Magda Laszlo

Magda László was born in Budapest in June 1912 and studied at the Liszt Academy with Bianca Sárosi. She made her début with the Budapest Opera in 1943 and held a principal soprano position there until 1948, when she emigrated to Italy. She joined the Florence Maggio Musicale and the Milan radio orchestra ensemble, and from 1953 became a regular Glyndebourne guest — beginning a long association with the festival in the Monteverdi, Mozart and contemporary repertoire.

Her central work was particularly important to two areas. She sang Poppea in the post-war Glyndebourne revival of *L’incoronazione di Poppea* under Pritchard and Leppard, and was a Glyndebourne regular in the early stages of the Monteverdi revival. And she created two important contemporary soprano roles: Cressida in the world premiere of Walton’s *Troilus and Cressida* at Covent Garden (1954), and the title role in the world premiere of Dallapiccola’s *Il prigioniero* (1950). She was also a notable Mozart and Verdi soprano in the standard repertoire (the Countess, Donna Elvira, Aida) at the Italian houses, the Salzburg Festival and Glyndebourne.

László died in Budapest in October 2002. Music Preserved’s archive includes a range of her Glyndebourne and contemporary work.