Kraus was born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria, Spain. He began his musical career at the age of four taking up piano lessons, singing in the school choir by age eight.
In 1956, Kraus made his professional operatic debut in Cairo as the Duke in Rigoletto, which became one of his signature roles. The following year, he sang Alfredo at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos in Lisbon in a production of La Traviata with Maria Callas, a live recording of which was later released.
Kraus made his Covent Garden debut as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor in 1959 and his La Scala debut as Elvino in La Sonnambula in 1960. He made his U.S. debut with Lyric Opera of Chicago 1962 and his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1966 in Rigoletto.
In the subsequent decades, he extended his repertoire to include more Italian operas such as Lucrezia Borgia, La fille du régiment, Linda di Chamounix and La favorita by Donizetti; and French operas such as Roméo et Juliette, Les contes d'Hoffmann and Lakmé, while continuing to sing his hallmark roles of Des Grieux in Manon and Werther. He also recorded a number of rarely performed French operas including La jolie fille de Perth and Les pêcheurs de perles, both by Bizet, and La muette de Portici by Auber.
Estrellita
Alfredo Kraus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que miras mi dolor
Que sabes mi sufrir
Baja y dime si me quiere un poco
Porque yo no puedo
Sin su amor vivir
Estrellita de lejano cielo
Que sabes mi sufrir
Baja y dime si me quiere un poco
Porque yo no puedo
Sin su amor vivir
Tú eres estrella
Mi faro de amor
Tú sabes que pronto
He de morir
Baja y dime si me quiere un poco
Porque yo no puedo
Sin su amor vivir
The lyrics to Alfredo Kraus’s song Estrellita provide an emotional and almost desperate plea for love. The singer addresses a star in the sky, telling it that it knows their pain and suffering, and begs it to come closer and tell them if their love is reciprocated. The singer cannot live without the love they seek and sees the star as a symbol of hope and guidance in their quest for love. The star is referred to as “estrellita,” meaning little star, which emphasizes the singer's feeling of smallness in the vastness of the universe and how they long for a connection with another human being.
The repetition of the first three lines, “Estrellita de lejano cielo, que miras mi dolor, que sabes mi sufrir,” adds to the sense of urgency and the desperation that the singer feels. This repetition highlights the idea that they are pleading with the star to take notice of their pain and to help them find the love they so desperately seek. The line “Tú eres estrella, mi faro de amor” (You are a star, my lighthouse of love) adds to the idea of hope, with the singer seeing the star as a beacon that they can follow towards a brighter future.
Overall, the song is a beautiful and emotional expression of someone seeking love and hoping for a connection with another human being. The use of the star as a symbol of hope and guidance adds a sense of poetry and magic to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Estrellita de lejano cielo
Oh little star from the distant sky
Que miras mi dolor
Who sees my pain
Que sabes mi sufrir
Who knows my suffering
Baja y dime si me quiere un poco
Come down and tell me if she loves me a little
Porque yo no puedo
Because I can't
Sin su amor vivir
Live without her love
Tú eres estrella
You are a star
Mi faro de amor
My lighthouse of love
Tú sabes que pronto
You know that soon
He de morir
I will die
Writer(s): David Rose, Manuel Ponce
Contributed by James M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ebaezamartinez
Estrellita del lejano cielo,
que miras mi dolor,
que sabes mi sufrir.
Baja y dime si me quiere un poco
porque yo no puedo
sin su amor vivir.
Estrellita del lejano cielo,
que miras mi dolor,
que sabes mi sufrir.
Baja y dime si me quiere un poco
porque yo no puedo
sin su amor vivir.
Tú eres estrella,
mi faro de amor,
tú sabes que pronto
he de morir.
Baja y dime si me quiere un poco
porque yo no puedo
sin su amor vivir.
@marthacardenasmoreno4604
Estás clásicas tocan mi Corazón hasta hacerme llorar.
@soniavasquez9088
Bellísima canción y en la voz de Alfredo Kraus es una reliquia. Recuerdo a mi padre que la cantaba. Desde Cali Valle del Cauca Colombia
@soyunam8303
Me pregunto, bajo qué argumentos, puede desaprobar (pulgar hacia abajo) alguien una auténtica obra de arte musical como ésta.
@lourdesm3818
...como decimos en Cádiz" HAY GENTE PA TÓO...
@nicus1976
Son los ridículos que escuchan freestyle o basuras semejantes... otra explicación no puedo encontrar.
@ManuelLopez-ss9zd
No tiene explicación, pero es probable que aolo regeton escuchan.
@RafiCBaena
Ningún oído sano puede decir nunca ni desaprobar ninguna canción o aria interpretada por el mejor tenor de nuestra HISTORIA; El incomparable ALFREDO KRAUS.
@misabelgarciaruiz5618
Muchas gracias por todo lo bueno que eres en todo 💕 ♥ y todo lo grande que eres , eres el mejor tenor de España, te felicito por ser tan grande, siempre los serás , desde Ibiza España Isabel García Ruiz ♥
@fco.garcialopez3611
México - España ¡ EXCELENTE !
@beatrizbernardes750
Essa é suprema,maravilha sem igual.