The Complete Salomea Krushelnytska

Salomea Krushelnytska (1872–1952) simply has one of the most beautiful dramatic soprano voices on record. The voice has strength and a dusky tone coupled with a mastery of phrasing. She had a remarkable career. It was rumored Krushelnytska could learn a part of a new opera in two days, and develop the character of a role in another three or four. In 1902 she won the hearts of Parisians in Lohengrin. In 1906 she enchanted the audience at Milan’s La Scala in Richard Strauss’s Salome conducted by Arturo Toscanini. Her rendition of the title role of the Brescia Madama Butterfly in 1904 contributed to Butterfly’s admission to the world repertoire. In addition, she created the role of Salome at La Scala’s premiere in 1907 as well as the role of Elektra in 1909. She also sang at the world premiere of Romani’s Fedra (1915). She was to settle in Milan, yet a visit to her birthplace, Lvov, in 1939 precluded her return to Italy. She taught at the conservatory in Lvov, where she had begun her illu