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
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Richard Strauss : Salome (Remastered)
Birgit Nilsson, Grace Hoffman, Gerhard Stolze, Eberhard Wächter, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti
Full Operas - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1962
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Strauss: Elektra
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Nov 2, 1967
The Qobuz Essential Discography24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Orchestral Works by Hans Knappertsbusch
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24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 "Wagner" - Richard Wagner: Parsifal (Kundry's Aria), Tristan und Isolde (Prelude & Liebestod)
Hans Knappertsbusch, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra, Kirsten Flagstad, Birgit Nilsson
Symphonies - Released by Praga Digitals on Jul 1, 2017
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Lohengrin
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Opera - Released by Opera d'Oro on Feb 17, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Götterdämmerung (Remastered 2012)
Sir Georg Solti, Birgit Nilsson, Wolfgang Windgassen, Gottlob Frick, Wiener Philharmonic Orchestra
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1973
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Die Walküre, WWV 86B & Siegfried, WWV 86C (Highlights)
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on Sep 14, 2018
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Birgit Nilsson sings German Opera - Arias by Wagner, Weber & Beethoven
Birgit Nilsson, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Sir Edward Downes
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on May 4, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini: Turandot
Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Renata Scotto, Bonaldo Giaiotti, Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Opera - Released by Warner Classics on Jan 1, 1966
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini · Turandot
Birgit Nilsson, Jussi Björling, Erich Leinsdorf, Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
Classical - Released by G.O.P. on Mar 21, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Puccini: Tosca
Lorin Maazel, Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia, Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale Di Santa Cecilia
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jul 13, 1967
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Ritorna Vincitor! - the legendary Birgit Nilsson
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Verdi: Aida
Birgit Nilsson, Franco Corelli, Grace Bumbry, Zubin Mehta, Orchestra Del Teatro Dell Opera Roma
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Jan 1, 1967
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sydney Opera House Opening Concert 1973 (Live At Concert Hall, Opera House, Sydney, 1973)
Charles Mackerras, Birgit Nilsson, Sydney Symphony Orchestra
Classical - Released by ABC Classic on Aug 2, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Airs
Birgit Nilsson, Hans Hotter, Leopold Ludwig, Philharmonia Orchestra
Classical - Released by Warner Classics on Feb 4, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Birgit Nilsson - Songs
Classical - Released by Sony Classical on Nov 18, 2016
24-Bit 192.0 kHz - Stereo -
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Lounge - Released by Universal Digital Enterprises on Mar 3, 1953
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
La Fanciulla del West (La Fille du Far West)
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Opera - Released by Warner Classics on Jan 1, 1972
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Wesendonck Lieder; Arias from Der fliegende Holländer, Rienzi & Die Feen
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Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Apr 5, 1971
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen
Opera - Released by Opera d'Oro on Feb 26, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Birgit Nilsson Chante Verdi
Birgit Nilsson, Royal Opera House Orchestra, Argeo Quadri
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Dec 14, 1962
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo