Ileana Cotrubaș, a celebrated Romanian operatic soprano whose career spanned from the 1960s to the 1980s, passed away yesterday (August 20) in Bucharest. She was 87.
Born into a musical family, Cotrubaș began singing in a children’s radio choir at age 9. In 1965, she won first prize at the International Vocal Competition ‘s-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands. The following year, she won the ARD International Music Competition in Munich. These successes opened the door to appearances at the Vienna State Opera, Hamburg State Opera, Berlin State Opera, the Salzburg Festival, and a contract with Opera Frankfurt. Her U.S. debut came in 1973 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago with La Bohème. Cotrubaș’ international breakthrough came in 1975 at Teatro alla Scala when she replaced Mirella Freni at the last minute for a performance of La Bohème. Reportedly, she arrived at the theater 15 minutes before the curtain rose. She debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 1977 with high-profile productions of La Bohème and Rigoletto.
Cotrubaș developed a reputation for uncompromising artistic standards. On notable occasions, she withdrew from productions as a result of fundamental disagreements with conductors and stage directors. Ileana Cotrubaș’ voice was distinctive for its tenderness, lightness, and purity of tone.
Placido Domingo wrote,
Deeply saddened by the passing of the great Romanian soprano, Ileana Cotrubaș. Ileana and I were close colleagues for so many years, as Violetta and Alfredo in La Traviata, Mimì and Rodolfo in La Bohème, Gilda and the Duke in Rigoletto, Antonia and Hoffmann in The Tales of Hoffmann, and Nedda and Canio in Pagliacci, etc. With Ileana, great singer and actor as stage partner, we believed in the characters we portrayed, and were able to create memorable performances that reached the hearts of our audience. My dear Ileana, rest in peace.
Ileana Cotrubaș’ artistry is apparent in the following recordings:
Puccini: Sì, mi chiamano Mimì from La Bohème
Sì, mi chiamano Mimì (“Yes, they call me Mimì”) comes from the first act of La Bohème. The simple seamstress Mimì introduces herself to Rodolfo. The warmth of the aria stands in contrast with the scene’s destitute setting in an unheated attic on a chilly Christmas Eve.
This performance at the Royal Opera House was conducted by Lamberto Gardelli:
Verdi: E strano! – Ah, fors’è lui and Sempre libera from La Traviata
La Traviata tells the tragic story of a beautiful Parisian courtesan, Violetta, who is secretly dying of tuberculosis. When, during a glamorous late-night party, the young Alfredo confesses his love for her, Violetta is torn. His sincerity captures her heart, and she longs to experience true love before she dies. At the same time, she fears that it will end in tragedy.
At the end of Act I, Violetta, alone in her room, reflects on Alfredo’s proposal. The scene begins with an intimate inner soliloquy È strano! / Ah, fors’ è lui (How strange…perhaps he is the one.”) It is immediately followed by the Sempre libera, in which she attempts to shake off her emotional vulnerability and remain free, drowning herself in the glitter of Parisian high society.
Here are excerpts from the 1977 studio recording with conductor Carlos Kleiber and the Bavarian State Orchestra: