I often wonder about the "immediacy" of Flagstad's voice since many of these recordings are from the mid-1930's and 1940's. She was a miracle and a gift from God. There is no sense in comparing her performances to those of other dramatic sopranos (and particularly that second-rate Swede, Birgit Nilsson). One might regret that Flagstad herself didn't understand this, but her biographies seem to indicate that she was just a nice lady who loved her family and regarded singing as her "day-job".
@paulostroff99 Aren't we all? Do dig up Edwin McArthur's biography of Flagstad in the library - it is the only one in English to date as far as I know, and it is not "comprehensive" but it was written by a person who knew her well and who loved her. Worth reading!
I've read MacArthurs biography of Flagstad and he certainly doesnot pull any punches, it is surprisingly unbiased, though quite evident that he had a soft spot for her. It's entertaining reading and is loaded with many many facts about her life, such as where and when the rift with Melchior started, the real reasons she left for Norway at the start of WW2 and that she was scared to leave the US at that time and how the war years took a toll on her, while basically in exile from the US.
I knew MacArthur very well. He spoke lovingly and in great detail about his career with Flagstad. She was treated horribly when she tried to return to the US after WW2, whereas Schwarzkopf, who was openly supportive of the Nazis, had no trouble whatsoever. She prevailed, and sang another 10 years with the same glorious voice she had before the war.
@VivaRenata You might also want to give Biancolli´s The Flagstad Manuscript a try. I am sure it can be found at some libraries still, atleast through interlibrary loan. It is a very personal and close book since it is written after interviews Louis Biancolli did with Flagstad before and after the war. Enjoy!
@Tiefland1913 I will certainly try to get it through inter-library loan. Hope at least one library in Sweden has it. I have heard of the book, but never had a chance to read it. Unfortunately, a biography that turned up a couple of years ago by Ingeborg Solbrekken, "Stemmen", was massive but not very good.
@VivaRenata - I yield to none in my admiration and love for the sublime Flagstad. That said, I find your remarks about Birgit Nilsson to be exceptionally inappropriate.
To refer to her as "that second rate-Swede" is an insult to a great Wagnerian and Strauss soprano. Nilsson has had no successors. Neither has Flagstad. I don't compare them . I appreciate and cherish them. I do not bash artists. They are world treasures, and bashers do nothing positive for music or art in general.
@Zva26 Flagstad was a voice for the ages, there will never be another in all of opera like her. That being said, my favorite recollection of Nilsson, was at the Mets 100th anniversary gala in 1983, I think. She basically brought the house down and stole the show, not too shabby for a "second rate swede". They sell the entire gala show on DVD on Amazon, Leona Mitchell and Giuliano Ciannella singing the love duet from MB were also a bright stars that very special night.
Her incredible musical talent is humbling. Can you imagine how pleased Wagner would have been to hear her sing his music? And look at these wonderful remarks of people who are sensitive enough to respond to her talent. This is what goodness in music is about.
@shusarik Dear shusarik - I am only a prof. of history but got a chance to do the commemorative program about Flagstad on Swedish classical radio (P2) in 1995 for the 100th anniversary of her birth. And I communicated exactly what you wrote here- that this was the voice Wagner was dreaming of. I was proud to have this opporunity and I think the portrait of Flagstad (40 min. music, 20 min. biography and intro) was a good one. Hoping for permission to post it on Youtube.
Great museums house the greatest of hitory's paintings and sculpture. Thank God Kirsten Flagstad's magnificent vocal virtuaosity can be forever preserved in the museums of recordings and our hearts. Long after the melodious moonshine of modern computer generated sound is relegated to cultures rubish bin, the grand mastery of Richard Wagner and the precious few great vocalists such as Flagstad, Behrens, who Nilson immortalised this great music shall live forever. Bravo and Brava!
...she had the sweetest matchless perfection sound, especially this aria.....in my book the greatest soprano, more heartfelt beauty than Nilsson, but for a second singing this aria, I would nominate Traubel....
Henry Johansen, Flagstad's second husband fell in love with her when she performed "Elsas Traum" when he was in the opera, and invited her out after the performance. We can't blame him, can we ?
