DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

KRAFT KRAUSS 597
1778. On the Prince's death in 1790 he became
chamber -musician to Prince Grassalkowitsch,
and in 1795 to Prince Lobkowitz, in wliose
service he died Angnst 28, 1820. On one of
his concert-tours he was at Dresden in 1789,
and with his son played before Duke Karl, and
before the Elector the night after the court had
been enchanted by Mozart. Both musicians
were staying at the same hotel, so they arranged
a quartet, the fourth part being taken by
Teyber the organist, i Haydn valued Kraft for
his power of expression, and for the purity of
his intonation, and in all probability composed
(1781) his violoncello concerto (Andre) for him.
According to Sehindler ^ the violoncello part in
Beethoven's triple concerto was also intended
for Kraft. As he showed a talent for composition,
Haydn offered to instruct him, but Kraft
taking up the new subject with such ardour as
to neglect his instrument, Haydn would teach
him no more, saying he already knew enough
for his jiurpose. He published three sonatas
with accompaniment, op. 1 (Amsterdam, Hummel)
; three sonatas, op. 2 (Andre) ; three
grand duos concertantes for violin and violon-
cello, op. 3, and first concerto in C, op. i
(Breitkopf & Hiirtel) ; grand duos for two
violoncellos, opp. 5 and 6 (Vienna, Steiner) ;
and divertissement for violoncello with double
bass (Peters). Kraft also played the baritone
in Prince Esterhazy's chamber music, ^ and
composed several trios for two baritones and
violoncello. His son and pupil NicOLAUS, horn
Dec. 14, 1778, at Esterhaz, early became pro-
ficient on the violoncello, accompanied his father
on his concert -toura (see above), and settled
with him in A^ienna in 1790. He played a
concerto of his father's at a concert of the
Tonkiinstler-Societat in 1792, and was one of
Prince Karl Lichnowsky's famous quartet party,
who executed so many of Beethoven's works for
the first time. The others were Schuppanzigh,
Sina, and Franz Weiss, all young men.* In
1796 he became ohamber-rausician to Prince
Lobkowitz, who sent him in 1801 to Berlin, for
further study with Louis Duport. There he
gave concerts, as well as at Leipzig, Dresden,
Prague, and A'ienna on his return journey. In
1809 he entered the orchestra of the court-opera,
and the King of Wiirtemberg hearing him in
1814, at once engaged him for his chapel at
Stuttgart. He undertook several more concerttours
(Hummel accompanied him in 1818), but
an accident to his hand obliged him to give up
playing. He retired on a pension in 1834, and
died on May 18, 1853.'^ Among his pupils
were Count Wilhorsky, Jlerk, Birnbach, Wran-
' Mozart also played with the Krafts his Trio in E (Kothel, 5421
Bee NoIiI'b Mozart- liricfc. No. 25r
2 Vol i. p. 147 ; see also Thayer's fseethcivn, vol. ii. p. 299,
3 For an anecdote on this point see Josef Baydn, by 0. F, Fohl,
Tol. i. p. 2.52,
* See Thayer's Bcrthnmn. vol, ii. p, 278,
5 The statenient in the QtirUcn-I^xiT^on that he died in 1820, on
the same day as hja father, requires confirmation.
itzky's sons, and his own son Feiebrich, born
in Vienna, Feb. 12, 1807, entered the chapel at
Stuttgart, 1824. Among Nicolaus's excellent
violoncello compositions may be specified—
fantasia with quartet, op. 1 (Andre) ; concertos,
opp. 3, 4 (Breitkopfs), and 5 (Peters) ; scene
pastorale with orchestra, dedicated to the King
of Wiirtemberg, op. 9 (Peters) ; S divertissements
progressifs with second violoncello, op.
1 4 (Andre) ; three easy duos for two violon-
cellos, op. 15, and three grand duos for ditto,
op. 17 (Andre). c. F. P.
KRAKOVIAK, Ciiacoviak, or GiiACO-
TIENNE. A Polish dance, belonging to the
district of Cracow. 'There are usnall)^' says
an eye-witness, '
a great many con}tles— as
many as in an English country dance. They
shout while dancing, and occasionally the smart
man of the party sings an impromptu coujilet
suited for the occasion—on birthdays, weddings,
etc. The men also strike their heels together
while dancing, which produces a metallic sound,
as the heels are covered with iron.' The songs,
which also share the name, are innumerable
and, as is natural, deeply tinged M'ith melancholy.
Under the name of Cracovieune the
dance was brought into the theatre about the
3^ear 1840, and was made famous by Fanny
Elssler's performance. The following is the
tune to which slie danced it ; but whether that
is a real Krakoviak, or a mere imitation, the
writer is unable to say :
fe=^^§^^^^
It has been varied by Chopin (op. 14), Herz,
Wallace, and others. G.
KRAUSS, JIarie Gabkielle, born March
23, 1842, at Vienna, received instruction at the
Conservatorium in jiianoforte playing and harmony,
and in singing from Mme. Marches!.
' She sang in Schumann's Paradise and Peri' at
its publication in Vienna by the Gesellschaft der
Musikfreunde, March 1, 1858. She made her
debut at the opera there as Mathilde ('Tell '),
in July 1859, and played also Anna ('Dame
Blanche ') and Valentine. She became a I'avour-
ite, and remained there for some years, until
about 1867. Her parts included both Donna
Anna and Elvira, Fidelio, Euryanthe, Senta,
Venus, Camille (' Zampa '), Amelia Ankarstroem
('Gustavus III.'), Lalla Eookh, and Maria (in