Birgit Nilsson as Lady Macbeth "Nel di della vittoria"

[36prosper]

What a voice exactly.

Such a lovely woman as well.

the whole package.

[ferrykalos]

What kind of hat is she wearing?

[CMWonYT]

Birgit... Born to be villain! She's such a perfect Lady M. for her face and the surprising voice!

[CanadaPisces]

What a marvelous singer!

[mugrad25]

I've never heard a high C sound so massive

[MrStpendouslvforjo]

NEXT TO JOAN SUTHERLAND THIS IS THE VERY ABSOLUTE GREATEST VOICE ON EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TheFeuerzauber]

@MrStpendouslvforjo Was... in both cases :'(

[Seropo56]

Simply amazing!

[TheVaughan5]

Interesting= this "telecast" is dubbed from the 1964 Decca recording made in Rome with Nilsson, Taddei, Prevedi, Santa Cecilia orchestra conducted by Thomas Schippers. As one critic aptly surmised, Nilsson is not a great Verdi singer but rather a great singer, singing Verdi!!

[MrStpendouslvforjo]

@TheVaughan5 I agree 100% She was a COLOSSIS

[fastborzoi]

Birgit, once again, thank you for your fabulous artistry

[fastborzoi]

Birgit, once again, thank you for your fabuoous artistry

[OperaMystery80]

What's interesting and great about Nilsson's Lady Macbeth is that her Wagnerian, steely voice would otherwise be unsuited to Italian opera, especially Verdi, but she makes a fierce, grand and wicked Lady M that's as good as the best sopranos who have sung it (Callas, Rysanek, Suliotis Verrett, Dimitrova,) This is an electrifying performance. Her Turandot is also glorious to hear. I love Nilsson!

[ininacsot]

désolé,je n'aime pas ,maintenant c'est peut être de ma faute???

[Chateaubriand26]

@ininacsot

Mais ce ne devrait pas être de votre faute, sauf si vos raisons sont mauvaises, mais pour que nous puissions en juger il faudrait exprimer ces raisons.

[ininacsot]

@Chateaubriand26 bonjour,mes raisons sont simples,quand j'entends Maria Callas,Syrley Verrett,par exemple je prends plus de plaisir,merci

[Chateaubriand26]

@ininacsot C'est très bien, c'est une bonne raison, et puis ce n'est pas de votre faute. Soulagé ?

[dobilasallanas]

Magnificent.

[gustopheles]

That makeup! I adore it!

What a brilliant artist. Thank you for sharing this.

[diuscorvus]

love the boat on her head!

I'm surprised by the agility she displays in the cadenza-ish thing before the aria proper starts, but it's smudged at the top of the register. Obviously she hasn't the Italianate sense that Callas has, but the accuti is thrilling. I'd have loved to hear her attempt the cabaletta, although I don't think it'd have gone completely her way.

[ManricoV]

I think that Nilsson was stunning Lady! Unlike some other singers who did this role, Nilsson sing this role! Nilsson writes in her book that many think that Lady will sing as terrible as possible, only to Verdi wrote that the singer who sings Lady must have a terrible voice. But even though Lady is a horrible person, her party's written very beautiful. Nilsson does not forget about this, she sings beautifully, all her piano and pianissimo is the best quality. She opened great Lady's character!

[fangfang1964]

Glorious singing! I like her powerful evil voice for this role. I've been trying to find her Macbeth recording (CD or DVD), not just highlights. Is there one available at all?

[ManricoV]

@fangfang1964 Yes,Nilsson did a recording of "Macbeth",are you interested in it?

[fangfang1964]

@ManricoV It would be nice to see her in character, not just the voice.

[babydrane]

I love how she just gives up trying to knot the ribbon on the letter. lol

[Jakopsohn]

One more thing. Nilsson had what all the others missed in her voice, and then i'm not saying that other didn't do the role well. Callas,Gencer,Verett was among the best intepreters, but what makes Nilsson so interesting, is her evil and much colder voice!

[Jakopsohn]

Of Course Gencer had a lovely dark voice, but so did Nilsson, especially in her turandot, the lower notes are amazing. And she was a very good verdi and puccini singer aswell. Not all roles fitted her, if i had to choose anyone as a "bad choice" for her, it would be Amelia..or Minnie...she litterally sang the pants of all the worlds other sopranos as Aida,Turandot,Tosca and the Lady. Her tosca and turandot is just sheer power, double-double the volume of callas or dimitrova. Happy 92:n b-day ;)

[belcunto]

if her headgear and pipes were sky blue she would look like plava laguna from the fifth element

[ecopin]

@belcunto Pero se parece Nilsson a Plava Laguna o Plava Laguna a Nilsson???. Un beso

[tenorismo]

People forget what a great Verdi soprano she may have been.

