favorite SOPRANO?

Pedrillo, now that you have mentioned her, she's no longer forgotten. :)
I love her too.

If you're looking for beautiful soprano voices that "absolutely melt you away," I'd recommend in particular (limiting this to the about last 50 years) Victoria de los Angeles, Leontyne Price, Zinka Milanov, Renata Tebaldi, Joan Sutherland, and Renee Fleming. All had/have major soprano voices of great beauty, and all could/can "absolutely melt you away" when in their primes. Callas was a great singer and a great artist but not conspicuous for the beauty of her voice, which always had problems. Bartoli is a fine artist but not a soprano.

Texasdave, Zinka Milanov doing "Pace pace mio Dio" from La Forze Del Destino is still unbeatable. The pianissimo seems to go on forever and the note just floats out of nowhere.

Gaudio eek, I agree about Milanov's "Pace pace mio Dio" (the old mono one), a great recording. In her prime she could float a high pianissimo like no one else. Her 1952 mono "Il Trovatore" with Bjoerling, Warren, and Barbieri (still the best one) has more of these ravishing, floated high pianissimos.

Kiri Te Kanawa is missing, Andrea Rost among contemporary spranos also as beatuful voice. Cecilia Bartoli is mezzo-soprano, but still has a beautiful voice. Her vivaldi album is fantastic.