Opera Singer. A dramatic soprano of wide repertoire, she is remembered for creating lead roles in four of Richard Strauss' late works. The child of a Greek Orthodox archdeacon, she was raised by a musical family in what was then Romania; after training for five years in Vienna she made her 1922 professional debut at Zagreb as Charlotte from Jules Massenet's "Werther." Viorica was to appear in venues of increasing prestige as the years passed, being engaged at the Vienna Volksoper in 1924, Frankfurt in 1926, the Vienna State Opera in 1930, Berlin in 1935, and Munich in 1937. In addition she sang on several occasions at La Scala Milano and for one season, 1934, at Covent Garden, London. Her roles included the Countess in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro," Donna Elvira of the same composer's "Don Giovanni," at least three of Wagner's ladies, Brangane from "Tristan und Isolde," Sieglinde in "Die Walkure," and Senta from "The Flying Dutchman," several Verdi heroines including Desdemona in "Otello," Leonora of "La Forza del Destino," both Amelias ("Simon Boccanegra" and "Un Ballo in Maschera") and Elisabeth from "Don Carlos," as well as Leonore from Beethoven's "Fidelio." In addition she earned praise in three Puccini works, as Minnie from "La Fanciulla del West" and as the title leads of "Tosca" and "Turandot," but it was the operas of Richard Strauss that brought her greatest acclaim. At various times Viorica was to sing the Empress in "Die Frau ohne Schatten," Chrysothemis from "Elektra," the Marschallin of "Der Rosenkavalier," and both the title character and the Composer in "Ariadne auf Naxos." She was also to take part in four of Strauss' world premieres, all under the baton of her husband Clemens Krauss; at Dresden she was the title lead of "Arabella," probably her favorite role, on July 1, 1933, in Munich she was both Maria from "Friedenstag" on July 24, 1938, and the Countess in "Capriccio" on October 28, 1942, and at Salzburg took the title lead for the August 16, 1944, public dress rehearsal of "Die Liebe der Danae," the actual premiere being delayed until 1952. Viorica retired following a 1953 Wiesbaden performance as the Marschallin; well respected in her lifetime, she received the honorary title Kammersangerin from Austria in 1934 and from Prussia in 1935. Named professor at the Salzburg Mozarteum in 1964, she lived out her days in Ehrwald. She left few recordings, though a number of them have been preserved.