Ernst Kraus
8 June 1863 Erlangen – 6 September 1942 Walchstadt (Oberbayern)
Kraus was born in Erlangen. His father owned a beer plant.
Kraus was supposed to become a business man. He learned the beer business in Munich.
After finishing his studies, he worked at the Münchner Brauhaus.
He was liked by colleagues and sang at all the local gatherings with his powerful tenor voice. His colleagues recommended
that he auditioned at the opera house. However the director Perfall found that his voice,
while powerful enough, had no radiance or manliness.
He went back to the beer business and was a member of the singing society Die Bären.
While singing, he attracted the attention of tenor Heinrich Vogl, who reommended him to study voice.
Vogl sent Kraus to study in Milan with Cesare Galliera.
He appeared for the first time as a professional singer in January 1893 at a Munich concert.
Kraus made his operatic debut in Mannheim (Hoftheater) as Tamino on May 26th, 1893. He was a member of the Mannheim opera for
three years.
He made his first guest appearance in March 1894 in Berlin (Hofoper) as Lohengrin. In Mannheim, Kraus sang Siegmund and
Siegfried in 1895,
having tremendous success. In 1896, Kraus sang the title role of Genesius with the composer Weingartner conducting. The work
was very well received while
it was a flop at the Berlin premiere in 1892 because of the tenor Eloi Sylva.
Weingartner got Kraus hired by the Hofoper in Berlin. On November 21st, 1896 Kraus sang Benvenuto Cellini in Berlin in a
premiere. However, Kraus had previously signed a contract with the Damrosch German Opera Company. He went to the United
States in 1897. He made his debut on March 9th, 1897 as Siegmund with Lilli Lehmann, Johanna Gadski and Emil Fischer at the
Metropolitan Opera House (not with the Metropolitan Opera Company, of course!).
He sang Siegfried with Lillian Nordica, Lohengrin with Nordica and Lehmann in New York, Chicago, Boston and New Orleans. He
showed a kind of Wagner singing that
could not be matched by the elegant Jean de Reszke. The performance of Siegfried on March 27th, 1897 was a good example.
He sang it with
Lillian Nordica, whom Jean de Reszke, who sang Siegfried six months earlier, had managed to keep out of the Metroplitan Opera
Company because of her vocal power compared to his own. Kraus had no problems with her.
What he did have problems with was the New York climate; he even catched malaria. He was forced to cancel the world premiere
of Mataswintha by Xaver
Scharwenka on April 1st, 1897 and was curiously replaced by baritone Gerhard Stehmann.
Stehmann was a high baritone who also sang tenor roles on other occasions.
He returned to Europe and could not take part in the gala performance of Genesius in Mannheim. He was replaced by Ludwig Wüllner.
In his second season with Damrosch in
New York, he was luckier. On January 11th, 1898, he sang Siegfried in Götterdämmerung with
great success, again with Lillian Nordica (Brünnhilde). On January 18th, 1898, he sang an incomparable Tannhäuser.
On February 4th, 1898 he sang Walküre with Nordica.
He returned to Europe and was now an interesting singer for the Wagner festivals. München was faster than Bayreuth and
hired him.
On September 4th, 1898 Kraus sang Lohengrin in München. The reviewer of Allgemeine Musik-Zeitung was very upset that the
management
had declared Kraus' voice as insufficient when he auditioned there. Kraus did not want to risk his Berlin contract by joining the
intrigue-plagued Munich operatic scene.
In 1898, he was appointed at the Berlin Hofoper (from 1918: Staatsoper), and stayed there until 1924.
Kraus became the leading Wagner tenor of his time. His career developed as follows:
Berliner Hofoper: 1899 (April 18th) world premiere of Mudarra by Fernand Le Borne.
Bayreuth: 1899–1909, Stolzing, Siegmund, Erik, Siegfried.
Berliner Hofoper: 1900 world premiere of Der Bärenhäuter by Siegfried Wagner; premiere of Der arme Heinrich by Hans Pfitzner.
London: 1900 (Grau season) Siegmund, Siegfried, Tannhäuser.
Berliner Hofoper: 1902 José (April 9th); world premiere of Der Wald by Ethel Smyth as Heinrich.
Berliner Hofoper: 1903 Tristan und Isolde (February 13th).
Met: 1903/04 debut as Siegmund (November 25th), then Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Tristan, both Siegfrieds, Tamino and Florestan.
Berliner Hofoper: 1905 as Wido in Rübezahl und der Sackpfeifer von Neisse by Hans Sommer, Florestan (Leonore).
Berliner Hofoper: 1906 premiere of Salome.
Berliner Hofoper: 1908 Matthias (Evangelimann).
Berliner Hofoper: 1909 Joseph, premiere of Dalibor.
