She belonged to an old, respectable Ukrainian family. Her father was a Russian-orthodox priest. First she sang in choirs. She studied in Lvov under Waleri Wysocki and since 1893 in Milan under Crespi. In 1893 she made her debut in the opera house of Lvov as Leonora in Donizetti’s ‘’La Favorita’’ and sang afterwards in Cracow and Odessa. In 1896 she sang in the opera house of Tiflis (Tblissi) as Leonora in Verdi’s ‘’La Forza del Destino’’. In 1897 she made guest appearance in Chile, in 1898 she excited in Parma as Elsa in the ‘’Lohengrin’’ and as a Mimi in ‘’La Bohème’’ sensation. From 1898 to 1902 she was the famed prima donna of the Warsaw Opera (beginning role: Aida). She appeared in the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg and in Paris (1902). She went to Italy again. In 1904 in the Teatro Grande of Brescia she performed with great success in ‘’Madama Butterfly’’ (after her scandalous failure with the premiere in the La Scala), then in Bologna (1905) and Turin (1906). In 1905 she appeared in the Teatro Comunale of Bologna in the premiere of the opera ‘’Cassandra’’ of Vittorio Gnecchi. In 1907 she created in the La Scala the role of Salome in the première of the opera of the same name (Richard Strauss). In the La Scala she appeared also in the premiere of the opera ‘’Gloria’’ written by Cilea (15. 4. 1907). From 1906 to 1913 she guested regularly in the Teatro Colón of Buenso Aires. In Buenos Aires she created the role of Diemuth in the première of the opera ‘’Feuersnot’’ of R. Strauss (1913 into Italian language). In 1913 she married the Italian lawyer and politician lived since that time in Viareggio. On 20. 3. 1915 she sang in the La Scala in the premiere of the opera ‘’Fedra’’ of I. Pizzetti. In 1920 she sang for the last time on the stage. She undertook in 1927 a North America tour with which she sang above all before Ukrainian emigrant. Then she worked as a pedagogue in Milan. In 1939 she visited her family in Lwów (Lvov) and couldn't return Italy because of the outbreak of the second world war. Then she taught in Lwów Conservatory, where in 1945 she gave a concert.
Chronology of some appearances
1895 Lodz Teatro Nazionale Carmen (Micaela)
1896
Zara Teatro Comunale Ballo in maschera
(Amelia)
1896
Zara Teatro Comunale Ernani
(Elvira)
1896 Odessa Teatro Municipale Ballo in maschera (Amelia)
1898 Parma Teatro Regio Boheme (Mimi)
1899 Varsavia Teatro Imperiale Ballo in maschera (Amelia)
1899 Varsavia Teatro Imperiale Boheme (Mimi)
1900 Varsavia Teatro Imperiale Boheme (Mimi)
1903 Napoli Teatro San
Carlo Andrea Chenier (Maddalena)
1903 Napoli Teatro San
Carlo Boheme (Mimi)
1904
Milano Teatro Lirico Adriana
Lecouvreur (Adriana)
1904 Napoli Teatro San
Carlo Adriana Lecouvreur (Adriana)
1904 Napoli Teatro San
Carlo Adriana Lecouvreur (Adriana)
1905
Roma Teatro Costanzi Adriana
Lecouvreur (Adriana)
1905 Ravenna
Teatro Alighieri Adriana Lecouvreur
(Adriana)
1905 Lisbona Teatro San Carlos Adriana
Lecouvreur (Adriana)
1907
Lisbona Teatro San Carlos Adriana
Lecouvreur (Adriana)
1907 Montevideo
Teatro Solis Don Carlo (Elisabetta)
RECORDINGS FOR SALE
G&T,
Warsaw 1902
Mefistofele (Boito): L’altra notte 23355 398z
Piosnka dudarza, Op. 18, No. 2 (The Piper’s song) (Paderewski) 23365 399z
Ti rivedrò! (Tosti) 23356 400z
Hrabina (Moniuszko): Zbuczic sie zludnych snów (Wake up from bad dreams) 23357 401z
Halka (Moniuszko): Gdyby rannem slonkiem (I wish I were a lark) (Moniuszko) 23368 404z
Lasciali dir tu m’ami (Quaranta) 23360 405z
Peer Gynt (Grieg): Solveig’s Song 23361 406z
Tosca (Puccini): Vissi d’arte 23362 407z
Fonotipia, Milano 6-11-1906
Mefistofele (Boito): L’altra notte 39921 XPh 2212
Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea): Ecco, respiro appena…Io sono l’umile ancella 39922 XPh 2213
Lasciali dir tu m’ami (Quaranta) XPh 2214 39920
Forza del destino (Verdi): Pace, pace mio Dio 74025 XXPh 2215
Mefistofele (Boito): L’altra notte 23355 398z
Piosnka dudarza, Op. 18, No. 2 (The Piper’s song) (Paderewski) 23365 399z
