Helen Traubel Sings “After the Ball“

Helen Traubel sings here “After the Ball.“ The great American born and trained dramatic soprano Helen Traubel was born on June 16, 1899 in St. Louis, Missouri and died on July 28,1972 in Santa Monica, California. She was best known for her Wagnerian roles of Brünnhilde and Isolde. Starting out as a concert singer Traubel later appeared at the Metropolitan Opera from 1937 - 1953, making her début in the role of Mary Rutledge at the request of composer Walter Damrosch in the world premiere of his opera “The Man Without a Country.“ With the loss of Kirsten Flagstad and Marjorie Lawrence in 1941, Traubel became a fixture at the MET. When in 1953 her contract was not renewed by general manager Rudolf Bing, Traubel began appearing as a night club and cabaret singer. Well known for her endurance and purity of tone especially in the Wagnerian roles, her powerful voice was frequently described as a “gleaming sword.“ An ardent baseball fan, Traubel was once part owner of her home