Ewa Podleś the great Polish contralto died on January 19 in Warsaw. Podleś was a contralto who while she sang a broad range of roles was especially known for the florid parts of Handel and Rossini. I’ve already written about her in a piece that contains numerous clips of her singing. Ewa Podleś – The Great Contralto
Her contralto voice was cavernous at its bottom, but remarkably had an upper extension that reached to a high D. She was a unique artist. Her recording of Una voce poco fa from Rossini’s Barber in the original low register shows her gifts to great advantage.
