A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Krauss, Marie

by Alexis Chitty

KRAUSS, Marie Gabrielle, born March 23, 1842, at Vienna, received instruction at the Conservatorium in pianoforte playing and harmony, and in singing from Mme. Marchesi. She made her début at the Opera there as Mathilde ('Tell'), July 20, 1860, and played immediately after, Anna ('Dame Blanche') and Valentine. She became a favourite, and remained there for some years, until about 1867. Her parts included both Donna Anna and Elvira, Fidelio, Euryanthe, Senta, Camille ('Zampa'), Amelia Ankarstroem ('Gustavus III.'), Lalla Rookh, and Maria (in Rubinstein's 'Kinder der Haide '), Feb. 23, 1861, and Hélène ('Häusliche Krieg'), Oct. 6, 1861. She made her début at the Italiens, Paris, as Leonora ('Trovatore'), April 6, 1867, and Lucrezia; became very successful, and was engaged there every season until the war of 1870. She gained great applause by her performance of Donna Anna, Fidelio, Norma, Lucia, Semiramide, Gilda, etc, and in a new opera of Mme. de Grandval's, 'Piccolino,' in Jan. 1869. She sang with great success at Naples in Petrella's 'Manfredo' (1871) and 'Bianca Orsini' (1874), also as Aïda; with less success at Milan as Elsa on the production there of 'Lohengrin' and in Gomes's 'Fosca,' Feb. 16, 1873. She returned to the Italiens for a short time in the autumn of 1873, accepted the offer of an engagement for the Académie, previous to which she played at St. Petersburg in 1874. She made her début at the Académie at the inauguration of the new house as Rachel in 'La Juive' (first two acts), Jan. 5, 1875, and in the same opera in its entirety Jan. 8. She has played there ever since until the present time, and has maintained her position as the principal dramatic soprano of that company. She has played the heroines of Meyerbeer, also Donna Anna and Agatha, and in operas produced there for the first time as the heroine (Mermet's 'Jeanne d'Arc'), April 5, 1876; Pauline (Gounod's 'Polyeucte'), Oct. 7, 1878; Aïda, March 22, 1880; Hermosa (Gounod's 'Tribut de Zamora'), April 1, 1881; Katharine of Arragon (Saint-Saëns's 'Henry VIII.'), March 5, 1883; the heroine on revival of Gounod's 'Sappho,' April 2, 1884; Gilda ('Rigoletto'), March 2, 1885, and Dolores (Paladilhe's 'Patrie'), Dec. 20, 1886. 'The talent of Mlle. Krauss is the more remarkable, because the instrument at her disposal is far from being perfect, and always in response to her efforts. The voice, … although not wanting in brilliancy and power, is sometimes wanting in tone and character; in certain parts of the scale its resonance is dull, and it is only in the high part that it acquires its best qualities. The style is pure to perfection, her phrasing is masterly, and her musical delivery, in recitative especially, attains in the highest degree to grandeur and beauty. If one adds to these purely musical qualities the wonderful fire, … the pathetic feeling, the passionate expression, her great intelligence, and the incontestable power of her dramatic accent, one can understand the sway such an artist exercises over the public, and one can guess the secret of the success which has made her career remarkable. Mlle. Krauss is certainly one of the greatest singers that contemporary art can boast of.' (Pougin.)

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