus, the Stadttheater in Zurich (1905, 1917, and 1918), and the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels.

During the 1903-1904 season, he sang at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, debuting as Siegmund and later appearing as Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Tristan, Siegfried, and Florestan in Fidelio. After retiring from the stage, he worked as a pedagogue at the College of Music in Munich from 1924. He was married to actress Margarethe Hofmann, who performed at the Hoftheater in Mannheim. His son, Richard Kraus (1902-1978), became a well-known conductor.

TRACKLIST

1. Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) Muss ich dich so versteh’n 042404, 640m Gramophone, Berlin 1912-12-02
2. Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) O sink’ hernieder (w. Denera) 044278 817m Grammophon, Berlin 1915-03
3. Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) Wie sie selig 042279 510s Gramophone, Berlin 1910-09-29
4. Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) Wohin nun Tristan scheidet 3-42258 3068½L G&T, Berlin 1905
5. Walküre (Wagner) Du bist der Lenz (w. Morena) 044191 2291c Gramophone, München 1911-08-19
6. Walküre (Wagner) Ein Schwert verhiess 042135 541i G&T, Berlin 1906-09
7. Walküre (Wagner) Friedmund darf ich nicht heissen 042268 513½s Gramophone, Berlin 1910-09-30
8. Walküre (Wagner) Hehr bist du (w. Morena) 044196 2294c Gramophone, München 1911-08-19
9. Walküre (Wagner) Künde nun, Gast with Knüpfer-Egli 044171 529s Gramophone, Berlin 1910-10-12
10. Walküre (Wagner) Liebeslied 15139 Edison 4-min cylinders, Berlin 1909
11. Walküre (Wagner) Siegmund heiss’ ich 3-42742 4714h G&T, Berlin 1906-09
12. Walküre (Wagner) Siegmund, sieh’ auf mich (w. Morena) 044195 2293c Gramophone, München 1911-08-19
13. Walküre (Wagner) Winterstürme 3-42092 2466½L G&T, Berlin 1904
14. Walküre (Wagner) Winterstürme 4-42222, 954ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-27
15. Walküre (Wagner) Winterstürme 42433 666x G&T, Berlin 1902
16. Walküre (Wagner) Wir dir die Stern so offen steh (w. Morena) 044192 2292c Gramophone, München 1911-08-19
17. Walküre (Wagner) Wunder und wilde Märe with Knüpfer-Egli & Knüpfer 044170 514s Gramophone, Berlin 1910-09-30
18. Walküre (Wagner) Zauberfest bezähmt ein Schlaf 4-42221 953ab Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-27
19. Winterweihe (R Strauss) 4-42553 13299r Gramophone, Berlin 1913-11-14