Ti rivedrò! (Tosti) 23356 400z
Hrabina (Moniuszko): Zbuczic sie zludnych snów (Wake up from bad dreams) 23357 401z
Halka (Moniuszko): Gdyby rannem slonkiem (I wish I were a lark) (Moniuszko) 23368 404z
Lasciali dir tu m’ami (Quaranta) 23360 405z
Peer Gynt (Grieg): Solveig’s Song 23361 406z
Tosca (Puccini): Vissi d’arte 23362 407z
Fonotipia, Milano 6-11-1906
Mefistofele (Boito): L’altra notte 39921 XPh 2212
Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea): Ecco, respiro appena…Io sono l’umile ancella 39922 XPh 2213
Lasciali dir tu m’ami (Quaranta) XPh 2214 39920
Forza del destino (Verdi): Pace, pace mio Dio 74025 XXPh 2215
Fonotipia,
Milano 8-11-1906
Wally (Catalani): Ebben? Ne andrò lontana (Catalani) 39919 XPh 2224
Ti rivedrò! (Tosti) 74026 XXPh 2225
Capelli d’oro (Oddone) 39909 XPh 2226
Si dice (Quaranta) 39908 XPh 2227
Wally (Catalani): Ebben? Ne andrò lontana (Catalani) 39919 XPh 2224
Ti rivedrò! (Tosti) 74026 XXPh 2225
Capelli d’oro (Oddone) 39909 XPh 2226
Si dice (Quaranta) 39908 XPh 2227
Fonotipia,
Milano 11-11-1906
Aida (Verdi): Ritorna vincitor 92086 XPh 2849
Aida (Verdi): Ritorna vincitor 92086 XPh 2849
Aida
(Verdi): I sacri nomi di padre 92087 XPh 2850
Fonotipia,
Milano 12-11-1906
Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea): Ecco, respiro appena…Io sono l’umile ancella 92088 XPh 2854
Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea): Poveri fiori 92089 XPh 2853
Si mes vers avaient des ailes (Hahn) 62265 XPh 2862
Peer Gynt (Grieg): Solveig’s song 62264 XPh 2863
Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea): Ecco, respiro appena…Io sono l’umile ancella 92088 XPh 2854
Adriana Lecouvreur (Cilea): Poveri fiori 92089 XPh 2853
Si mes vers avaient des ailes (Hahn) 62265 XPh 2862
Peer Gynt (Grieg): Solveig’s song 62264 XPh 2863
Fonotipia,
Milano 12-11-1906
Loreley (Catalani): Da che tutta 92939 XPh 4813
Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Un bel di vedremo 92940 XPh 4816
Loreley (Catalani): Da che tutta 92939 XPh 4813
Madama Butterfly (Puccini): Un bel di vedremo 92940 XPh 4816
Fonotipia,
Milano 20-03-1912
Walkure (Wagner): Ho jo to ho! 92937 XPh 5269
Walkure: War es so schmählich, was ich verbrach 92938 XPh 4815
Africana: Di qui si vede il mare 92941 XPh 4817
Columbia, USA 1928
Wiwcy moi wiwcy (Pastusza pisnia) (Shepherd’s song) 27132-F 108887
Zcerez sad wynohrad [Diwocza pisnia] (Beyond the orchard, the vineyard) (Girls’ song) 27132-F 108888
Oi, de ty idesz, de ty poidesz (Prykoliskowa pisnia) (Oh, you go, you leave) (Prikolisko song) 27133-F 108889
Oi, letily bili husi (Rozpletyny) (Oh, white geese were flying) (Rospletini) 108899 27133-F
Walkure (Wagner): Ho jo to ho! 92937 XPh 5269
Walkure: War es so schmählich, was ich verbrach 92938 XPh 4815
Africana: Di qui si vede il mare 92941 XPh 4817
Columbia, USA 1928
Wiwcy moi wiwcy (Pastusza pisnia) (Shepherd’s song) 27132-F 108887
Zcerez sad wynohrad [Diwocza pisnia] (Beyond the orchard, the vineyard) (Girls’ song) 27132-F 108888
Oi, de ty idesz, de ty poidesz (Prykoliskowa pisnia) (Oh, you go, you leave) (Prikolisko song) 27133-F 108889
Oi, letily bili husi (Rozpletyny) (Oh, white geese were flying) (Rospletini) 108899 27133-F
Thank you for recognizing what a tremendous talent Salomea Krushelnytska possessed. In addition to being a world renowned opera singer she was also an intellectual and a feminist. We have noted some inaccuracies however in the information provided above. Salomea was the daughter of a Ukrainian Catholic priest of the Byzantine rite. The disastrous premiere of Madama Butterfly that took place in Milan at La Scala was sung by Rosina Storchio. Puccini was devastated by the failure of the opera and upon the advice of Arturo Toscanini he turned to Salomea Krushelnytska to help him rewrite the opera. It then premiered again in Brescia with Krushelnytska in the titular role and became the success we now know it to be.
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