A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Gura, Eugen

GURA, Eugen, born Nov. 8, 1842, at Pressem, near Saatz, Bohemia, was the son of a small schoolmaster. He received a good technical education at the Polytechnicum, Vienna, and afterwards studied art at the Vienna Academy, and at a School of Painting under Professor Anschutz (a pupil of Cornelius) at Munich. He was finally advised to adopt a musical career, and for that purpose studied singing at the Munich Conservatorium under Professor Joseph Herger, and finally, in April, 1865, made his début there at the Opera as Count Liebenau in the 'Waffenschmied' (Lortzing), with such success that he obtained a two years' engagement. In 1867–70 he was engaged at Breslau, and in 1870–76 at Leipzig, where he made his reputation, both in opera and concerts, as one of the best German baritone singers of the day. As such in 1876 he played both Donner and Gunther in the 'Nibelungen' at Bayreuth. From 1876 to 1883 he was engaged at Hamburg. In 1882, as a member of that company, he sang in German at Drury Lane in all the operas then performed, viz. The Minister ('Fidelio'); Lysiart on revival of 'Euryanthe,' June 13; 'The Flying Dutchman,' in which he made his début May 20; Wolfram; Telramund; as Hans Sachs and King Marke on the respective productions of 'Meistersinger' and 'Tristan und Isolde,' May 30 and June 2 respectively. He made a great impression at the time, and his Hans Sachs will not readily be forgotten by those who saw it. From the autumn of 1883 till the present time he has been engaged at Munich.

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