Artôt de Padilla (1880 – 1933), is today far, far too neglected. In fact, she was at her zenith, considered to be one of the finest and most innovative lyric sopranos. She sang with great beauty of tone, and combined sweetness with fiery commitment. Both her parents were opera singers; for the most part, it was her mother who taught her. The house at which she was most at home, was Berlin’s Komische Oper. Her roles encompassed the Mozart Countess, Violetta, Mignon, Marie (Bartered Bride), Charlotte, Michaela, and Oscar.
Her discography is quite limited, but EMI has included her (rightfully) in their “Record of Singing” series, and Preiser has recently reissued a disc of this memorable voice:
However, she is probably best known for having created Strauss’s Octavian (!), Juliet in Delius’ A Village Romeo and Juliet and the Gaensemagd in Humperdinck’s Koenigskinder. Strauss himself, thought of her as the best Octavian he had ever heard.
She was also the most famous Cherubino of her time. She was particularly popular in Scandinavia. Lola was a stage name; her real name was Dolores. Here she is as Cherubino, followed by a stylish rendition of the first act duet from La Traviata with Bjoern Talen.
