Helen Traubel — “Ho-jo-to-ho!” I have to admit, until my friend and wonderful colleague Luca introduced me to Helen Traubel, I didn’t know much about her. Since then, I’ve been absolutely astounded. Her “Ho jo to ho” from Wagner’s Die Walküre is sung with such brilliance and alacrity—it’s a true lesson in power, focus, and energy. Traubel was one of the great American dramatic sopranos, famous for her Wagnerian roles at the Metropolitan Opera throughout the 1940s and 50s. Her voice had a gleamin