Welitsch, Ljuba (1913–1996)
Welitsch, Ljuba (1913–1996)
Bulgarian soprano. Pronunciation: lyoo-ba VEY-lish. Born Ljuba Velickova or Welitschkova on July 10, 1913, in Borissovo, Bulgaria, a small town on the Black Sea; died in Vienna in September 1996; daughter of a farmer; studied with Gyogy Zlatov in Sofia and with Lierhammer in Vienna.
Sang at Hamburg (1941–43), the Vienna Volksoper (1940–44), and Munich (1943–46); gave a special performance of Richard Strauss' Salome with the composer conducting (1944); joined the Vienna Staatsoper (1946); debuted at Covent Garden (1947), Glyndebourne (1948), and New York's Metropolitan Opera (1949).
Ljuba Welitsch's name is especially associated with the role of Salome as she performed it under Richard Strauss' direction in 1944, and in a notorious production by Peter Brook with decor by Salvador Dali. At the time, Salome was regarded as a somewhat scandalous work. World War II interrupted Welitsch's career, confining her to the Continent. In 1949, she debuted at New York's Metropolitan Opera, but her subsequent international career was relatively short lived. By 1955, Welitsch's voice was in decline,
which some ascribed to overuse. In her prime, her voice had apparently limitless resources. "Welitsch sang on her nerves," noted Philip Hope-Wallace, "clear stream of tone like [Elisabeth] Rethberg , a diamond top C like the evening star." She made few recordings but those which survive confirm a theatrical voice.
John Haag , Athens, Georgia