It is hard to describe the thrill of creative joy which the artist feels when the conviction seizes her that at last she has caught the very soul of the character she wishes to portray, in the music and action which reveal it.

She created the roles of Blanchefleur in Kienzl's opera Der Kuhreigen (1911) Ariadne in Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos (1912) the Empress in his Die Frau ohne Schatten (1919) and Marie/Marietta in Korngold's Die tote Stadt (1920) the latter also being the role of her debut with the Metropolitan Opera on November 19 1921. Maria Jeritza (October 6 1887 – July 10 1982) born Marie Jedličková was a celebrated Moravian soprano singer long associated with the Vienna State Opera (1912–1935) and the Metropolitan Opera (1921-1932 and 1951). After a short only two-year marriage to Mr.