Birgit Nilsson - Turandot

[Adora773]

I feel sure, that God, when Birgit arrived in heaven, will have been ever so satisfied with her administration of his light.

[LaPolymita]

Can anyone please tell me when and where was this performance? Thanks

[trschaefer]

And she always said Turandot was her "vacation role"..!!!

[edro3638]

She considered this her holiday role in opera!

[Apollyon80]

That was one of the most exceptional pieces of singing I have ever heard. Amazing.

[MrNeilsy]

Read her book. You can learn a lot about singing from hearing her talk about how she learned to sing and over come the vocal problems she had when she was starting out. She had teachers who nearly ruined her voice but she figured it out from listening to other singers she admired and from being on the stage. She didn't always have those incredible high notes. They were a problem for her when she first started out and she had no stamina. Thank God she figured it all out!

[Operaman41]

@MrNeilsy She said she learned how to sing over a cold because her head was all stopped up.

I have been using this method of vocalising while pinching my nose and it really does wonders!!

[The99Gambo]

This is an extremely demanding soprano role. I haven't heard anyone do it better. Check out Turandot with Nilsson and Bjorling RCA Victor re-mastered. Staggeringly good.

[The99Gambo]

She sang Turnadot with Jussi Bjorling - a masterful and staggeringly good recording available in RCA Victor. This is, I believe, the best Turnadot I have ever heard.

And yes - she could project her voice miles!

[purpurkatten]

I´m in awe, tears in my eyes. I bow to you, Birgit, rest in peace!

[mozzrt]

I never heard her myself, but my parents heard her as Elektra in WesternBerlin, and not only were they totally flabbergasted - they had never heard anything like it - but the 'orderly German audience' went absolutely nuts, they roared and yelled like Beatles fans in the 60's, and the curtain calls went on for an hour.

[zgopify]

My goodness. Almost unbelievble. They must've heard her in Antarctica...

[s99jonte]

Magnificent. Birgit is unmatched.

[Zva26]

She must have sung this killer aria hundreds of times, and I've heard a lot of them, but this one is by far the most shattering of all of them. Nilsson was a miracle, and there's absolutely NO ONE around today who come anywhere NEAR her in roles like Turandot, Elektra, Salome, Brunnhilde, Isolde, Fidelio, etc. She did a pretty good Aida, Tosca, and Amelia in Verdi's "Ballo" as well. If only we had a soprano like Birgit Nilsson TODAY!

[j72050]

....first heard her and Bjoerling on record in 1966.....you cannot forget her version, ever.......

[rhapsodyaaa]

que fuerza que agudos que interpretacion tan facinante

[SiEtIn1]

fobic! (fierce opera bitch in charge)

[fresno49]

nilsson made this the best in the world. never be forgotten.

[SilverblueRain]

I get goosebumps everytime I hear this aria. Nilsson is AWESOME!!

[Jackiebird87]

But what is the name of this aria??!?

[TreblesBasses]

IN QUESTA REGGIA

[vispgradde]

aaah <3 La Nilsson! Tonight I served at the Birgit Nilsson Prize´s Bankett in the City Hall of Stockholm

[andrecueca]

that end is soooo gay...lol...but i love nilsson..

[gojewla]

@andrecueca Well of course it is. Opera usually looks a bit like a drag show....

[yodavidnavarro]

OMG...It's like a lyric voice multiplied by 1000...Great!

[catsrgreatpeople]

Thank you SOOO much for posting this!!!!Turandot is one of my favorite operas, & this is hands down my favorite Puccini song!!! And I dont think anyone has given it as much color as the incomparable Ms. Nisson. I could just weep, its so pretty!!!! Where did you find it? It looks like it was recorded from a tv show or something.

[Flimp]

Fantastic !

[Royalorgans]

great performance.

[MyBeautifulNose]

Oh!!!! This is sooo beautiful I could just weep! I seriously mean that! Nilsson was before my time, but her Turandot (or at least, my recording of it) has always been my absolute favorite. Thanks SOO much for posting this! I love the whole thing: costume, set, music, good ol' Brigit... i could just melt!

[khothye]

Wow, I never thought that a voice so big and "maestossa" could be so gentil, bright and light at the same time. She's a master of tecnique. Thanks for this video! :)

[todwfish]

Just what is bright and light supposed to mean. That is a huge voice; there is nothing light about it and nothing in this backbreaking aria that calls for lightness of tone.

[khothye]

Just compare with the version of Eva Marton and you will undestand what I mean (specially the high notes) :)

[khothye]

The point is that she can sing with all her huge voice and doesn't sound "heavy" like others wagnerians voices. She never pushes, and thanks this she has a perfect affination and perfect high notes. Her voice is like a sword, powerfull but with a great sharp, if you understand me.