London: 1910 Tristan, Herodes, Tannhäuser.
Kraus made guest appearances at the Deutsches Theater Prag (1899–1902), at Covent Garden (1900, 1907 and 1910),
Riga (1902), Hofoper Dresden (1902/3), Stadttheater Hamburg (1902, 1904/05), Volksoper Wien (1907), Hoftheater Mannheim
(1907–20), Hoftheater Karlsruhe,
Hofoper Vienna (1909 both Siegfrieds), München (1906 Prinzregententheater; 1910 Die Feen, and Salome on June 24th with Strauss conducting; 1911/12
(Siegfried, Tristan, Siegmund all at the Prinzregententheater),
Breslau, Köln, Königsberg, Rostock,
Frankfurt (1900–02), Bremen, Graz (1902), Brno
(1902), Leipzig, Bern, Basel, Zürich (1905, 1917 and 1918),
and at the Monnaie in Brussels (1914).
He had to take a rest after the 1912 performances at the Prinzregententheater. He made a comeback on October 4th, 1913 in
Berlin as Tristan.
However, it was too early. He rested for another year and came back in 1914 to sing Parsifal in Berlin. In Berlin, Kraus
continued his career as
follows: Tiefland (1916), Palestrina, Siegmund and Pedro (his last two roles in Berlin).
He retired from opera in the 1921/22 season, and taught singing at the music academy in Munich.
Kraus was married to the actress Margarethe Hofmann. His son Richard Kraus (1902–78) was a well known conductor, who
became
Generalmusikdirektor in Köln and at the Städtische Oper Berlin. Richard Kraus originally wanted to become a Wagner
singer, however his father told him:
Wagnersänger zu sein, ist eine unmenschliche Aufgabe. Du mühst dich dein Leben lang um
Phrasierung, Gestaltung, Durchschlagskraft, Darstellung,
Glaubwürdigkeit, Lyrik, Dramatik, Wortverstandlichkeit – und wenn du meinst, endlich alles begriffen zu haben, wenn
du endlich singen kannst, hast du keine Stimme mehr.
After that warning, Richard Kraus became a conductor.
Reference Kutsch & Riemens
Reference: Einhard Luther Helden an geweihtem Ort. Biographie eines
Stimmfaches, Teil 2: Wagnertenöre in Bayreuth (1894–1914), Trossingen – Berlin 2002
Edison Goldguss 1905
Edison 17178
In RA format
In RA format
Discography
G&T, Berlin 1902
665x Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd (75) 42432
666x Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme 42433
667x Je länger, je lieber 43434
G&T, Berlin 1904
2465L Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd 3-42091
2466L Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme 3-42092x, 61591?
2466½L Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme 3-42092, 61591
G&T, Berlin 1904/1905
2565L Lohengrin (Wagner): Atmest du nicht 3-42117x
2565½L Lohengrin (Wagner): Atmest du nicht 3-42117
2566L Lohengrin (Wagner): Nun sei bedankt (Schwanenlied) (74) 3-42118
2686L Evangelimann /Kienzl): Selig sind die Verfolgung leiden 3-42171
2687L Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend 3-42185
G&T, Berlin 1905
3067L Lohengrin (Wagner): Kommt er dann heim 3-42119x
3067½L Lohengrin (Wagner): Kommt er dann heim 3-42119
3068L Tristan und Isolde (Wagner): Wohin nun Tristan scheidet unpublished
3068½L Tristan und Isolde (Wagner): Wohin nun Tristan scheidet 3-42258
Edison 2-min cylinders, Berlin 1905?
Lohengrin (Wagner): Schwanenlied 12258
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd 15194
Walküre (Wagner): Liebeslied 15256
Siegfried (Wagner): Schmiedelied 15257
G&T, Berlin 1906-09?
4714h Walküre (Wagner): Siegmund heiß' ich 3-42742, 61591
4715h Siegfried (Wagner): Nothung! Nothung! (Schwertlied) 3-42670, 61613
4716h Siegfried (Wagner): Schmiede mein Hammer (Schmiedelied) 3-42671, 61613
4717h Lohengrin (Wagner): Nichts kann mir Ruhe geben (w. Destinn) 2-44160
541i Walküre (Wagner): Ein Schwert verhieß 042135, ES153
542i Lohengrin (Wagner): Das süße Lied verhallt (w. Destinn) 044057, 65220, VB25
543i Lohengrin (Wagner): Wenn ich im Kampfe (w. Destinn) 044056, 65220, VB25
G&T, Berlin 1906-11?
