Felix von Kraus
Encyclopedia
Felix von Kraus was an Austria
n dramatic bass
. Born in Vienna
, he received a doctorate
in musicology
from the University of Vienna
in 1894; as a singer, however, he was mainly self-taught. He made his debut at Bayreuth as Hagen in Götterdämmerung
in 1899 and was heard thereafter at numerous Bayreuth Festivals and at other opera houses throughout Europe
; he specialized in the works of Richard Wagner
. In 1908 he became the artistic director of the Munich
Opera; that same year he became a professor at the Munich Conservatory. Among his students was the Swiss tenor and early music specialist Max Meili
and heldentenor Karel Burian
. In 1899 Kraus married the American
contralto
Adrienne Osborne, also a Wagnerian. He had a child called Max Kraus. He retired from the stage in 1927 and died in Munich in 1937.
The name of his child was: Felizitas and not Max. He had a second daughter who died as a small child - her name was Maria or "Moidl". His grave is in the cemetery of Zell am Ziller in the Tyrol.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n dramatic bass
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
. Born in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, he received a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in musicology
Musicology
Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...
from the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
in 1894; as a singer, however, he was mainly self-taught. He made his debut at Bayreuth as Hagen in Götterdämmerung
Götterdämmerung
is the last in Richard Wagner's cycle of four operas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen...
in 1899 and was heard thereafter at numerous Bayreuth Festivals and at other opera houses throughout Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
; he specialized in the works of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
. In 1908 he became the artistic director of the Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
Opera; that same year he became a professor at the Munich Conservatory. Among his students was the Swiss tenor and early music specialist Max Meili
Max Meili
Max Meili, a Swiss tenor, was born 11 December 1899 in Winterthur and died 17 March 1970 in Zürich, Switzerland. He first trained as a painter then turned to singing, leading to lessons with Felix von Kraus....
and heldentenor Karel Burian
Karel Burian
Karel Burian was a renowned Czech operatic tenor who had an active international career spanning the 1890s to the 1920s. A Heldentenor, Burian earned acclaim in Europe and America for his powerful performances of the heaviest Wagnerian roles...
. In 1899 Kraus married the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
contralto
Contralto
Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above...
Adrienne Osborne, also a Wagnerian. He had a child called Max Kraus. He retired from the stage in 1927 and died in Munich in 1937.
The name of his child was: Felizitas and not Max. He had a second daughter who died as a small child - her name was Maria or "Moidl". His grave is in the cemetery of Zell am Ziller in the Tyrol.