Viorica Ursuleac

Romanian soprano Viorica Ursuleac (Fee-o-rit-za Oor-sool-yahts) has entered musical history as an enigma. Described by composer Richard Strauss as the "truest of the true" in interpreting his great soprano roles, she left recorded evidence that both supports and contradicts the validity of his belief in her. Contemporary singers spoke admiringly of the haunting quality of her large instrument and the extraordinary ease of her top register. On the other hand, much of her singing as captured on disc seems labored and, as the years passed, increasingly unsteady. Her voice was slo...