Victoria de los Angeles, legendary Spanish soprano, dies at the age of 81

Victoria de los Angeles, the Spanish soprano whose career spanned five decades, died yesterday at a clinic in Barcelona. She was 81.

Victoria de los Angeles, the Spanish soprano whose career spanned five decades, died yesterday at a clinic in Barcelona. She was 81.

De los Angeles was taken to Barcelona's Teknon Clinic on 31 December suffering from bronchitis and then slipped into a coma. She died yesterday and her body lay in state for several hours at the Catalonia region's government palace.

De los Angeles was born in Barcelona in 1923 and completed the six-year course at the city's Liceo Conservatory in just three years, graduating with honours at 18.

In 1944, she made her professional debut with a recital at the Palay de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona. Her opera debut came a few months later, and only three years after her debut, De los Angeles won the Geneva International Singing Competition. During a long career, De los Angeles worked with many of the world's leading conductors, including Thomas Beecham, John Barbirolli, Herbert von Karajan, Georg Solti and Zubin Mehta.

Among the venues where the soprano's performed were the Paris Opera, Covent Garden in London, and La Scala in Milan.

De los Angeles retired from the stage in 1979 after the death of one of her two sons, though she continued giving occasional recitals, including a performance at the closing ceremony of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

De los Angeles leaves a recorded portfolio that includes 21 operas and more than 25 solo recital records. Among her most acclaimed roles were Bizet's Carmen and Puccini's Madame Butterfly and La Bohème.