Flagstad and Melchior - Tristan and Isolde "Love Duet", 2/2

[StevenKellyBelly]

Excellent job. Thanks for including this as video response with part 1!

[elainebmack]

@sartrific You are such a lucky person to have heard these great artists in their prime. Today the criteria for operatic singers is that they have to be skinny, sexy, and "camera ready". That said, I believe that there are voices out there somewhere that if given the right training and opportunities could do justice to this great music.

[sartrific]

So glad to have this on Youtube. I heard Melchoir and Flagstad sing this when I was a teenager - and was enthralled - I played it so much my parents had to leave the house. 

[elainebmack]

That said, I truly believe that there are voices out there that could do justice to this great music. The problem is that they are probably working at Walmart to make ends meet, slaving away in some church choir trying to "blend" with less powerful voices, or worst, not singing at all because of the lack of recognition of their gifts.

[KOPKE9]

Great, thanks!

[stevtomato]

That was great :D only the end... uh, made me laugh so badly =( Wagner gave us some unexpected chord, which I already expected now because i know the piece, but here, an "unexpected" chord is played... which was supposedly... expected...? Bah, it's just funny and wrong =(

[Quincypop]

This is great singing but I would have preferred a less Toscanini-like tempo.

Where are the great germans in those days?

[Operaddict]

@Quincypop Edwin MacArthur was a wonderful conductor. He took tempi which singers actually could sing, and had great empathy for the long Wagnerian line, being careful not to drag things. I worked with him many times, so feel qualified to make such a statement. He and Flagstad had a long and glorious career together, as he played for her countless times, as well as conducted many of her legendary performances.

[pierocells]

@Quincypop listen to Lothar Odinius , who publish on Naxos a great anthology of mozart lieder,with Ruth Ziesak,i think you like his delicatess and precision :thoose are the great of today and wish them tomorrow too

[scargo1013]

Ponselle was great, but Flagstad was unbelievable -- that was THE voice.

[jhb134]

@violinthief - I don't think MacArthur is so bad, and he certainly doesn't obtrude from Melchior, Flagstad and the rest. There weren't that many, great Wagnerian conductors in those days, unless we count Stiedry and others. .. ANYway, nice and great addition to youtoob, and thanks.

[richard63545]

@jhb134 Agree that MacArthur was OK, but there some great ones back in those days, Arthur Bodansky, Furtwangler, Klemperer, Fritz Reiner, Leinsdorf, to name a few.

[kuddelfranz20001]

was für eine Raritä, sagenhaft, danke

[Silverhalide60]

Hearing this captivating music is like opening a sensual dream box to another life were a blissful balm is applied by voices of angels.

[gundhari]

Melchior und Flagstad zeigen sehr ueberzeugend, dass Wagner Musik schrieb, die man wirklich "singen" kann. Es braucht sehr geschulte und einfuehlsame Saenger, die es nach Lauritz und Kirsten auf diese Weise kaum noch gab. Zumindest nicht in dieser Uebereintimmung. Entweder stimmte der Tenor nicht oder der Sopran. Diese Kombination von Melchior und Flagstad im vollendeten und kunstvollen Singen wird wohl einmalig bleiben.

[waustad]

This is one of my all time favorite recordings. I've known it for over 35 years and it still blows me away.

[herminestover]

Melchior never sounded more immediately recognizable than here. I have to go lie down now/

[Lovelytenor1]

Here, we walk in the land of giants.

[maldoror26]

thanks a lot!

M.

[operalament]

violin thief, I must tell you you could not be more off base with respect to you rcomment about Ponselle. Ponselle retired at the absolute peak of her career. and was singing splendly years later.

[saagua1953]

Laser-like and effortless are the two words that best describe Flagstad's voice. Incredible.

[myaskovsky2002]

OMG! OMG!  Tis is the last thing I want to listen to before diying!

Martin

[SENAFOREVER]

Me too.

[meltzerboy]

I never really considered comparing Ponselle and Flagstad. The sound of their voices as well as singing style and repertory have very little in common apart from the fact they are both dramatic sopranos with superior vocal technique and power to spare. In regard to repertory, whether Flagstad would have been successful in Verdi and Puccini and Ponselle in Wagner is anyone's guess. What we can say for sure is that they are both unique in their own way.

[aaronginn]

Wow! That might even be a better performance than the Reiner Covent Garden Tristan. Hard to imagine this sung by one without the other. Either of them would overpower any other singer, but they are perfectly matched. I love Melchior, but Flagstad in particular hits her notes with laser-like precision, unlike so many other "scooping" sopranos. Unreal!

[mrF1no]

She was born in my hometown and I'm very proud of her. She was and are the best.

[auknu]

Perhaps the greatest Brunhilde; I'll take Lehmann as the greatest Sieglinde, and Rethberg for almost everything else!

[scargo1013]

Flagstad -- OMG!!

[BGSourgas]

fantastic clip!

Ponselle and Flagstad both truy exceptional singers - and flagstad was called boring and ponselle overcautious yet we'd give organs to see them today!

ponselle could have been given more room to grow, flagstad certainly had plenty

[foothillsbear]

Flagstad had such a rich quality to her voice as well as the power to sing Wagner--her pairings with Melchior have rarely been equaled and never bettered.

[Johnny1206]

Flagstad is the best singer in the History of Opera!

[raythetse]

she could very well be... such sublimely executed technique... one of those that could sing anything.

[mrrk]

Maybe in wagner. Dont forget Ponselle. The greatest female voice ever.

[Prometheus2013]

Ponselle didn't had the vocal power of Flagstad, not even Nilsson didn't had it

[babydrane]

"not even Nilsson didn't had it" - let's not get ahead of ourselves.

[gery666]

Flagstad is the greatest Wagnerian soprano of all times and certainly more dramatic vocaly than Nilsson.

[steainsy]

amazing

[Rapicienta]

Hermooooooooossssssso, los amo a los 2!!!.

[paulostroff99]

V.T.,he doesn't appear to be a wretched conducter to me.Hoy long would great singers like these two-put up with that? They can't all be the greatest.

[ReinaAntartica]

Thanks a lot :)

[ReinaAntartica]

Thank you so much. Who is directing?