9710u Evangelimann (Kienzl): Selig sind, die Verfolgung leiden 3-42704
9764u Lohengrin (Wagner): O Elsa, nur ein Jahr (Abschied) 3-42762
9766u Lohengrin (Wagner): Höchstes Vertrau'n 3-42720
G&T, Berlin 1907-01
2351r Salome (Strauss): Schenkt mir Wein ein (74) 3-42708
2352r Salome (Strauss): Salome, ich beschwöre dich (74) 3-42709
2353r Salome (Strauss): Ich will den Kopf des Jokanaan 3-42710
G&T, Berlin 1907-08?
3268r Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Sieh' mein Elend, Herr (w. chorus) 3-42909, 61988
3269r Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Brüder, euer Klagesang (w. chorus) 3-42910, 61988
267s Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Haltet ein, meine Brer (w. chorus) (74) 042144
268s Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Er wird stets bei dir sein (w. chorus) unpublished
268½s Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns): Er wird stets bei dir sein (w. chorus) 042145
Gramophone, Berlin 1908
342m Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Grüß Gott, mein Junker 044086
with Bachmann
343m Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Mein Freund in holder Jugendzeit 044087
with Bachmann
345m Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Abendlich glühend (w. Bachmann) 044105
Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-01
88ac Siegfried (Wagner): Du holdes Vöglein 042195
89ac Joseph (Méhul): Kanaan, du Land meiner Väter 042192
90ac Joseph (Méhul): Du weißt noch nicht, mein Utobal 042193
Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-02
91ac Siegfried (Wagner): Dass der mein Vater nicht ist 042194
92ac Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend 044106
with Bachmann
93ac Götterdämmerung (Wagner): Vergäss' ich alles (w. Bachmann) 044109, 65546
94ac Götterdämmerung (Wagner): Blühenden Lebens (w. Bachmann) 044110, 65546
Gramophone, Berlin 1909-04-27
953ab Walküre (Wagner): Zauberfest bezähmt ein Schlaf 4-42221, 61652, ER111
954ab Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme 4-42222, 61652, ER111
112ac Siegfried (Wagner): Dass der mein Vater nicht ist 042194x, 65101, ES164
113ac Siegfried (Wagner): Du holdes Vöglein 042195x, 65101, ES164
Edison 4-min cylinders, Berlin 1909?
Walküre (Wagner): Liebeslied 15139, BA 26071
Freischütz (Weber): Durch die Wälder 15178, BA 26089
Siegfried (Wagner): Waldweben 15283
Gramophone, Berlin 1909-10-05
261ac Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd unpublished
261½ac Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd 042229
Gramophone, Berlin 1910-09-29
7898r Evangelimann (Kienzl): Selig sind, die Verfolgung leiden 3-42704x
510s Tristan und Isolde (Wagner): Wie sie selig 042279, 65123
511s Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Morgenlich leuchtend 042280, 65123
Gramophone, Berlin 1910-09-30
512s Walküre (Wagner): Müd' am Herd fand ich den Mann 044168, 65117
with Knüpfer-Egli & Knüpfer
513s Walküre (Wagner): Friedmund darf ich nicht heißen unpublished
513½s Walküre (Wagner): Friedmund darf ich nicht heißen 042268, 65117, ES165
514s Walküre (Wagner): Wunder und wilde Märe 044170, 65236, ES193
with Knüpfer-Egli & Knüpfer
515s Götterdämmerung (Wagner): Brünnhilde, heilige Braut 042265, 65050, ES116
Gramophone, Berlin 1910-10-12
529s Walküre (Wagner): Künde nun, Gast (w. Knüpfer-Egli) 044171, 65236, ES193
Gramophone, München 1911-08-19
2291c Walküre (Wagner): Du bist der Lenz (w. Morena) 044191, 65242
2292c Walküre (Wagner): Wir dir die Stern so offen steh (w. Morena) 044192, 65242
2293c Walküre (Wagner): Siegmund, sieh' auf mich (w. Morena) 044195, 65244, ES195
2294c Walküre (Wagner): Hehr bist du (w. Morena) 044196, 65244, ES195
Gramophone, Berlin 1911-12-13
92al Evangelimann (Kienzl): Des Lebens ganzen Leidenskelch 042331, 65394
93al Evangelimann (Kienzl): Was ich gelitten 042332, 65394
94al Tannhäuser (Wagner): Inbrunst im Herzen 042366, 65145
Gramophone, Berlin 1911-12-14
95al Fliegender Holländer (Wagner): Fühlst du den Schmerz (w. Kurt) 044202, 65247, ES196