[todwfish]

Such ambiguous terms mean nothing to me. what is push? What is like a sword? what in God's name is great sharp?

This is the problem with most voice teachers, such ambiguity means something only to the person using them.

I agree that her technique on the most of the upper register is text book. She does miss one of the brutal high c's as she really doesn't get her vibrato on it. Incredibly difficult singing from a master technician, though.

[khothye]

Jaj, if you don't undestand the words I have used, I think you need to estimulate more your imagination and lenguage. No ambiguity at all in them. Have a good day.

[todwfish]

Of course you understand what your ambiguous terms mean. By heavy do you mean one sings with too much medial compression or too low of a larynx...

When I think of of light, I think of high larynx or a chink in the vocal folds due a lack of medial compression.

I understand the words, but they mean nothing to anyone else except you an your ear. Therefore, the ambiguity is present. I have never heard anyone (but you) say "good sharp." That is meaningless terminology.

Next: more purpley

[luisjose1962]

La mejor Turandot ... despues de ella solo Gena Dimitrova

[billcarr54]

fab fab fabulous...........the greatest Wagnerian Soprano of the 20th Century singing one of Puccini's greatest 20th century operas.............perfect !

Thanks so much for posting this.

BTW, if you're a Nilsson fan, be sure to get the DVD of the Met Centennial Gala celebration of 1983.

After singing something from T&I I believe, she then sings a little Swedish folk song, introducing it in her very charming broken English. A total delight......and her dress.........amazingly elegant.

[billcarr54]

oops, I should have said, "of the 2nd HALF" of the 20th Century..........she after all shares the century with the great Norwegian, Flagstadt................

[bobemy1]

Absolutely Beautiful!!!!Emily

[eyestrained07]

I'd hate to be the man who has to sing a duet with her. THAT VOICE! Something straight out of Mt.Olympus. Massive and Goddess in size!

[tjallew]

Thank's mother natura + the fantastic art off Opera fore Maistro Correli.. I think Dimmitrova would hade need sutch a tenor.

Othervise you probebly right

[DaMunchkinhead]

Wow, what a voice!

[Lohengrin]

-the role of Turandot is the only one where the drag queen aesthetics are not only allowed but on demand... this is as if it has come from a Drag Show... especially her movements

-Ther Greatest Drag Queen of the 20th century :)

[operagodess78]

Umm, LOL!

[tjallew]

she was primadonna "ABSOLUTA"

But Callas was det +Diva "ABSOLUTA"

That's probebly why La Nilsson sade that she would take 30 minute's off Callas fame rather her own achivment, Okey I tink that a littel drastik I can only hearing Dimitrowa compering in thise part off Turandot and missing them boat

[MAPIAKALLAS]

Hermosa Nilson que voz tan espectacular brava.... divina

[chansonleipzig]

Sie lebt mit ihrer Stimme weiter!

[Matthewcoakley08]

She's so astounding. She was the perfect Turandot. Oh God Bring back the golden age of opera!! Such talent so rare so fantastic.

[verdiana29]

L'interprétation de B.Nilsson correspond en tout point au personnage : la cruauté, l'arrogance... un poignard hors du fourreau, un iceberg qui fondra aux feux de l'amour. Nilsson est parfaite dans ce domaine. Il ne s'agit pas de belcanto...

[22desteny22]

it stinks very bad

[qwe07]

So says the person that favorites Hannah Montana. How about a little respect for one of the greatest musicians your country has ever produced? Not to mention she's one the greatest musicians the WORLD has ever produced.

[aussie1944]

amazing what a voice tears to my eyes

[myrtha77]

aaaaaah! a godeeesss!! and with that dress she looks so beautiful! she was the coolest ever! makes me sad the fact that she is gone.

[tallswede62]

I heared that she use to "warm up" with this one... ha ha ha, amazing!! no one does it better.. no one..

[Tiagoerg]

Birgit is a wall of sound! Impossible not to resist! The opera houses roar when Birgit sustained that amazing high notes. I mean, what an POWERFULLY AMAZING SOPRANO! She could destroy the sound of a huge orchestra like those ones used in wagner and strauss operas! See her performance as salome here on youtube! Dazzling! Anyway, i also heard that Nilsson would warm up her voice with the Zauberflute queen of the night aria! Can you imagine it? OMG Although Nilsson isnt a coloratura i wanted to see

[DivaDeb1234]

I want that dress!

[tenor220]

can anyone tell me the name of this aria? i can't remember it and it's driving me insane!!

