Birgit Nilsson
Her name is inseparable from that of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss, of both of whom she was one of the most eminent interpreters of the last century. Thanks to her phenomenal vocal powers, the career of this great Swedish dramatic soprano was exceptionally long: she sang Isolde on stage, when she was over 60 years old. A country girl, with a forceful personality and a savage sense of humour, she once declared that she started singing before she learned to talk, by imitating her mother who had a nice voice. Birgit Nilsson wasn't an actress, but her voice has such an exceptional power that it naturally has an imposing stage presence. The vigour of her temperament, the clarity of her attacks, the stupefying ease with which she tackles the high notes, a vocal strength that is also capable of the most infinitesimal pianissimo nuances, have all contributed to her unequalled glory. Between 1957 and 1970 she reigned in Bayreuth, singing Isolde (her favourite), Sieglinde, Elsa, and to be sure, Brünnhilde in productions of Wieland Wagner which completely modernised Wagnerian stage design, by giving it the new breath of life that it needed.
Thanks to her vocal talents, Birgit Nilsson was also the peerless performer of great dramatic roles like Elektra, Salomé and Die Frau Ohne Schatten (Strauss), Tosca (Puccini) and Aïda (Verdi). She was also a splendid Leonore, the staggering lead in Beethoven's only opera, Fidelio. But the almost-superhuman strength and magnetism of her voice fit especially well to the character of Turandot from Puccini's opera of the same name.
The intrinsic character of this voice should not, however, obscure the way that Nilsson personified her characters, thanks to her great intelligence and her innate sense for giving a very close rendition of the roles she played, matched with a perfect understanding of the composers that she sang with great nobility and style.
Music lovers the world over are spoiled for choice today, as yesterday, thanks to the famous discographic recordings from DECCA as well as the very numerous live takes which will forever preserve this phonogenic voice of voices, which had the good fortune of being recorded in all of its major roles, with the greatest supervisors and under high-quality technical conditions. Suffice it to cite the famous Ring (Wagner) recorded by Georg Solti between 1958 and 1965, remastered in recent years with a sound that hasn't aged one iota. But we will also find another complete Wagnerian Tetralogy recorded at Bayreuth and other indispensable studio recordings like Elektra and Salomé under the direction of the self-same Solti, without forgetting her unforgettable Isolde under the incandescent baton of Karl Böhm at Bayreuth, or, in the studio, under Solti's direction.
In 1984, at the age of 66, Birgit Nilsson gave up singing to concentrate on teaching. She created a foundation bearing her name, to support singers, conductors, and to encourage lyrical productions.
© FH / Qobuz
Artistas semelhantes
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Verdi: Aida – Excerpts (Opera Gala – Volume 13)
Birgit Nilsson, Sir John Pritchard
Classical - Lançado por Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. em 13/11/2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Schierbeck: The Chinese Flute - Bartók: Bluebeard's Castle
Birgit Nilsson, Swedish Radio Orchestra, Bernhard Sonnerstedt, Tor Mann, Ferenc Fricsay
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Lançado por Bluebell em 01/04/2012
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Songs of Schubert, Wagner, Strauss, Grieg and Sibelius By Birgit Nilsson (Mono Version)
Miscellaneous - Lançado por BNF Collection em 01/01/1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini - Turandot
Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Leopold Stokowski, Orchestra del Teatro Metropolitan
Opera - Lançado por G.O.P. em 13/04/2017
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: Aida (Highlights)
Birgit Nilsson, Grace Hoffman, Luigi Ottolini, Louis Quilico, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Sir John Pritchard
Classical - Lançado por Decca Music Group Ltd. em 13/11/2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: Aida
Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Grace Bumbry, Zubin Mehta, Orchestra Del Teatro Dell Opera Roma
Classical - Lançado por Warner Classics em 01/01/1967
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Beethoven: Fidelio
Birgit Nilsson, Hans Hopf, Gottlob Frick
Opera - Lançado por Urania em 01/01/2006
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Richard Strauss Heroines
Birgit Nilsson, Leontyne Price, Lisa Della Casa
Classical - Lançado por Decca Music Group Ltd. em 01/01/2012
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde (Highlights)
Birgit Nilsson, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Knappertsbusch
Classical - Lançado por Decca Music Group Ltd. em 01/02/1960
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Götterdämmerung (Remastered 2012)
Birgit Nilsson, Wolfgang Windgassen, Gottlob Frick, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Classical - Lançado por Decca Music Group Ltd. em 01/01/1973
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini: Turandot (Mono Version)
Birgit Nilsson, Jussi Björling, Erich Leinsdorf, Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Classical - Lançado por BNF Collection em 01/01/2013
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini: La fanciulla del West (Mono Version)
Birgit Nilsson, Joao Gibin, Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano, Lovro von Matacic
Classical - Lançado por BNF Collection em 01/01/1960
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini · la fanciulla del west
Birgit Nilsson, Andrea Mongelli, Lovro von Matacic, Orchestra del Teatro della Scala di Milano
Classical - Lançado por G.O.P. em 01/01/1972
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: Great Scenes From Aida
Birgit Nilsson, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Sir John Pritchard
Classical - Lançado por Decca Music Group Ltd. em 01/01/2014
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Birgit Nilsson sings Beethoven, Weber & Mozart
Birgit Nilsson, Heinz Wallberg, Philharmonia Orchestra
Opera - Lançado por The state51 Conspiracy em 03/04/2020
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Birgit Nilsson Recital Teatro Colón 1967 (Live)
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Lançado por Lantower Records - Producciones Teatro Colón em 14/12/2023
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Lohengrin (Mono Version)
Eugen Jochum, Wolfgang Windgassen, Birgit Nilsson
Miscellaneous - Lançado por BNF Collection em 01/01/2016
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss, R. / Sibelius: Songs
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Lançado por BIS em 01/01/1975
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Birgit Nilsson: Swedish Radio Concerts (1947-1961)
Opera - Lançado por Bluebell em 01/04/2012
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pace, Pace, Mio Dio (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, June 26, 1966)
Classical - Lançado por SOFA - AV Catalog DD em 26/11/2021
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In questa reggia (Live On The Ed Sullivan Show, January 24, 1965)
Classical - Lançado por SOFA - AV Catalog DD em 27/07/2022
Qualidade de CD de 16 bits 44.1 kHz - Stereo