96al Fliegender Holländer (Wagner): Bleib Senta (w. Kurt) 044201, 65247, ES196
Gramophone, Berlin 1911-12-15
97al Evangelimann (Kienzl): Lasset die Kleinen zu mir kommen unpublished
with Scheele-Müller & chorus
97½al Evangelimann (Kienzl): Lasset die Kleinen zu mir kommen 044197, 65245
with Scheele-Müller & chorus
98al Evangelimann (Kienzl): Wer kann sie wiedergeben 044198, 65245
with Scheele-Müller & chorus
Gramophone, Berlin 1912-10-09
277al Tannhäuser (Wagner): Nach Rom gelangt' ich 042367, 65145
279al Götterdämmerung (Wagner): Mime hieß ein mürrischer Zwerg (w. Habich) 044224, 65253
Gramophone, Berlin 1912-10-11
280al Götterdämmerung (Wagner): In Leid zu dem Wipfel 044225, 65253
with Habich,Neuendahm & chorus
281al Siegfried (Wagner): Vieles lehrtest du, Mime (w. J Lieban & chorus) unpublished
281½al Siegfried (Wagner): Vieles lehrtest du, Mime (w. J Lieban & chorus 044218, 65251, ES194
282al Siegfried (Wagner): Ei, Mime, bist du so witzig (w. J Lieban & chorus) 044219, 65251, ES194
Gramophone, Berlin 1912-12-02
639m Rienzi (Wagner): Allmächt'ger Vater (Gebet) 042405, 65154
640m Tristan und Isolde (Wagner): Muss ich dich so versteh'n 042404, 65154
Gramophone, Berlin 1912-12-17
14801L Lohengrin (Wagner): O Elsa, nur ein Jahr (Abschied) 4-42538, 61712
14802L Lohengrin (Wagner): Nun sei bedankt (Schwanenlied) 4-42537, 61712
656m Freischütz (Weber): Durch die Wälder, durch die Auen 042396, 65474
657m Freischütz (Weber): Hat denn der Himmel 042397, 65474
Gramophone, Berlin 1913-11-12
13279r Freundliche Vision (R Strauss) 4-42554, E42003, 61986
1257s Frühlingsgespenster (Weingartner) 042465, 65172
1258s Tom der Reimer (Loewe) 042464, 65172
Gramophone, Berlin 1913-11-14
13299r Winterweihe (R Strauss) 4-42553, E42002, 61986
1261s Schöne Müllerin (Schubert): a) Halt!, b) Dankgesang an den Bach 042555, 0942045, 15850
1262s Der Neugierige (Schubert) 042466, 65475
1263s Du bist die Ruh' (Schubert) 042467, 65475
Grammophon, Berlin 1915-03?
817m Tristan und Isolde (Wagner): O sink' hernieder (w. Denera) 044278, 65267, ES192
818m Tristan und Isolde (Wagner): Doch uns're Liebe (w. Denera) 044277, 65267, ES192
Grammophon, Berlin 1915-04
17703L Siegfried (Wagner): Wir sind zur Stelle (w. Henke) 3-44121, 61844
17704L Siegfried (Wagner): Doch heiße mich das (w. Henke) 3-44122, 61844
Grammophon, Berlin 1915-05?
17833L Siegfried (Wagner): Fühltest du nie im finst'ren Wald (w. Henke) 3-44124
17834L Siegfried (Wagner): Folge mir nur (w. Henke) 3-44125
17835L Siegfried (Wagner): Ist mir doch fast (w. Herwig) 3-44133, 61849
850m Siegfried (Wagner): Er sinnt und erwägt (w. J Lieban) 044288, 65462
851m Siegfried (Wagner): Sieh, du bist müde (w. J Lieban) 044289, 65462
852m Tristan und Isolde (Wagner): Der alte Weise (w. Habich) 044311, 65498
Grammophon, Berlin 1915
900m Evangelimann (Kienzl): Wir halten uns umwunden (w. Kemp & Habich) 044285, 65270
901m Evangelimann (Kienzl): Du teurer Mann (w. Kemp) 044284, 65270
Grammophon, Berlin 1916
18524L Siegfried (Wagner): Lustig im Leid (w. Herwig) 3-44134, 61849
958m Tiefland (d'Albert): Schau her (Wolfserzählung) unpublished
958½m Tiefland (d'Albert): Schau her (Wolfserzählung) 042503, 65184
992m Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Grüß Gott, mein Junker 044293, 76508, 85304, 65272
with Bohnen
993m Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Mein Freund, in holder Jugendzeit 044294, 76509, 85304, 65272
with Bohnen
994m Tiefland (d'Albert): Zwei Vaterunser (Traumerzählung) 042504, 65184
Vox, Berlin 1923/1924
1281A Walküre (Wagner): Winterstürme wichen dem Wonnemond 03350
1282A Walküre (Wagner): Ein Schwert verhieß mir der Vater 03350
Frühlingsgespenster (Weingartner) 03399
Im Abendrot (Schubert) 03399
Evangelimann (Kienzl): Selig sind, die Verfolgung leiden 03420
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Am stillen Herd 03420
Source for the discography the excellent but alas defunct website 78opera.com
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