Irene De Bohus (Irena De Bohuss) (Soprano) (Jaroslav, Czech Republic 1878 – Warsaw, Poland 1926)

Her real name was Irena Bohuss-Hellerowa. She studied at the conservatory of Lviv as a pupil of Walery Wysocki and already during her education appeared there in concerts. She left the conservatory in 1895, with a silver medal. After her debut in 1895 at the Opera Theatre of Lviv (as Siebel in ''Faust'' of Gounod) she often sang in operettas. In 1900 she traveled to Italy and studied in Milan with Teresa Arkel. In Italy she sang in Milan, Naples, Bologna, and Livorno, then in St. Petersburg and Prague. After her return to Poland in the 1901-02 season she again in Lviv, afterwards in Cracow (1901, 1903) and Lodz. In 1902 she appeared at the Opera Theatre of Warsaw as Hansel in ''Hansel and Gretel'' and as Mimi in ''La Bohème''. In 1902 she married the theatrical manager Ludwik Heller (1865-1926). Since 1904 she was to be found again in Warsaw as Tatiana in ''Eugene Onegin'', Nedda in ''Pagliacci'' and as Manon in Massenet's ''Manon''. In 1904 she guested in Milan, Naples, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon and Covent Garden in London (''Adriana Lecouvreur'', 'Don Pasquale'', ''Andrea Chénier''). In 1905, she took part in a stellar production of ''Pagliacci'' at the Waldorf Theatre in London with De Lucia and Ancona. In the opinion of one contemporary critic, "she was of more than common beauty and with a pure and finely trained voice." In 1909 she appeared at the Opera House of Lviv in the premiere of the opera ''Boleslaw Smialy'' of Lubomir Rózycki. During the First World War she lived temporarily in Vienna and gave singing lessons; in 1920 she came back to Warsaw. Still in 1925 she appeared in Poland in concerts. After her retirement she opened in Warsaw a fashion house. 

Chronology of some appearances

1896 Lodz Teatro Nazionale Carmen (Micaela)
1896 Lodz Teatro Nazionale Cavalleria rusticana (Lola)
1905 Londra Waldorf Theater Pagliacci (Nedda)
1905 Lodz Teatro Nazionale Traviata (Violetta)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

 

G&T Lviv 1902

Sophia (Niewiadomski) 23243 2878½cg

Black skirt (Zelenski) 23244 2711g

Traviata (Verdi): Sempre libera 23245 2712g

I love men (Jan Gall) 23246 2677g

Boheme (Puccini): Donde lieta usci 23248 2679g

For good-night (Newhauser) 23249 2680g

Fonotipia Milan 1904/1905

Chopin (Orefice): Sera ineffabile with Enzo Leliva 39119 xph 1905

Ernani (Verdi): O sommo Carlo with Jose Palet and Mario Sammarco 39300 xph324 

Fonotipia, Milano 1905-09-25
Don Giovanni (Mozart): Là ci darem la mano with Mario Sammarco 39298 XPh351

de Bohus by Stampanoni