[sorobji]

unlike the sleepwalking scene, this aria fitted her voice like a tailored suit. god, was she great...

[SiEtIn1]

why is she always wearing such hot hats and hairdos? her turandot hair is totally fierce too

[BELCANTOish]

Che voce di metallo!!!! uno strumento vocale senza uguali... acuti squillantissimi, fraseggio perfetto e poi l'intensità dell'accento. Ricordiamoci che è un soprano drammatico,che ci delizia con agilità strabilianti,una tecnica solida come questa non la avremmo mai oggi!!! BRAVA!!!!!!!!

[gustavojoris]

Didn't like the colour of her voice. Maybe it's just the recording, though, 'cause it sounds strange.

[tobobba]

What a voice..

[doremicde]

The recitativo part is always awfull in all no italian soprano-the only one who make it with a good pronunce and intonation is obviousely Maria Callas-but it's a good interpretation, maybe a bit light but good

[mali2327]

yes it is light. one can have look at Gencer's Lady. She has adapted her voice to dramatic tones simultaneously as if she is an instrument. And also Gencer's dark tones almost unreacable by any soprano, apart from Verret and Callas. I realy love listening the recitativo from Gencer. A fearfuly dark voice ! Brava Gencer

[SiEtIn1]

you need to hear Leyla Gencer doing it, i think it will make you change your opinion

[puppetoz]

@SiEtIn1 - Leyla who? 

[SiEtIn1]

@puppetoz it´s Gencer, Leyla Gencar, you need to have good taste to know who she is

[chicchimio]

@SiEtIn1 Gencer, a great !

[MastersoftheOpera]

Nilsson was an amazing Lady Macbeth. It was no surprise that she held audience attention at the Met at the same time as the Verdi specialist Leontyne Price (who never sang Lady Macbeth except in recital). Nilsson sang Aida and Amelia (Un Balo di Maschera) but her Lady Macbeth was her best. Such a strong, yet flexible voice full of icy blasts and frighteningly high notes! I love her costume in this! What an interesting get up!

[khothye]

I simply don't be able to understand how a powerfull voice like this can be at the same time so light and clear. Only la Nilsson can do this miracle. Bravissima!!

[maurizio888]

Brava!!!!! i love her voice... but my best is LA CALLASSSSS FOR EVER!!!!! Bravo for both (sorry my foreing english)

[sirenadellopera]

She's so damned EVIL! Fantastic.

[cmmenah]

Impressive indeed!. Amazing! A singing class of perfect early Verdi. Brava!

[antequem]

Splendide voix et quel timbre! de l'acier, tranchant carré , acéré..laissant loin derrière elle l'interprétation tremblante et "bouillie pour chats " d'une certaine mme Callas, que tous persistent à louer!

[senilangakali]

vilaine!

[judycadana]

What is most remarkable about this is her reading of the letter. I realize that knowing she was going to record it in a studio, she could do things that would not be practical live onstage, but still. Utterly compelling-- who would have thought that she could do the letter so much more dramatically than all other famous exponents of this role? Wow, just wow. No disrespect to her justly famous singing, but I would love to have seen her do a scene from the Shakespeare.

[GOberdorf]

Rest in peace, Diva...

[Matthewcoakley08]

I love this. She looks so devious. It's amazing. She was the last great Wagnerian Soprano. And the perfect dramatic in my opinion.

[diuscorvus]

Really awesome! She can't handle the coloratura, but what bravura, and what clarity and strength! Love Nilsson.

[aggelosagg]

bravvvvvvvvvvvvvo!!!!!!!!!!!

[MisterSoprano]

Stop talking about different tastes. Digustibus non e.... I like them both as Ladz, they are different, but that makes opera interesting, everytime different performance!

[divinetta]

That's bloody amazing! She was an absolute goddess!!! Sod Callas. She sucked and had a wobble in her voice that'd make sheep proud.

[RVP57]

Girlene, what is that thing on your head?

[alceste66]

L'unica soprano belcantista con una voce da uragano!!!!!!!!!! Brava!!!!!!!!!

[antox88]

Per me Birgit è la migliore. Fantastica, voce stupenda acuti taglienti ... bello belloooooooooooooooooooo

[oprah22]

because she knew how to negotiate her own contracts

[neronnenn]

Vocalmente perfetta, Birgit è forse un po' troppo tagliente per il ruolo, preferisco altre performances, ricordo un'EleKtra da leggenda, un'Isolde da favola, una Turandot ideale, una Brunhilde incomparabile, etc.etc.etc.