Kirsten Flagstad nace en 1895,muere en 1974. De acuerdo con la presentacion del video esta presentacion es a los 44 años.
Tal fecha coincide -segun su bibliografia oficial - con su decision de dejar de cantar papeles liricos para optar por roles mas dramaticos operisticos, entre ellos esta aria de Lohengrin.
Beautiful, this may start my another Wagner period. I neglected him for too long.
IvanIV05 1 week ago
Voix Superbe!!!
Blueberry421 1 week ago
Wonderful.
Herur22 4 weeks ago
Classical beauty, matched to a heavenly voice!
mariop561 4 months ago
Was für ein schönes "Er"!
danzwoot 5 months ago
Listening to Kirsten, it's the first time i fall so deeply in love with a voice ... she is really amazing.
MrArkadin 5 months ago
What is all this talk about Swedes? Flagstad was Norwegian, for God's sakes! Are you all imbeciles?
achantus1 5 months ago
I love her voice! (and her nose at 0.30 :P )
Lirico96 6 months ago
Kirsten Flagstad is the greatest Wagnerian ever! And I was entirely ignorant of her just a few months ago.
achantus1 10 months ago 3
I often wonder about the "immediacy" of Flagstad's voice since many of these recordings are from the mid-1930's and 1940's. She was a miracle and a gift from God. There is no sense in comparing her performances to those of other dramatic sopranos (and particularly that second-rate Swede, Birgit Nilsson). One might regret that Flagstad herself didn't understand this, but her biographies seem to indicate that she was just a nice lady who loved her family and regarded singing as her "day-job".
VivaRenata 1 year ago
@VivaRenata -I'm really happy that she kept her day job!!
paulostroff99 1 year ago
@paulostroff99 Aren't we all? Do dig up Edwin McArthur's biography of Flagstad in the library - it is the only one in English to date as far as I know, and it is not "comprehensive" but it was written by a person who knew her well and who loved her. Worth reading!
VivaRenata 1 year ago
I've read MacArthurs biography of Flagstad and he certainly doesnot pull any punches, it is surprisingly unbiased, though quite evident that he had a soft spot for her. It's entertaining reading and is loaded with many many facts about her life, such as where and when the rift with Melchior started, the real reasons she left for Norway at the start of WW2 and that she was scared to leave the US at that time and how the war years took a toll on her, while basically in exile from the US.
richard63545 1 year ago
I knew MacArthur very well. He spoke lovingly and in great detail about his career with Flagstad. She was treated horribly when she tried to return to the US after WW2, whereas Schwarzkopf, who was openly supportive of the Nazis, had no trouble whatsoever. She prevailed, and sang another 10 years with the same glorious voice she had before the war.
Operaddict 1 year ago 3
@VivaRenata You might also want to give Biancolli´s The Flagstad Manuscript a try. I am sure it can be found at some libraries still, atleast through interlibrary loan. It is a very personal and close book since it is written after interviews Louis Biancolli did with Flagstad before and after the war. Enjoy!
Tiefland1913 7 months ago
@Tiefland1913 I will certainly try to get it through inter-library loan. Hope at least one library in Sweden has it. I have heard of the book, but never had a chance to read it. Unfortunately, a biography that turned up a couple of years ago by Ingeborg Solbrekken, "Stemmen", was massive but not very good.
VivaRenata 7 months ago
Comment removed
Tiefland1913 7 months ago
@VivaRenata - I yield to none in my admiration and love for the sublime Flagstad. That said, I find your remarks about Birgit Nilsson to be exceptionally inappropriate.
To refer to her as "that second rate-Swede" is an insult to a great Wagnerian and Strauss soprano. Nilsson has had no successors. Neither has Flagstad. I don't compare them . I appreciate and cherish them. I do not bash artists. They are world treasures, and bashers do nothing positive for music or art in general.
Zva26 1 year ago 2
@Zva26 Flagstad was a voice for the ages, there will never be another in all of opera like her. That being said, my favorite recollection of Nilsson, was at the Mets 100th anniversary gala in 1983, I think. She basically brought the house down and stole the show, not too shabby for a "second rate swede". They sell the entire gala show on DVD on Amazon, Leona Mitchell and Giuliano Ciannella singing the love duet from MB were also a bright stars that very special night.
richard63545 1 year ago
@Zva26 Well said, opinions are o/k but sometimes best kept to oneself. This really is a wonderful piece of music & a great version.
