Part II – Your Favorites: HELEN TRAUBEL

THIS PART IS FOR YOUR FAVORITES! Please comment this artist! Helen Traubel, Soprano (1899-1972) Clara Edwards – By the bend of the river American Ballad (Recorded 1944 in a Radio Broadcast) My personal opinion: In 1951/52 Rudolf Bing took over the management of the New York Metropolitan Opera, and soon after he fired Lauritz Melchior to show his mighty power. For soprano Helen Traubel he offered a contract with some clauses (not to sing in operettas and nightclubs anymore), and on March 21th 1953, Miss Traubel gave her last Met-performance. “His despotic claims were absolute ridiculous and unacceptable”, wrote Bjoerlings widow Anna-Lisa. With Traubel, Bing lost one of the greatest Wagner-Divas of all time. “She´sa very great singer and responsible for Wagner during my absence!”, said Kirsten Flagstad. In his memoirs, Bing wrote, the guilt was on Miss Traubel´s side. Just as the “Great Dane” Lauritz Melchior, Miss Traubel primarily was a Wagner-Singer in voice and stature. Her vocal instrument was rich, warm, intensive and without effort in its vigorous power. She was a real successor of Frida Leider and almost equal to Flagstad, but Helen Traubel only had sung in America. No wonder, she´s almost unknown in Europe. Born 1898 in St. Louis, Traubel gave her debut in a concert, age 27. It was a great success, and an operatic-career seemed near, but she prefered to go on with singing in an orchestra for twelve more years. She rejected two Met-Offers. In the mid-1930s it was …
Video Rating: 5 / 5