Victoria de los Angeles, 81, a Spanish soprano whose career spanned five decades as her voice was sought after for its masterful tonal control and its seemingly effortless ability to turn on the power, died Jan. 15 at a hospital in Barcelona. She had heart and respiratory ailments.
Ms. de los Angeles -- a musical prodigy who finished courses at the Liceo Conservatory in Barcelona in three years instead of the usual six -- performed at the Paris Opera, London's Covent Garden and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
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Near the end of her career, she sang at the closing ceremonies of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
Ms. de los Angeles was born Victoria Gomez Cima in Barcelona on Nov. 1, 1923. She made her opera debut at the Liceo Theater in 1945 as the countess in Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro." She worked with many of the world's leading conductors, including Thomas Beecham, John Barbirolli, Herbert von Karajan, Georg Solti and Zubin Mehta.
Born into a musical family, Ms. de los Angeles graduated with honors at age 18 from the Liceo Conservatory. She then joined the Ars Musicae group, singing a broad repertoire that included Lieder, French and Spanish songs and the music of Baroque and Renaissance composers.
In 1944, she made her professional debut with a recital at the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona. Her opera debut came a few months later.
She won the Geneva International Singing Competition in 1947, prompting British Broadcasting Corp. music producers to invite her to sing the part of Salud in Spanish composer Manuel de Falla's "La Vida Breve." That began a long and much admired professional association with songs from her native country.
Ms. de los Angeles retired from the stage in 1998 after one of her two sons died, though she continued giving occasional recitals. She leaves an extensive recorded portfolio of 21 complete operas and more than 25 solo recital records.
Among her most acclaimed opera roles were Bizet's "Carmen" and Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" and "La Boheme."
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