Jump to content
Main menu
Main menu
move to sidebar
hide
Navigation
Main page
Recent changes
Random page
Help about MediaWiki
Special pages
Niidae Wiki
Search
Search
Appearance
Create account
Log in
Personal tools
Create account
Log in
Pages for logged out editors
learn more
Contributions
Talk
Editing
Ileana Cotrubaș
Page
Discussion
English
Read
Edit
View history
Tools
Tools
move to sidebar
hide
Actions
Read
Edit
View history
General
What links here
Related changes
Page information
Appearance
move to sidebar
hide
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
{{Short description|Romanian operatic soprano (born 1939)}} {{use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Ileana Cotrubaș | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|6|9|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Galați]], [[Romania]] | occupation = [[Opera]]tic [[soprano]] | years_active = 1964–present }} '''Ileana Cotrubaș''' ({{IPA|ro|iˈle̯ana kotruˈbaʃ|lang|Ro-Ileana Cotrubaș.ogg}}; born 9 June 1939) is a [[Romanians|Romanian]] [[opera]]tic [[soprano]] whose career spanned from the 1960s to the 1980s. She was much admired for her acting skills and facility for singing opera in many different languages. ==Life and career== {{BLP sources section|date=March 2023}} Cotrubaș was born in [[Galați]].<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /><ref name="Oxford" /> She grew up in a musical family; her father, Vasile, was a tenor in an amateur choir. Cotrubaș' musical career began at the age of nine when she became a member of a children's radio choir.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> By the age of eleven, she was one of its leading soloists. In 1952, she moved to Bucharest to study at the ''Școala Specială de Muzică'' school for the musically gifted. Cotrubaș made her stage debut with the Bucharest Opera as Yniold in Debussy's ''[[Pelléas et Mélisande (opera)|Pelléas et Mélisande]]'' in 1964.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> She subsequently expanded her repertory to include roles such as Oscar in Verdi's ''[[Un ballo in maschera]]'', Gilda in ''[[Rigoletto]]'', and Blonde in Mozart's ''[[Die Entführung aus dem Serail]]'' and began appearing in productions throughout Europe. In 1965, Cotrubaș won the [[International Vocal Competition 's-Hertogenbosch]] in Netherlands,<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> where she won first prize in opera, [[lied]]er, and [[oratorio]]. The following year, she won the [[ARD International Music Competition]] in Munich. Those awards, together with her great success in the role of Pamina in Mozart's ''[[Die Zauberflöte]]'' in Brussels, led to appearances in the [[Vienna State Opera]], [[Hamburg State Opera]], [[Berlin State Opera]] and [[Salzburg Festival]], and to a contract with the [[Oper Frankfurt]] in 1968.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> In 1969, she made her UK debut at the [[Glyndebourne Festival Opera|Glyndebourne Festival]] as Mélisande, and sang two succeeding seasons there in the title role of Cavalli's ''[[La Calisto]]''. She made her début at the [[Royal Opera House]] in London in 1971 as Tatyana in Tchaikovsky's ''[[Eugene Onegin (opera)|Eugene Onegin]]''.<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> Cotrubaș signed a three-year contract with the Vienna State Opera in 1970. During her time there, she learned the roles of Susanna in Mozart's ''[[Le nozze di Figaro]]'', Zerlina in ''[[Don Giovanni]]'', the title role in Verdi's ''[[La traviata]]'', Mimì in Puccini's ''[[La bohème]]'', and Sophie in ''[[Der Rosenkavalier]]'' by Richard Strauss.<ref name="Vienna" /> In 1973, she made her American operatic debut at the [[Lyric Opera of Chicago]] as Mimì, and at Glyndebourne sang Susanna opposite the Figaro of [[Knut Skram]]. Cotrubaș made her international breakthrough on 7 January 1975, when she replaced [[Mirella Freni]] at [[La Scala]] as Mimì. She had to fly from her home in [[Kent]] and arrived 15 minutes before curtain time. Her interpretation was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. Cotrubaș made her [[Metropolitan Opera]] debut on 23 March 1977, as Mimì<ref name="Kutsch/Riemens" /> in a production with [[José Carreras]] and [[Renata Scotto]].