Ljuba Welitsch

Ljuba Welitsch (Veličkova; 10 July 1913 – 1 September 1996) was an operatic soprano. She was born in Borisovo, Bulgaria, studied in Sofia and Vienna, and sang in opera houses in Austria and Germany in the late 1930s and early and mid-1940s. In 1946 she became an Austrian citizen.

Welitsch became best known in the title role of Richard Strauss's Salome, in which she was coached by the composer. Her international career was short, its start delayed by the Second World War and its end hastened by vocal problems. It took off in 1947 in London and continued in New York from 1949, but her starring days were over by the mid-1950s. Her international career was just before the days when complete studio recordings of operas were common, and although some live recordings survive from broadcasts, her recorded legacy is not extensive.

From the mid-1950s, Welitsch sang character roles in operas and acted in stage plays. She died in Vienna at the age of 83.

Life and career Early years Welitsch was born in Borissovo, Bulgaria, and grew up on her family's farm with her two sisters. Her interest in music began as a young girl; when she was eight one of her sisters gave her a violin, and for a while she considered becoming a professional player. In Sofia she sang in choirs, and studied music with Georgi Zlatev-Cherkin.

Welitsch made her operatic debut in Sofia in 1936, in a small part in Louise. She learned her craft with the Graz company over the next three years, singing an unusually wide range of soprano roles, in operas by composers from Mozart to Wagner, Humperdinck, Puccini and Richard Strauss.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes1953 The Man Between Salome 1958 Singer 1958 Arms and the Man Katharina 1959 Arena of Fear Mama Allison 1959 Trudchen 1959 La Paloma Bette Maier 1959 Labyrinth Ljubas 1959 Du bist wunderbar Yvonne Lehmann 1959 My Niece Doesn't Do That Opera Singer (Walküre) 1960 Final Accord Louise 1961 Beloved Impostor Ceila Shadwell, Syrup Millionairess 1962 Aurora Marriage Bureau Mrs. Pearl 1962 Adorable Julia Dolly de Fries 1962 Das haben die Mädchen gern Viktoria Petit-Pierre 1963 Charley's Aunt Baroness 1964 I Learned It from Father Manageress Neumann 1967 The Sweet Sins of Sexy Susan Old Woman 1968 Paradies der flotten Sünder Baroness 1974 Eine Nacht in Venedig Agricola 1975 Ein echter Hausfrauenfreund Hotel Manager 1976 The Mimosa Wants to Blossom Too Lady Shots (final film role)

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