Her Contributions
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Performed over 60 opera roles and a large number of chamber and folk songs.
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Premiere participant and opera savior — notably, her performance in 1904 at Milan’s La Scala saved Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly from failure.
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Performed on leading stages worldwide — Lviv, Milan, Naples, Paris, Buenos Aires, New York.
Intellectual Property in Her Work
1. Performance Rights
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During Krushelnytska’s era, the concept of performers’ neighboring rights was not yet established in international conventions.
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She created unique performance interpretations that, under modern law, would be protected as performers’ rights (rights to recording, reproduction, and distribution).
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Unfortunately, due to the lack of proper legal protection, many of her performances were not documented or commercially protected.
2. Sheet Music and Arrangements
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The folk songs she performed were often published in collections.
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Modern copyright law would recognize such editions as the result of editorial and publishing work.
3. Legacy and Public Domain
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All works performed by Krushelnytska (Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Mozart) are now in the public domain.
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Her personal letters, memoirs, and photos may still be protected under copyright (managed by heirs or museums).
4. Museums and Branding
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In Lviv, the Solomiya Krushelnytska Memorial Music Museum holds rights to archival materials.
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Her name has become part of Ukraine’s cultural brand (an example of intangible cultural heritage used in street names, schools, and opera houses).
Modern Perspective
If Krushelnytska lived today, she could:
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Have recording contracts and royalties.
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Benefit from performers’ neighboring rights (protection 50–70 years after her death).
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Transfer rights to heirs or foundations.
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Register a trademark with her name, as modern artists do.
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