There are only very few voices that I'd love to travel back in time for. Flagstad is one of them. In natura the sound of her voice must have been beyond amazing.
Tempting to say 'they don't make sopranos like that anymore' but even in those days, sopranos like Flagstad were thin on the ground! Indeed, many who heard her in the theatre attested that she was a one and only! Thank you for the video!
flagstad was a true force of nature, sounding amazing here at the age of 55. i'm so glad that decca was able to convince her to make several recordings a few years later, including one of my favorite interpretations of the "wesendonck lieder" (with the vienna philharmonic under knappertsbusch), with all of its close thematic associations with "tristan und isolde."
@@dramaticsoprano5168 I had a friend who heard Flagstad sing in Minneapolis. The auditorium seated approximately 4,600 and was a bit of an acoustical barn. (I sang there once.) He said that Flagstad's voice every corner of the auditorium with no hint of strain. He said if the auditorium had been bigger, she would have filled that too! Every very large-voiced woman, and man, he heard made a different impression in the theater. He found Nilsson's voice much more piercing, especially her C6, whereas Flagstad's voice seemed to float out into the auditorium and fill every inch of it. He also heard Melchior, Traubel, Milanov, Tebaldi, Tucker, and others in the same auditorium. I heard Rysanek there and the memory is still indelible over 40 years later. As much as we can value recordings, the impression these supreme singers made in the theater was simply unbelievable.
@@Ruffiello Thank you for sharing, I love hearing stories like this! Do you know what she sang that day? It's astounding the difference between her lyrical singing in e.g., Handel or Purcell, and then singing like this in the dramatic Wagner moments.
@@draganvidic2039The second one sounds even louder, now re-listening. I wonder how big Italianate tenors like Corelli or Del Monaco would fair against a note like that.
That’s a little confusing, in May 1951 we only have the performance conducted by Clemens Krauss, so I believe this recording is under the Krauss’ baton.
Hmmmm Set Svanholm...now that name together with Flagstad is triggering a memory of Mum's record collection. Seriously, getting into the garage canNOT come quick enough LOL
One reason I love about Kirsten is she is among those rare performers from the past that often had that vital combination of technique and being able to believably deliver what she is singing. Was she perfect in always doing that? No. Not even the great Caruso or Ponselle was perfect like that. But when they got it mostly right and happily, the fact it was more often than not, that’s what makes Flagstad shine brighter than some of the more bland vocal performances from Milanov, etc. Farrell is another favourite of mine worth mentioning as being able to usually often deliver what they were performing and she herself said in an interview with Charlie Rose that the words and meaning and delivery were of no less importance than the music itself.
Hi Emily, thanks for your interesting comments. Have you heard Flagstad's Kundry? I think it is the best combination of technique + interpretation, and a slap to the face to those who say she was 'monotone' or 'bland' etc. IMO, something she does a bit better than the other Wagnerians is deliver mythical aspect of Wagner. Her noble and majestic tone/phrasing was perfect for portraying demigoddesses and regal queens, while the dark timbre and metallic top notes did justice to wild characters like Kundry.
@@dramaticsoprano5168 For me the the Berst of Flagstad with Furtwängler Brünhilde Götterdämmerung, 3rd act, no Sopreani was ans is caple of this Singing til today! It is the most difficult part to sing, and the end of almost 5h having still the power to sing Wagner, and than like Flagstad perfect with emotions in her high notes and low notes in forte and powerful piano
I agree with everything you say but this recording is unlistenable for me. The biggest for me was from her Isode's Curse from this era in a better sounding recording listed below. Her voice was massive!!!czcams.com/video/d0Hsp0v4Ex4/video.html
While the quality of studio recordings is much better, I prefer the sheer thrill of live performances because I feel it better captures the scale of sound. I'm also a little sceptical about studio recordings as we have heard from the past that bigger voiced singers have to hold back as to not overload the recording equipment, while smaller voiced singers are able to be amplified in post-production editing. Regarding the curse scene, have you heard this live performance? m.czcams.com/video/D-jE46nEYJM/video.html
@@dramaticsoprano5168 What can't be captured was a feature of her voice attested to by people who heard her live: wherever you were in the house she sounded like she as singing standing right in front of you. Others said she sounded like she had a microphone in her throat. What is weird about her is unlike Sutherland , Grob-Prandl, Jessye Norman, and Nilsson she did not have large, prominent bones in her face for resonating She was a normal sized woman although she was tall for her day.
There are only very few voices that I'd love to travel back in time for.
Flagstad is one of them. In natura the sound of her voice must have been beyond amazing.
That opening line could flatten a skyscraper. I wonder what it must have been like in the theater.
Tempting to say 'they don't make sopranos like that anymore' but even in those days, sopranos like Flagstad were thin on the ground! Indeed, many who heard her in the theatre attested that she was a one and only! Thank you for the video!
flagstad was a true force of nature, sounding amazing here at the age of 55. i'm so glad that decca was able to convince her to make several recordings a few years later, including one of my favorite interpretations of the "wesendonck lieder" (with the vienna philharmonic under knappertsbusch), with all of its close thematic associations with "tristan und isolde."
