Marie Kraja

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Marie Kraja at an appearance in the 1950s
Marie Kraja (around 1940)

Marie Kraja , born as Marie Paluca (born September 24, 1911 in Zadar , Kingdom of Dalmatia ; † November 21, 1999 in Tirana , Albania ), was an Albanian music teacher and opera singer , who is particularly known for her way of performing Albanian folk songs .

Life and musical career

Marie Kraja on a 2004 Albanian postage stamp

Marie Paluca was born on September 24, 1911 in Zadar in the Kingdom of Dalmatia, which at that time belonged to Austria-Hungary . Her Roman Catholic family originally came from Kosovo and lived in a small Albanian community in Zadar . When the girl was six years old, the family moved to Albania and settled in Shkodra . There Marie learned to sing regional wedding and love songs.

In 1930 she began singing training at the singing school in Graz , which she completed in 1934. She then taught at a secondary school in Shkodra and later at the Pedagogical Institute "Nana Mbretëreshë" in Tirana.

During her first public singing appearances in Tirana she was accompanied by the pianist Tonin Guraziu . She represented Albania on an “Evening of Nations” in Vienna . In 1937 she gave a concert in Bari, Italy, and several concerts in Munich the following year . In June of the same year, she took part in a benefit concert for Tashko's husband, the baritone Kristaq Koço , with the pianist Lola Gjoka and the singer Tefta Tashko- Koço , in order to finance his vocal training in Milan . After a concert in Florence in 1939 , she returned home.

Street sign Marie Kraja in Prizren (Kosovo)

Back in Albania, in 1939 she married Leonard Kraja, a professor of Latin , and from then on appeared under her new family name as Marie Kraja.

After the Second World War , Kraja taught at the renowned art lyceum Jordan Misja ( Liceu Artistik Jordan Misja ) and sang at the opera. In 1959 she appeared in the first Albanian opera Mrika , a work by Prenkë Jakova with a libretto by Llazar Siliqi. She also played in Verdi's La Traviata , Glinka's A Life for the Tsar , Tchaikovsky's Jolanthe , Mozart's Marriage of Figaro and in other operas.

Kraja's singing was characterized by the fact that she emphasized the words of her lyrics in a typically German way. Her repertoire also included many Albanian urban folk songs ( Albanian  këngë popullore qytetare , translated into English as Albanian Urban Lyric Songs ). In her homeland, Kraja was particularly known and loved because of these songs. It showed impressively how a professionally trained singer could present folk songs. Her melodies were arranged by the pianist Lola Gjoka, who accompanied her on the piano during her performances. Together the two musicians recorded more than 300 songs. These recordings were not perfect by today's standards, but some have survived to this day and some are available on YouTube .

In 1962 Kraja was honored with the highest Albanian award for performing artists, the honorary title of People's Artist of Albania (Artist i Popullit të Shqipërisë) .

Marie Kraja died on November 21, 1999 at the age of 88 in Tirana.

Awards and honors

  • In 1962 she received the honorary title of People's Artist of Albania.
  • Order of Naim Frasheri 1st class
  • In 2004, the Albanian Post has been a 50- Lek - special stamp with a picture Krajas out.
  • In Tirana, Shkodra and Prizren (Kosovo) streets were named after her.

Trivia

Kraja was related to Mother Teresa , who paid her a visit. Kraja organized the funerals for their mother and sister regardless of the danger to their career or life, as the two women were viewed with suspicion by those in power at the time.

Her only daughter Inis Kraja, who had taught "Maria, Mother of Good Advice" in Tirana as a professor of English at the Catholic University for ten years and also worked as a translator, died in March 2018 at the age of 67.

literature

  • Flori Slatina: Portrete artistesh . In: Gazeta . tape 55 . Tirana 1999 (Albanian).
  • Eno Koço: Albanian Urban Lyric Song in the 1930s . Scarecrow Press, 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4890-0 , pp. 58-61 (English).
  • David Cooper, Kevin Dawe: The Mediterranean in music: critical perspectives, common concerns, cultural differences . Scarecrow Press, 2005, ISBN 978-0-8108-5407-9 (English).
  • M. Lalaj: Instituti Femnor "Nana Mbretneshë", Tiranë: Qendra Kombëtare e Artit dhe e Kulturës . 2013, ISBN 978-99943-51-90-9 , pp. 54 (Albanian).

Web links

Commons : Marie Kraja  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Eno Koço: Albanian Urban Lyric Song in the 1930s . Scarecrow Press, 2004, ISBN 978-0-8108-4890-0 , pp. 58-61 (English).
  2. ^ A b c d Robert Elsie: A Biographical Dictionary of Albanian History . IB Tauris, 2012, ISBN 978-1-78076-431-3 , pp. 321 (English, online [PDF]).
  3. ↑ Marie Kraja. viaf.org, accessed on March 21, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Marie Kraja. In: youtube.com. Retrieved on March 21, 2020 (various recordings by Marie Kraja on YouTube).
  5. ↑ Besarta: Sopranoja brilante Marie Kraja. In: Gazeta Vatra. September 24, 2019, accessed March 21, 2020 (Albanian, with audio recording).
  6. ^ Tefta Tashko Koço, miti i sopranos shqiptare. In: Telegraf.al. November 5, 2012, accessed March 21, 2020 (Albanian).
  7. ^ FBIS Daily Report: East Europe . tape 157-168 . Foreign Broadcast Information Service, 1989, OCLC 16394067 , pp. 1 ( Online ): “This morning, she paid a visit at the home of the Artiste of the People Marije Kraja, a relative, as well as to the house where her mother and sister had lived for a long time. Mother Teresa then visited the No 40 kindergarten in Tirana ... "
  8. ↑ Gëzim Alpion: Mother Teresa: Saint or Celebrity? Routledge, 2007, ISBN 978-0-203-08751-0 , pp. 317 (English, online ): “Albanian Catholic opera singer Marije Kraja, who is also known to have organized their funerals ...”
  9. ↑ Zi në familjen Kraja. Ndërron jetë vajza e vetme e sopranos Marije Kraja. kohajone.com, March 25, 2018, accessed March 21, 2020 (Albanian).
  10. ↑ Lamtumirë Inis! Ndahet nga jeta vajza e sopranos Marie Kraja - VOAL - Voice of Albanians. Voice of Albania, March 25, 2018, accessed March 21, 2020 (Albanian, short obituary).
personal data
SURNAME Kraja, Marie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Paluca, Marie (maiden name); Kraja, Maria (alternative first name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Albanian opera singer
DATE OF BIRTH September 24, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH Zadar , Kingdom of Dalmatia
DATE OF DEATH November 21, 1999
Place of death Tirana , Albania