[mxl2003]

It's a rendition of 'In Questa Reggia' that doesn't contain the tenor duet.

[tenor220]

thanks, you have no idea of how much of a help that is.

[lhrlyc]

@tenor220 it is the latter part of "In questa reggia" .... starting late and missing some of the best parts out for some reason!

[lapplan]

but one of the best finals ever :)

[lapplan]

really great. But she miss the flagstad personality of her voice. To mechanical at the upper reach

[giloubreizh]

on dirait un concon, un papillon qui va éclore - Turandot serait-il l'aboutissement de Butterfly?...

[tjallew]

"The Laser of the Opera" nothing I ever heard come's even close to it.

[Drelnis]

I know, nothing ever shoots out as brightly XD

[tjallew]

thank you, and just hade the privelidge to read her bock La Nilsson, this amacing actor's that give's everything, she is very humble with all her fantastic colega's I never read a bad comment about other's. She never, like I see to mutch on You-Tub atacking a colega who is as every body on a opera stadge a gift from the creator. Only fantastic humor over a fantastic life.

[mariasarda]

Une voix perçante comme un pic de glace, mais chauffé à blanc !! Du métal en fusion, compact, tranchant, direct. Du son-laser, projeté vitesse Mach 3, mais aussi... la grande classe d'une Dame du chant qui savait ne pas se prendre toujours au sérieux. Une vraie Diva sans les à-côtés bling-bling d'aujourd'hui, quoi !

[juliette020z]

Percante et agacante!!!Attention aux verres en cristal!

[mariasarda]

Un peu, c'est vrai, comme ces sopranos dramatiques très clairs que l'on trouve en Allemagne. Mais pour la projection, en effet, attention aux éclats (de verre ) !!!!!

[juliette020z]

Je conviens que cette "voix" peut être bien utilisée(castée)dans certains opéras de Wagner et Strauss (où on nécessite un certain type de soprano) mais pour ce qui est des opéras italiens et français( qui sont les plus anciens)et qui demandent une grâce dans le physique et dans la voix,je n'en suis pas si sûre. J'en appelle aux sages sur ce web et j'exhorte les troupes intelligentes et objectives à enfin allumer sur ce "fait médiatique"que semble être Birgit Nilsson

[motruba]

I remember reading comments about the power of her voice at the end of a 5 hour live performance of Gotterdammerung at Bayreuth with Karl Bohm. Brunnhilde has quite a bit of singing in the last 20 minutes of the opera. Nilsson sings well above the orchestra's volume while it is playing ff and she hits her marks in the highest notes seemingly effortlessly. That live performance is available on Phillips and is something to hear.

[operadiva001]

amazing no words

[TrishMissBitch]

At first I though this was Brigette Neilson from the Surreal Life. Haha.

[Swedebear]

I've seen this video so many times - always such a pleasure. Thank God You Tube exists!

[Turandot29]

I have *never* heard Turandot sung by Birgit Nilsson. That lady has a set of pipes on her. I have "Turandot" on CD sung by Sutherland but Nilsson blows me away.

Turandot is my favorite opera of all. Can you tell ? :)

[heldentenor2b]

Absolute perfection. They don't build opera singers like this anymore.

[Llokky]

it's like she made no effort to sing so high! cool thing!

[tatyana1965]

Magnífica

[oprah22]

GREATEST TURANDOT of all time!

[ZpAmsterdam]

10\10

[ZpAmsterdam]

one of the best

[manwithemeraldeyes]

THE best

[lagnaha]

I always thought of this lady as purely a Wagner soprano.[I have the complete Decca Ring cycle and she is magnificent ] I am amazed at this video. The sheer power of this Turandot is overwhelming

[mxl2003]

You can get some other clips of her singing non-Wagner (as well as some timeless Wagner classics) in my other videos as well as my favorites.

[kossuth1966]

oh no. She is superb in Don Giovanni as well. I had a recording with her and cesare siepe. Unfortunatly i can not lay my hand on a cd-recording of it.

Birgit is one of the all-time biggest and greatest female singer. I wept when she passed away.

[gojewla]

@lagnaha you should also hear her strauss!

[raigekimaru]

damn she has a HUGE voice!!!

[birgitnilsson]

It was meant for craigbarbour

[miniwink]

Her voice is beautiful!!

She is AMAZING!!

My vocal teacher wanted me to look her up because she sings on the sharper side of the notes (which can be a good thing depending on how you sing naturally) and that is what he wants me to do.

[neochmia]

For all voices she is one great example to follow : her technical skills were wonderful and her interpretation was always created with the help of the technique!

You add a huge voice and you got her !