<ref name="Metropolitan" /> While with the Met, she appeared as Gilda, opposite [[Plácido Domingo]] and [[Cornell MacNeil]], in a televised performance of ''Rigoletto'' on 7 November 1977, and as Violetta, again opposite Domingo and MacNeil, in a televised performance of ''La traviata'' on 28 March 1981. She sang three other roles at the Met: Ilia in Mozart's ''[[Idomeneo]]'' (in its Metropolitan Opera premiere), Tatyana, and Micaëla in Bizet's ''[[Carmen]]'', the role of her final performance with the company on 26 March 1987.<ref name="Metropolitan" /> Cotrubaș is known for being very demanding of directors and colleagues. On several occasions—''Eugene Onegin'' in Vienna in 1973 and ''[[Don Pasquale]]'' at the Met in 1980—she walked out of productions when she disagreed with the stage director. She retired from public singing in 1990, but continued to teach, giving [[master class]]es and coaching promising young singers, including [[Elena Tsallagova]]. ==Recordings==<!-- Date for each would egood. --> *Puccini : ''[[La bohème]]'' – Cotrubaș with [[Luciano Pavarotti]] and [[Piero Cappuccilli]], conducted by [[Carlos Kleiber]], live recording at [[La Scala]], Milan, 22 March 1979 EX92T01/2 CD *Verdi: ''[[Rigoletto]]'' – Cotrubaș with [[Plácido Domingo]] and [[Piero Cappuccilli]], [[Vienna Philharmonic]], conducted by [[Carlo Maria Giulini]], studio recording, [[Deutsche Grammophon]]. Cat: STEREO 4152888-2 *Verdi: ''Rigoletto'' – Cotrubaș with Plácido Domingo and [[Cornell MacNeil]], Metropolitan Opera, conducted by [[James Levine]], DVD, [[Deutsche Grammophon]] *Verdi: ''[[La traviata]]'' – Cotrubaș with Plácido Domingo and [[Sherrill Milnes]], conducted by Carlos Kleiber, studio recording, [Deutsche Grammophon *Bizet: ''[[Les pêcheurs de perles]]'' – Cotrubaș (Leila), Alain Vanzo (Nadir), Guillermo Sarabia (Zurga), Roger Soyer (Nourabad), Paris Opera Orchestra and chorus, [[Georges Prêtre]], conductor. Audio CD: EMI Cat: 367702-2 *Donizetti: ''[[L'elisir d'amore]]'' – Cotrubaș with Plácido Domingo, [[Geraint Evans]] and [[Ingvar Wixell]] and [[Lillian Watson (opera singer)|Lillian Watson]] and Royal Opera House Orchestra, [[John Pritchard (conductor)|John Pritchard]], conductor, [[CBS]] *Charpentier: ''[[Louise (opera)|Louise]]'' – Cotrubaș with Plácido Domingo, [[Gabriel Bacquier]] and [[Jane Berbié]], New Philharmonia Orchestra and Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Georges Prêtre, conductor, [[Sony Masterworks]] *Massenet: ''[[Manon]]'' – Cotrubaș with [[Alfredo Kraus]], Choeurs et Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse, [[Michel Plasson]], conductor, [[EMI]] *Francesco Cavalli: ''[[La Calisto]]'' – Cotrubaș with [[Janet Baker]], London Philharmonic Orchestra, [[Raymond Leppard]], conductor, [[Decca Records|Decca]] *Puccini: ''[[Il trittico]]'' – Cotrubaș with [[Renata Scotto]], New Philharmonia Orchestra, [[Lorin Maazel]], conductor, [[Sony]] *Bizet: ''[[Carmen]]'' – Cotrubaș with [[Teresa Berganza]], London Symphony Orchestra, [[Claudio Abbado]], conductor, Deutsche Grammophon *Humperdinck: ''[[Hansel and Gretel (opera)|Hänsel und Gretel]]'' – Cotrubaș with [[Frederica von Stade]], and [[Christa Ludwig]], Gürzenich Orchestra, [[John Pritchard (conductor)|John Pritchard]], conductor, [[Sony]] *Handel: ''[[Rinaldo (opera)|Rinaldo]]'' – Cotrubaș, La Grande Ecurie et la Chambre du Roya, [[Jean-Claude Malgoire]], conductor, [[Sony]] *Rossini: ''[[Il turco in Italia]]'' – Cotrubaș, with James Morris, Vienna Philharmonic, [[Leonard Bernstein]], conductor, Deutsche Grammophon *Mozart: ''[[Le nozze di Figaro]]'' – Cotrubaș, Vienna Philharmonic, [[Herbert von Karajan]], conductor, [[London|Decca]] *Mozart: ''[[Die Zauberflöte]]'' – Cotrubaș, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, James Levine, conductor, [[RCA]] *Mozart: ''[[Così fan tutte]]'' – Cotrubaș, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, [[Colin Davis]], conductor, [[Philips Records|Phillips]] *Mozart: ''[[Idomeneo]]'' – Cotrubaș with [[Luciano Pavarotti]], and [[Hildegard Behrens]], James Levine, conductor, Deutsche Grammophon *Mozart: ''[[Bastien und Bastienne]]'' – Cotrubaș, [[Leopold Hager]], conductor, [[Orfeo (record label)|Orfeo]] *Mozart: [[Requiem (Mozart)|Requiem]] – Cotrubaș, [[Neville Marriner]], conductor *Gluck: ''[[Paride ed Elena]]'' - [[Franco Bonisolli]], Cotrubas, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, [[Lothar Zagrosek]], conductor, [[Orfeo (record label)|Orfeo]] ==See also== *[[La fedeltà premiata (Antal Doráti recording)|Haydn: ''La fedeltà premiata'' (Antal Doráti recording)]] (CD) *[[Hänsel und Gretel (John Pritchard recording)|Humperdinck: ''Hänsel und Gretel'' (John Pritchard recording)]] (CD) *[[Le nozze di Figaro (Herbert von Karajan April 1978 recording)|Mozart: ''Le nozze di Figaro'' (Herbert von Karajan recording)]] (CD) *[[Idomeneo (film)|Mozart: ''Idomeneo'' (Jean-Pierre Ponnelle film)]] (DVD) *''[[The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala]]'' (DVD) *''[[James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala]]'' (DVD) == References == {{reflist | refs = <ref name="Kutsch/Riemens">{{cite book | last1 = Kutsch | first1 = K.-J. | author1-link = Karl-Josef Kutsch | last2 = Riemens | first2 = Leo | author2-link = Leo Riemens | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=dsfq_5dFeL0C&pg=927 | chapter = Cotrubaș, Ileana | title = [[Großes Sängerlexikon]] | publisher = [[De Gruyter]] | edition = 4th | language = de | date = 2012 | page = 901 | isbn = 978-3-59-844088-5 }}</ref> <ref name="Metropolitan">{{cite web | url = http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/gisrch2k.r?Term=Cotrubas,%20Ileana%20%5BSoprano%5D&limit=5000&vsrchtype=no&xBranch=ALL&xmtype=&Start=&End=&theterm=Co%74%72%75bas,%20Il%65ana%20%5BSop%72ano%5D&srt=&x=0&xHome=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/bibpro.htm&xHomePath=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/ | title = Cotrubas, Ileana (Soprano) | website = archives.metoperafamily.org | access-date = 9 March 2022 }}</ref> <ref name="Oxford">{{cite book | editor1-last = Rosenthal | editor1-first = H.|editor1-link=Harold Rosenthal | editor2-last = Warrack | editor2-first = J.|editor2-link=John Warrack | url = | chapter = Cotrubaș, Ileana | title = The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera | publisher = [[Oxford University Press]] | edition = 2nd | date = 1979 | pages = 101–111 | isbn = 978-3-59-844088-5 }}</ref> <ref name="Vienna">{{cite web | url = https://archiv.wiener-staatsoper.at/search/person/584 | title = Vorstellungen mit Ileana Cotrubas | publisher = [[Vienna State Opera]] | access-date = 9 March 2022 }}</ref> }} ==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20061109120542/http://www.sonybmgmasterworks.com/artists/ileanacotrubas/index.html Discography at SonyBMG Masterworks] * [http://www.bruceduffie.com/cotrubas.html Interview with Ileana Cotrubas], 7 January 1986 {{Portal bar|Biography|Opera}} {{Authority control|state=collapsed}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Cotrubas, Ileana}} [[Category:1939 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Grammy Award winners]] [[Category:People from Galați]] [[Category:Grand Officers of the Order of the Star of Romania]] [[Category:Romanian operatic sopranos]] [[Category:20th-century Romanian women opera singers]] [[Category:Österreichischer Kammersänger]] [[Category:National University of Music Bucharest alumni]] [[Category:Prize-winners of the ARD International Music Competition]]
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to Niidae Wiki may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see
Encyclopedia:Copyrights
for details).
Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Templates used on this page:
Template:Authority control
(
edit
)
Template:BLP sources section
(
edit
)
Template:IPA
(
edit
)
Template:Infobox musical artist
(
edit
)
Template:Portal bar
(
edit
)
Template:Reflist
(
edit
)
Template:Short description
(
edit
)
Template:Use dmy dates
(
edit
)
Search
Search
Editing
Ileana Cotrubaș
Add topic