Francisco Kraus Trujillo
Encyclopedia
Francisco Kraus Trujillo (born October 21, 1926) is a Spanish
baritone
.
He was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
(Canary Islands
), Spain, on October 21, 1926. His father, Otto Kraus, was born in Austria
and Francisco was the first born of the Kraus-Trujillo family; soon would follow Alfredo
, Enriqueta Lola, and Carmen. His father played Viennese
waltz
es on the piano, and sang aria
s and art songs with a beautiful baritone voice.
with famous teacher and Soprano Mercedes Llopart
. Mrs Llopart’s legacy of exquisite technique and knowledge of voice production was passed on to her students, Alfredo Kraus, Renata Scotto
, Anna Moffo
, Fiorenza Cossotto
, Ivo Vinco
, Greek soprano Elena Suliotis, Venezuelan coloratura soprano Cecilia Nuñez Albanese, and Francisco Kraus. Francisco’s baritone voice has a wide vocal range, up to a high B with powerful bright, dark, rich notes, placed high in the mask.
” in Trieste
with the Moussorgski opera KHOVANTCHINA, in the role of “Boyardo Chakloviti” and using the stage name Franco di Marco. Later he continued singing “Enrico” of Lucia di Lammermoor, “Valentin” of the opera Faust, and “Germont” of La Traviata. He returned to Spain where he appeared with the “Festivales of Spain” in La Coruña. He made his debut in the “Teatro De La Zarzuela
” in Madrid
with the Compañía Lírica Nacional with great success. With this same Company he made a tour of Spain with identical results. In 1962 he formed his own company and toured Spain for four years, singing Zarzuela
: La Bruja, La Tabernera del Puerto, Katiuska, El Huésped del Sevillano, La Calesera, La Rosa del Azafrán, La del Soto del Parral, and other works of the repertoire with artists like Amparo Azcón, Celia Langa, Pilarín Alvarez, Rosa Gil, Fina Gessa, María Pastor, Eduardo Bermúdez, Enrique del Portal, José Luis Cancela and Andrés García Martí, under the baton of the Maestros Jose Terol and Mariano de las Heras. In Madrid, in June 1963, he performed several presentations of the Opera Marina, by Spanish composer Emilio Arrieta. The performances took place in El Parque del Retiro, with his brother Alfredo.
In 1966 a contract with the company of Maria Francisca Caballer and Agustín Lisbona, to perform in the National Theater of Caracas, “Teatro Nacionál,” took him to Venezuela
for one long season. He then returned to the Canary Islands
to dedicate more time to family matters. His break from the Operatic scene was not total, however, and in the 1970s he took part in several seasons of Zarzuela with the Isaac Albéniz
Company of Juan Jose Seoane, performing all over Spain and the Spanish Islands.
In 1987, he returned to Spain to teach voice technique in the Conservatory of the “Gran Teatro del Liceu” in Barcelona
, where he taught until his retirement.
Retirement
His last public performance took place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1996, where he was awarded the Gold medal of the City. In July 2000 Kraus and his wife Enedina decided to be based permanently in the city where he was born. In November 2000, Francisco Kraus received the tribute of the Canary Island “Friends of the Zarzuela”, who gave him a Plaque in recognition of his long career.
Marina (1963). Ed.: Carillón
Video. Marina 1974 Teatro Municipal de Caracas. Omac.
“Selección de Zarzuelas”:
El Cantar del Arriero,
La Calesera,
El Caserío,
El Huésped del Sevillano,
La Parranda,
La Canción del olvido,
Molinos de viento,
Los Gavilanes,
La del Soto del Parral. Ed.: Belter (1973).
TV film, German TV ZDF Reiselust. “Gran Canaria”.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
.
He was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria commonly known as Las Palmas is the political capital, jointly with Santa Cruz, the most populous city in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands and the ninth largest city in Spain, with a population of 383,308 in 2010. Nearly half of the people of the island...
(Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
), Spain, on October 21, 1926. His father, Otto Kraus, was born in Austria
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...
and Francisco was the first born of the Kraus-Trujillo family; soon would follow Alfredo
Alfredo Kraus
Alfredo Kraus Trujillo was a distinguished Spanish tenor of partly Austrian descent, particularly known for the artistry he brought to opera's bel canto roles...
, Enriqueta Lola, and Carmen. His father played Viennese
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...
waltz
Waltz
The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim...
es on the piano, and sang aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
s and art songs with a beautiful baritone voice.
Vocal technique
He and his brother Alfredo began their training with María Suárez Fiol, (born in Madrid, 1897 – died in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 1987). The first songs in front of an audience were in the house of his teacher, where Mrs Fiol organized benefit concerts. He started singing in the Choir of the School of the Heart of Maria, and made an audition for Soloists in the Philharmonic Society of Las Palmas. After coming back from Barcelona, Francisco married his fiancé Enedina Kraus. He studied Voice technique in MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
with famous teacher and Soprano Mercedes Llopart
Mercedes Llopart
Mercedes Llopart was a Spanish soprano who later became a notable singing teacher in Italy.Mercedes Llopart studied in her native Barcelona and made her operatic debut there in 1915. She then went to Italy where she sang in many small theatres before making her debut at the Rome Opera in 1920...
. Mrs Llopart’s legacy of exquisite technique and knowledge of voice production was passed on to her students, Alfredo Kraus, Renata Scotto
Renata Scotto
Renata Scotto is an Italian soprano and opera director.Recognized for her sense of style, musicality and as a remarkable singer-actress, Scotto is considered one of the preeminent singers of her generation, specializing in the bel canto repertoire with excursions into the verismo and Verdi...