How lucky swedish were !

[mammamaya61]

I am the new Turandot!

[craigbarbour085]

Am I the only one who can't bear rhis singer's horribly out of tune shrieking?

[jetsetjordan]

You know nothing about opera. Your videos show you to have no understand or love of anything but the bel canto sopranos. You should stick to what you know and leave the real voices to those of us who can take them.

[mwk12kev]

Nilsson very *rarely* sang out of tune. The voice was such that recording technology of the time couldn't handle the many overtones she produced - hence *maybe* sounding out of tune here. I heard her one time at the end of her career and was amazed at the impact of the sound, it surrounded you - pinned you to your seat. Even then at the end of her career the voice was stunning (and in tune). Too bad there are no voices like it today, save maybe Delora Zajick.

[Operanut9]

@mwk12kev

Interesting observation. Nilsson, herself, is "supposed" to have said after her own retirement, that Zajick had the greatest voice then singing in the world.

[mxl2003]

Yes.

[bibright20]

You are a complete asshole ¬¬

[birgitnilsson]

Your problem can be solved easily:kill yourself!

[NicoPastorius]

la mejor cantante de la historia

[edgar53018534]

MUY BIEN EXELENTE DIRIA YO

[Kanskevetja]

GO SWEDEN!!:D

[giugiu57]

This video,this song,this singer,this setting,this time,all absolutely unbelievable! Magnificent! Bravo Viva!

[Enochulation]

I remember Nilsson once said she sang "In questa reggia" to warm up. Scary....

[Iareto]

You're KIDDING! What a freak! Lol. Who could sing this aria as well as she does at ALL much less warming up! Geez!

[OperaChristina13]

O.o How loud can she sing?! 0.o

[Oprabaritone624]

Brillient, the best Turandot by far.

[runitsgibert]

I've only seen three, but I agree so far...

[adam1955uk]

FABULOUS set!! SOOO psychadelic!!

And FAB Nilson too of course

[cyfieithydd]

She and Solti argued before a performance of Turandot at Covent Garden so Solti decided to drown her with the orchestra. As the conductor wound up the volume, she simply smiled and turned on the turbo boost. The guy singing Timur always said it was loudest sound he ever heard - and he was kneeling before her on the stage! Can you imagine the pain?

[Ebonskaith]

Lol

Excellent!

[Operanut9]

DOMINGO said when he was singing this with Nilsson in Italy, he was in such awe of the sound coming from her, that he lost his cue when he was supposed to come in for the duet after this aria.

[ComaLies225]

God listen to this! True talent and so much power!

[all276]

By the way, la Nilsson had a great sense of humour. She used to say that she sung Turandot on nights off...

[all276]

My goodness, what power, what force ! She´d outsing fifty other sopranos at the same time.

And she seems so effortless. How is this humanly possible?

[ComaLies225]

Talent! a Wagnerian soprano

[swe50]

Nilsson rules! Just when you are anxious she spent her powers she buffles you with further force. Cannot think of anyone coming close to her in the arias "In questa reggia and "Isol-des Liebestod". She could outsing several orchestras at the same time...

[tomwestbrook]

Holy moly! That was impressive.

[hwhap13]

She's set the bar so high up for this aria and NOBODY ever came close.

Yes, as someone said, a fantastic voice and a wonderful person. She definitely left the irreplaceable marks on both Isolde and Turandot.

RIP

[raythespian]

WOW...I don't remember her looking like THAT!

I saw the famous Met production with Nilsson and Corelli. There has never been anything like it since. I also saw her in Tosca, Ballo, two recitals, and a summer concert at the end of her career. There was Flagstad, Nilsson...and we're still waiting for the third.

[alandelane]

It seems that Turandot was some kind of R&R to Mme Nilsson. She was and IS IMHO the best Turandot so far.

[oprah22]

he looks soooo stunning omg the voice is sheer power and i feel like she has Shirley Bassey's power Whitney's vibrato and Minnie Riperton high notes just extraordinary bravo!!!

[ComaLies225]

whats the name of this aria?

[anaolga]

this is the end of an aria called ˝in questa reggia˝

[ComaLies225]

Thank you

[anaolga]

no problem :)

[gemarus]

Fantastic voice! And a wonderful person!

[QuiRan82]

THATS how it is sung!!!

[primadonna82]

wow

[Matthewcoakley08]

NOW THAT IS A SOPRANO!!! No one has ever compared or ever will Eva Marton was astounding but not in the same league!!

[Llokky]

Wonderful! Greatest Wagnerian soprano I have ever seen!

[verdiguy]

Stunning!

Incredible reserves of power and those

famous high notes, cutting like a laser

through Puccini's rich orchestration!