Her voice just shakes the earth.
Wow. When you sing the first high C like that, it's ok to skip the second. That was a cannon shot.
I think 0:20 is even bigger than the high C. One of the loudest notes I've ever heard.
Maybe so. You need some really acute hearing to hear Svanholm's B-flat underneath it, and he was hardly a slouch himself.
@@dramaticsoprano5168 I had a friend who heard Flagstad sing in Minneapolis. The auditorium seated approximately 4,600 and was a bit of an acoustical barn. (I sang there once.) He said that Flagstad's voice every corner of the auditorium with no hint of strain. He said if the auditorium had been bigger, she would have filled that too! Every very large-voiced woman, and man, he heard made a different impression in the theater. He found Nilsson's voice much more piercing, especially her C6, whereas Flagstad's voice seemed to float out into the auditorium and fill every inch of it. He also heard Melchior, Traubel, Milanov, Tebaldi, Tucker, and others in the same auditorium. I heard Rysanek there and the memory is still indelible over 40 years later. As much as we can value recordings, the impression these supreme singers made in the theater was simply unbelievable.
The note after is as loud I think
@@Ruffiello Thank you for sharing, I love hearing stories like this! Do you know what she sang that day? It's astounding the difference between her lyrical singing in e.g., Handel or Purcell, and then singing like this in the dramatic Wagner moments.
@@draganvidic2039The second one sounds even louder, now re-listening. I wonder how big Italianate tenors like Corelli or Del Monaco would fair against a note like that.
That’s a little confusing, in May 1951 we only have the performance conducted by Clemens Krauss, so I believe this recording is under the Krauss’ baton.
Silly gooses...as if put a microphone that close to Flagstad hehehe How wonderful it is to hear this though!?!?!?!?!
Hmmmm Set Svanholm...now that name together with Flagstad is triggering a memory of Mum's record collection. Seriously, getting into the garage canNOT come quick enough LOL
your mother was amazing in this too !
One reason I love about Kirsten is she is among those rare performers from the past that often had that vital combination of technique and being able to believably deliver what she is singing. Was she perfect in always doing that? No. Not even the great Caruso or Ponselle was perfect like that. But when they got it mostly right and happily, the fact it was more often than not, that’s what makes Flagstad shine brighter than some of the more bland vocal performances from Milanov, etc. Farrell is another favourite of mine worth mentioning as being able to usually often deliver what they were performing and she herself said in an interview with Charlie Rose that the words and meaning and delivery were of no less importance than the music itself.
Hi Emily, thanks for your interesting comments. Have you heard Flagstad's Kundry? I think it is the best combination of technique + interpretation, and a slap to the face to those who say she was 'monotone' or 'bland' etc. IMO, something she does a bit better than the other Wagnerians is deliver mythical aspect of Wagner. Her noble and majestic tone/phrasing was perfect for portraying demigoddesses and regal queens, while the dark timbre and metallic top notes did justice to wild characters like Kundry.
@@dramaticsoprano5168 For me the the Berst of Flagstad with Furtwängler Brünhilde Götterdämmerung, 3rd act, no Sopreani was ans is caple of this Singing til today! It is the most difficult part to sing, and the end of almost 5h having still the power to sing Wagner, and than like Flagstad perfect with emotions in her high notes and low notes in forte and powerful piano
🤯
I am very impressed-if it is true she was 56 in this recording, and still had her high notes.
Crespin lost them, and I wonder why...
May of 1951 so it would have been a month before her 56th birthday.
You should have ear phone company sponsor your channel. Coz with these uploads you might break some 🤣
I agree with everything you say but this recording is unlistenable for me. The biggest for me was from her Isode's Curse from this era in a better sounding recording listed below. Her voice was massive!!!czcams.com/video/d0Hsp0v4Ex4/video.html
While the quality of studio recordings is much better, I prefer the sheer thrill of live performances because I feel it better captures the scale of sound. I'm also a little sceptical about studio recordings as we have heard from the past that bigger voiced singers have to hold back as to not overload the recording equipment, while smaller voiced singers are able to be amplified in post-production editing.
Regarding the curse scene, have you heard this live performance? m.czcams.com/video/D-jE46nEYJM/video.html
@@dramaticsoprano5168 What can't be captured was a feature of her voice attested to by people who heard her live: wherever you were in the house she sounded like she as singing standing right in front of you. Others said she sounded like she had a microphone in her throat. What is weird about her is unlike Sutherland , Grob-Prandl, Jessye Norman, and Nilsson she did not have large, prominent bones in her face for resonating She was a normal sized woman although she was tall for her day.
One high C it is.
She’s excused. It lies very odd there.
The kitten Schwartzkopf had a day off.
Learn maturity.
@@EmilyGloeggler7984 😂😂😂😂😂
(Coming from the true horror of CZcams without friends or a sense of humour)