Country

:

Spain

Birth

:

September 24, 1927 in Las Palmas, Canary Islands

Death

:

September 10, 1999 in Madrid, Spain

Genre

:

Opera

 

Alfredo Kraus was a renowned Spanish tenor who was born on November 24, 1927, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. He was the youngest of ten children and grew up in a musical family. His father was a choir director and his mother was a pianist. Kraus showed an early interest in music and began singing in his church choir at a young age. Kraus received his formal music education at the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Conservatory, where he studied under the guidance of Juan Francisco Perera. He made his operatic debut in 1956 at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon, Portugal, as the Duke in Rigoletto. He quickly gained recognition for his beautiful voice and his ability to convey emotion through his singing. Throughout his career, Kraus performed in some of the world's most prestigious opera houses, including La Scala in Milan, the Royal Opera House in London, and the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He was known for his powerful and expressive voice, as well as his ability to interpret a wide range of roles. One of Kraus's most notable performances was his portrayal of the title character in Massenet's Werther at the Royal Opera House in London in 1974. His performance was widely praised for its emotional depth and sensitivity. He also received critical acclaim for his performances in Mozart's Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte, as well as Verdi's La traviata and Rigoletto. Kraus was a frequent collaborator with the conductor Herbert von Karajan, and the two worked together on several productions, including Verdi's La traviata and Puccini's La bohème. He also worked with other notable conductors, such as Carlos Kleiber and James Levine. In addition to his operatic performances, Kraus was also a successful concert singer. He performed in recitals throughout Europe and the United States, and his repertoire included works by Schubert, Schumann, and Brahms. Kraus received numerous awards and honors throughout his career. In 1988, he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts, one of Spain's highest cultural honors. He was also awarded the Gold Medal for Fine Arts by the Spanish government in 1991. Kraus continued to perform well into his seventies, and his final performance was in 1999 at the Teatro Real in Madrid, where he sang the role of the Duke in Rigoletto, the same role he had debuted with over forty years earlier. Alfredo Kraus passed away on September 10, 1999, in Madrid, Spain, at the age of 71. He left behind a legacy as one of the greatest tenors of the twentieth century, known for his beautiful voice, his emotional depth, and his ability to bring characters to life on the operatic stage.

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