, Anna Moffo
Anna Moffo
Anna Moffo was an Italian-American opera singer and one of the leading lyric-coloratura sopranos of her generation...
, Fiorenza Cossotto
Fiorenza Cossotto
Fiorenza Cossotto is an Italian mezzo soprano. She is considered by many to be one of the great mezzo-sopranos of the 20th century.-Life and career:...
, Ivo Vinco
Ivo Vinco
Ivo Vinco is an Italian bass who enjoyed a successful international career.Ivo Vinco first studied at the Liceo Musicale in Verona with Madama Zilotti, then at the opera school of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan with Ettore Campogalliani. He made his professional debut in Verona, as Ramfis in Aida,...
, Greek soprano Elena Suliotis, Venezuelan coloratura soprano Cecilia Nuñez Albanese, and Francisco Kraus. Francisco’s baritone voice has a wide vocal range, up to a high B with powerful bright, dark, rich notes, placed high in the mask.
His career
In December 1960, Francisco made his Debut in the “Teatro Comunale Giuseppe VerdiTeatro Comunale Giuseppe Verdi
The Teatro Lirico Giuseppe Verdi is an opera house located in Trieste, Italy and named after the composer Giuseppe Verdi. Privately constructed, it was inaugurated as the Teatro Nuovo to replace the smaller 800-seat "Cesareo Regio Teatro di San Pietro" on 21 April 1801 with a performance of Johann...
” in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
with the Moussorgski opera KHOVANTCHINA, in the role of “Boyardo Chakloviti” and using the stage name Franco di Marco. Later he continued singing “Enrico” of Lucia di Lammermoor, “Valentin” of the opera Faust, and “Germont” of La Traviata. He returned to Spain where he appeared with the “Festivales of Spain” in La Coruña. He made his debut in the “Teatro De La Zarzuela
Teatro de la Zarzuela
The Teatro de la Zarzuela is a theatre in Madrid, Spain. The theatre is today mainly devoted to zarzuela , as well as operetta and recitals. In the past, in the city's long absence of an opera theatre , this was Madrid's theatre where most major opera performances were shown...
” in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
with the Compañía Lírica Nacional with great success. With this same Company he made a tour of Spain with identical results. In 1962 he formed his own company and toured Spain for four years, singing Zarzuela
Zarzuela
Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance...
: La Bruja, La Tabernera del Puerto, Katiuska, El Huésped del Sevillano, La Calesera, La Rosa del Azafrán, La del Soto del Parral, and other works of the repertoire with artists like Amparo Azcón, Celia Langa, Pilarín Alvarez, Rosa Gil, Fina Gessa, María Pastor, Eduardo Bermúdez, Enrique del Portal, José Luis Cancela and Andrés García Martí, under the baton of the Maestros Jose Terol and Mariano de las Heras. In Madrid, in June 1963, he performed several presentations of the Opera Marina, by Spanish composer Emilio Arrieta. The performances took place in El Parque del Retiro, with his brother Alfredo.
In 1966 a contract with the company of Maria Francisca Caballer and Agustín Lisbona, to perform in the National Theater of Caracas, “Teatro Nacionál,” took him to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
for one long season. He then returned to the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
to dedicate more time to family matters. His break from the Operatic scene was not total, however, and in the 1970s he took part in several seasons of Zarzuela with the Isaac Albéniz
Isaac Albéniz
Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual was a Spanish Catalan pianist and composer best known for his piano works based on folk music idioms .-Life:Born in Camprodon, province of Girona, to Ángel Albéniz and his wife Dolors Pascual, Albéniz...
Company of Juan Jose Seoane, performing all over Spain and the Spanish Islands.
Career in Venezuela, Singer and Voice Teacher
At the end of 1978 Kraus returned to Venezuela for a series of concerts and performances in Radio and Television. He performed in Teatro Municipal de Caracas with Opera Metropolitana de Caracas OMAC the Opera Marina, with Alfredo Kraus, soprano Cecilia Núñez Albanese and Cayito Aponte, with the Orquesta Filarmonica de Caracas. He had a series of concerts in Hogar Canario de Caracas and Teatro Nacional. His brother Alfredo was very often performing in Caracas, Teatro Municipal, with OMAC. This time the stay would last nine years since, aside from his performances Kraus was offered the position as professor of vocal technique in the Superior School of Caracas, Escuela Superior de Musica J.A.Lamas and also in the Escuela de Música Prudencio Esaá. He was very active as a teacher and some of his students were: Fanny Arjona soprano, Amelia Salazar, Natacha Valladares, Marisol Gil, Alfredo Olarte, Rosaura Longa, and Biella Dacosta.In 1987, he returned to Spain to teach voice technique in the Conservatory of the “Gran Teatro del Liceu” in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, where he taught until his retirement.
Retirement
His last public performance took place in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1996, where he was awarded the Gold medal of the City. In July 2000 Kraus and his wife Enedina decided to be based permanently in the city where he was born. In November 2000, Francisco Kraus received the tribute of the Canary Island “Friends of the Zarzuela”, who gave him a Plaque in recognition of his long career.
Complete recordings
La tempestad (1958),Marina (1963). Ed.: Carillón
Video. Marina 1974 Teatro Municipal de Caracas. Omac.
“Selección de Zarzuelas”:
El Cantar del Arriero,
La Calesera,
El Caserío,
El Huésped del Sevillano,
La Parranda,
La Canción del olvido,
Molinos de viento,
Los Gavilanes,
La del Soto del Parral. Ed.: Belter (1973).
TV film, German TV ZDF Reiselust. “Gran Canaria”.