May 21, 2018.Nilsson and Wagner.Four days ago, on May 17th, the music world celebrated the 100th anniversary of Birgit Nilsson, the great Wagnerian soprano.And tomorrow, May 22nd, is the 205th anniversary of the composer himself. Nilsson was born Märta Birgit Svensson in a tiny village of Västra Karup in the southwestern part of Sweden.She started singing early, sung in the local church choir and later was admitted to the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm (she didn’t appreciate her voice teachers and considered herself to be self-taught).She debuted at the Royal Swedish Opera in 1946 and in a short time developed a large repertoire, singing in Italian, Russian and German operas, all in Swedish.In 1953 she performed, for the first time, at the Vienna Opera.The next year she sung her first Wagner role, that of Elsa in Lohengrin, at Bayreuth, and the first Brünnhilde, her future calling card role, in the complete Ring cycle at the Bavarian State Opera.Bayreuth became one of her favorite places, she sung there till 1970.In addition to Brünnhilde, her roles there included Sieglinde in Die Walküre and Isolde.By the end of the 1950s she had sung, to great acclaim, at Covent Garden, the San-Francisco Opera, La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera.Other major opera houses followed – Chicago, Paris, Berlin.She established herself as the finest Wagnerian soprano of the generation, able to carry the mantel of Kirsten Flagstad.Her tone was pure, the sound brilliant, even from the top to the bottom of the register; the size of her voice was enormous.Listen, for example, to her astounding Liebestod from Tristan un Isolde, recorded at the Bayreuth Festival in 1966.Karl Böhm conducts the Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival (here).
In addition to Wagner, she excelled in the operas of Richard Strauss (many consider Electra to be her greatest achievement).She was also a great Turandot (she was invited to La Scala to open the 1958 - 1959 season with the Puccini opera; Nilsson later said that it was the biggest events in her life).But today we’re celebrating Nilsson and Wagner, so here is another recording, made in 1954, also in Bayreuth.It’s the aria Einsam in trüben Tagen – Lonely, in troubled days (I prayed to the Lord) – from Act 1 of Lohengrin.The orchestra, as always is that of the Bayreuth Festival (Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele); it’s assembled each year just for the Festival; the best musicians are invited, mostly from German orchestras.In this recording the conductor is another eminent German, Eugen Jochum.And finally, the famous Nun zäume dein Ross (Now bridle thy horse), from Act 2 of Die Walküre.In this 1961 recording, Birgit Nilsson is Brünnhilde, George London – Wotan.The London Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Erich Leinsdorf (here).
Nilsson and Wagner, 2018
May 21, 2018. Nilsson and Wagner. Four days ago, on May 17th, the music world celebrated the 100th anniversary of Birgit Nilsson, the great Wagnerian soprano. And tomorrow, May 22nd, is the 205th anniversary of the composer himself. Nilsson was born Märta Birgit Svensson in a
tiny village of Västra Karup in the southwestern part of Sweden. She started singing early, sung in the local church choir and later was admitted to the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm (she didn’t appreciate her voice teachers and considered herself to be self-taught). She debuted at the Royal Swedish Opera in 1946 and in a short time developed a large repertoire, singing in Italian, Russian and German operas, all in Swedish. In 1953 she performed, for the first time, at the Vienna Opera. The next year she sung her first Wagner role, that of Elsa in Lohengrin, at Bayreuth, and the first Brünnhilde, her future calling card role, in the complete Ring cycle at the Bavarian State Opera. Bayreuth became one of her favorite places, she sung there till 1970. In addition to Brünnhilde, her roles there included Sieglinde in Die Walküre and Isolde. By the end of the 1950s she had sung, to great acclaim, at Covent Garden, the San-Francisco Opera, La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. Other major opera houses followed – Chicago, Paris, Berlin. She established herself as the finest Wagnerian soprano of the generation, able to carry the mantel of Kirsten Flagstad. Her tone was pure, the sound brilliant, even from the top to the bottom of the register; the size of her voice was enormous. Listen, for example, to her astounding Liebestod from Tristan un Isolde, recorded at the Bayreuth Festival in 1966. Karl Böhm conducts the Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival (here).
In addition to Wagner, she excelled in the operas of Richard Strauss (many consider Electra to be her greatest achievement). She was also a great Turandot (she was invited to La Scala to open the 1958 - 1959 season with the Puccini opera; Nilsson later said that it was the biggest events in her life). But today we’re celebrating Nilsson and Wagner, so here is another recording, made in 1954, also in Bayreuth. It’s the aria Einsam in trüben Tagen – Lonely, in troubled days (I prayed to the Lord) – from Act 1 of Lohengrin. The orchestra, as always is that of the Bayreuth Festival (Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele); it’s assembled each year just for the Festival; the best musicians are invited, mostly from German orchestras. In this recording the conductor is another eminent German, Eugen Jochum. And finally, the famous Nun zäume dein Ross (Now bridle thy horse), from Act 2 of Die Walküre. In this 1961 recording, Birgit Nilsson is Brünnhilde, George London – Wotan. The London Symphony Orchestra is conducted by Erich Leinsdorf (here).