Teddyb1939 5 months ago
thanks for upload it!
( the title is: Elsa's Dream)
M.
maldoror26 1 year ago
Her incredible musical talent is humbling. Can you imagine how pleased Wagner would have been to hear her sing his music? And look at these wonderful remarks of people who are sensitive enough to respond to her talent. This is what goodness in music is about.
shusarik 1 year ago
@shusarik Dear shusarik - I am only a prof. of history but got a chance to do the commemorative program about Flagstad on Swedish classical radio (P2) in 1995 for the 100th anniversary of her birth. And I communicated exactly what you wrote here- that this was the voice Wagner was dreaming of. I was proud to have this opporunity and I think the portrait of Flagstad (40 min. music, 20 min. biography and intro) was a good one. Hoping for permission to post it on Youtube.
VivaRenata 1 year ago
There was only ONE FLAGSTAD.There is NO ONE on the OPERATIC STAGE who can MATCH
today, indeed for a long while
796824 1 year ago 4
@796824 No, not for a long while, for ever in my opinion. This is the greatest soprano voice ever recorded.
VivaRenata 1 year ago
Great museums house the greatest of hitory's paintings and sculpture. Thank God Kirsten Flagstad's magnificent vocal virtuaosity can be forever preserved in the museums of recordings and our hearts. Long after the melodious moonshine of modern computer generated sound is relegated to cultures rubish bin, the grand mastery of Richard Wagner and the precious few great vocalists such as Flagstad, Behrens, who Nilson immortalised this great music shall live forever. Bravo and Brava!
DickAllen4HOF 2 years ago
Kirsten Flagstad = Five Stars !
moshe1a 2 years ago 2
she was great. i love that aria. that was a great video!
fresno49 2 years ago 2
...she had the sweetest matchless perfection sound, especially this aria.....in my book the greatest soprano, more heartfelt beauty than Nilsson, but for a second singing this aria, I would nominate Traubel....
j72050 2 years ago
The very best female Wagnerian! Brava!
paulostroff99 2 years ago 3
@paulostroff99 Brava e bravissima! BIS!!!
VivaRenata 1 year ago
Henry Johansen, Flagstad's second husband fell in love with her when she performed "Elsas Traum" when he was in the opera, and invited her out after the performance. We can't blame him, can we ?
Snorreba 2 years ago
Ma grand mère l'a vu dans Isolde sur scène... Que dire? Rien laissons les anges faire.
isabelle070209 2 years ago
unmatchable, unforgettable,...thank you
rikitatchatcha 2 years ago 2
Singer and orchestra in heavenly
collaboration. Flagstad's seraphic
voice is a welcoming beacon to all
who would enter Wagner's world.
Thank you for this unforgettable posting.
Kievest 2 years ago 2
Kirsten Flagstad nace en 1895,muere en 1974. De acuerdo con la presentacion del video esta presentacion es a los 44 años.
Tal fecha coincide -segun su bibliografia oficial - con su decision de dejar de cantar papeles liricos para optar por roles mas dramaticos operisticos, entre ellos esta aria de Lohengrin.
JorPove 3 years ago
e muere 1962 7th december not in 1974 and she had the best voice ever.
anikoarany77 3 years ago
The best ever!!!
ilnytska 3 years ago 2
The greatest voice ever !
Johnny1206 3 years ago 2
Velvet with fluid gold, thats what she is...
Beautiful untill the end!
A voice wich never strained against orchestra and sang WITH orchestra!
We our gracious for having these wonderfull recordings.
andreasscholl 3 years ago 4
For me Flagstad's is one of the most beautiful voice ever. I adore her and could listen to her forever.
viverito 3 years ago 4
She was singing this at the age of 14......
AlexiouValenti 3 years ago
Kirsten Flagstad my goddess, phenomenal! ..
Oschn 3 years ago 4
Truly great voice. Wonderful rendition of one of my favourite arias. Beautifully recorded and preserved too. A treasure. TY.
Glenmed 3 years ago 11
What voice!
Pawobrat 3 years ago 8