I agree completely with previous posts,

there just aren't voices like hers on

stage anymore.

Incredible, simply incredible.

Thanks so much for posting!

[Ppress322]

I was working for the Metropolitan Opera as a dancer 48 years ago and had the thrill of my life to be the first train bearer on Birgits right hand side. At 3 feet away I was amazed how the fantastically beautiful voice just flowed out of her mouth with no effort or strain like every other singer I had worked with. She was just as nice to the supers [extras] and dancers as she was to the stars. in the cast.

[sarasava]

Has anybody heard better "Turandot" than this one?Has anybody heard more brilliant high tones than those ones?

This voice is realy unique!My teacher has listened to her in Stockholm,singing a modern piece.He heard "a trumpet above the orchestra and then another,not less powerful sound"-it was Birgit!

[ralpius]

Basically, ladies and gentlemen. boys and girls you've just listened to the greatest Dramatic Soprano who's ever lived. Where are all the great voices of to-day?

[796824]

Nilsson's voice was naturally large, and well-projected, not pushed like all the sopranos who followed her.

[listentomom]

I wish I could sing like that - it must feel great!!

[keenamaca]

Absolutely gorgeous voice.

[mezzosoprano2]

So wonderful!

[mortdk]

The strength of her voice was unique; not many opera singers has the ability to get through the orchestra so clearly as she could. She's defently one of the best ever! And best thing; she was not a prima donna at all...

[Gigglingatagas]

Phew. Just astounding; such stamina! Undeniably one of the most secure singers in history. Does anyone know the year of this video?

[quecrldenick]

1960s according to wikipedia

[BernardProfitendieu]

that's hardly a reliable source - don't embarrass yourself by quoting it

[BillSalem]

The diamond voice of Mme. Nilson. Whoever said her high notes are not crystaline wasn't listening carefully. This is Birgit when she was young.  I saw her in Turandot the night that Franco Corelli made his debut at the Old Met. His claque threatened to beat me up if I didn't clap and yell louder. :o)

[amfortas83]

Will you judge me half-deaf if i punctualize that some high notes of this enormous singer are not cristalline? Conduction sounds horrible!

[mxl2003]

I would chalk it up to the recording quality...anyone who's heard a *decent* recording of her singing knows that her high notes are absolutely divine.

[55nina]

Maybe not half deaf, but not a good judge of great voices or technique. 'Punctualize' is an interesting choiice of word, however.

[Greatfan]

What is going on with Birgit's videos ? One day there are 62, the other 21, then they jump to 27 or back to 60 and again down to twenty something !!! Please let us enjoy her if nobody is going to commercialize them !!!

[ariodante76]

Some demented idiot claimed the licensing rights to one particular person's videos, and the subscriber was forced to remove them. :(

[Greatfan]

I hope they will make a great movie on her and commercialize it. Otherwise it is only ' small thinking ' or a sort of senseless greed. Thank you for your answer. We need more Nilsson in youtube. Scenes of her young Elektras or Toscas for instance. Tosca was filmed by the Met, so where is it that video ?

[ARReith]

The last 30 seconds are fabulous!!!!!!!!

[DIVOTENOR]

The sound just pours forth. So effortless.High notes are beautiful

[Suspechosa]

The best of the best!

[veramour]

Love the demi-Viking horns. Once a Valkyrie, always a Valkyrie!

[Suspechosa]

Oh my God!!! I am speechless! It's a shame I'm never going to see her perform. :(

[sagalat]

Pure crystalline Scandinavian ICE? Shimmering. Terrifying. Break out the aquavit, Ladies and Gentlemen: THIS GAL IS GONNA MAKE IT BIG!

[Royalorgans]

She is the "First lady of Sopranos"

[rayray8816]

shes a wangerian soprano shes able to sing amazingly high and low notes.....only a few appear every generation making it the rariest vocl ability ever..

[scargo1013]

Thank you, thank you --- I was so unhappy when this one disappeared. Birgit was phenomenal, those high notes are visceral.

[radiosupply]

I love that her low notes don't disappear, as is fault with many singers with powerful high ranges.

[gvjps123]

What a dominating , effortless performance! Her high notes are like thunderbolts shot through with silver light.

[christinegroeneveld]

Its just great. I've seen all the turandots on this side, I think. And there are so many wonderfull excamples. What a great medium...

[oleganna]

Belissima - Bravissima!!!

[phoguy86]

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for POSTING THIS! By FAR my MOST FAVORITE Video PERIOD. Someone else had it posted but then removed it...I hope that doesn't happen to this one. In three words- I LOVE IT.