[rebk0405]

I agree with everyone about the singing but I have to say I am totally digging the fake eyelashes! holy crap never saw anything like them! Top AND bottom

[52dalibor]

nilsson was a superb artist but this video is tasteless and betrays her talent. the use of a "actress" to read the melodrama is also flawed. the visuals are ugly and vulgar; whoever made this had a very ordinary mind. translating music into a visual form is a noble challenge. poor verdi deserves better. this is aimed at nilssons down market fans. sadly there are many of them.

[Arsamene87]

Superb singing, strong and powerful! BRAVA!

[Orbazzano]

si può cantare meglio di così???? Grazie Birgit!

[oprah22]

THE BEST Lady Macbeth ....well she was the highest paid opera star of her time

[niallguinan]

I wish someone would upload Nilsson's performance of the sleepwalking scene.

[operachad]

What a voice! If only we had voices like this today.

[cptnunderwhere]

What-a-voice.

[vqro]

What a delicious voice. To Nilsson this aria is child's play.

[tonyantony]

You can find many recordings on rapidoogle on emule too.That's not spam

[tonyantony]

just write in rapidoogle D(ljjj) O(hfn) T(mhh,) C(9ghhg) O(dsf) M(dfsd) ''Nilsson Macbeth'' (I write in the brackets letters at random because youtube filters out all the links posted) .Anyway, in rapidoogle you'll find the rapidshare links to both recordings.

[tonyantony]

You can find in rapidshare two recordings of Nilsson's lady Macbeth the one with Taddei and another one with Paskalis ,a great Greek dramatic baritone,the year of the recording is 1970 the Vienna State opera conducts Berislav Klobucae

[543johnson]

She did make a complete record as Lady Macbeth alongside Taddei and Prevedi for Decca. But if anyone can post it, more power to them because it's so rare these days.

[52dalibor]

this is horrible.

[Orbazzano]

Why?

[sicuro75]

Besides i don't care for these made for TV opera renditions but more for those raw live opera house recorded performances.

[sicuro75]

Her face jestures for chacterization of the dark lady macbeth was rather silly as a matter of fact her face does look like a Court Jester. And someone mentioned here in a complimentary way that Nilson's voice being undarkened and pure well the idea voice that was written in Verdi's text for this role wich he wanted is a dark haunting voice wich no one emulated better than Callas and that's why she is famous for this role.

[manwithemeraldeyes]

Callas is not worthy a comparison to La Nilsson. Its a fact. Callas sounded like a barking dog.

[sicuro75]

Yes youre right it is a fact; Callas wasn't worthy of being compared to these unrealistic Marionette displays wich nilson and sutherland fit in quite well. It's so much like those Sat morning childrens specials as they should have called and it fits quite well with nilson and sutherlands doofy characters and i believe sutherlands was even called opera A-Z?. It's a mockery to opera.

[NEBESHIKU]

to bad fot you BBC named Callas number 1. Nilson=Wagnerian. Callas= Sfogato Assoluta

[Iareto]

I generally don't like to argue with you because it never turns out very well, but this isn't really an artist argument. Everyone's going to have different opinions about Callas. To storm around a bunch of videos and say, "She can't sing this! Only Callas!" is pretty stupid because other people, obviously, won't be swayed. I agree with some of what you say, but it's outrageous to tell people they're wrong for having a different opinion than yours.

[NEBESHIKU]

I'll ignore you. too bad you can't do the sme with me!

[viverito]

I think she is lip synching to her commercial recording

[sicuro75]

If you take a moment and listen to other singers in stage setups from the late 60's and 70's you will here a similar trait in sound ambience. These made for television operas back in the 60's-70's all had that same ambient high fi stereo sound effect going there for everyone from opera singers to the Mamas and the Papas,Tom Jones etc.

[aircat29]

who dressher???

[sevoflurane]

Big voice, dreadful coloratura di forza.

[alecs1976]

dreadful acting as well....and for me she always sounds a little under pitch...

[senilangakali]

post a video of you singing the same in pitch with same clarity and brilliance of tone and sheer power than comment if not its best not betray your lack of musicality for the whole world to know....

[operagodess78]

SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!

[ketillflatnefur]

well, I guess it's good that your opinion doesn't matter - she's a legend and you're nobody.

[meinfb]

Brava! Finally a voice that has the power and range to do justice to this aria. This version just underlines the deficencies of all those "pushed up" mezzos who scream out the high notes. No insecurity here.

[tenorbear60]

Of course Nillson is great, but I just can't get over the getup. Is that someone's idea of Scottish clan-wear? The hat is ... beyond description. Reminds of Sunday school Bible lesson felt cut-outs (for those that remember such things). So entertaingly bizarre - you gotta love it.

[soundfond]

HAHA! Your comment is just hysterical, I love it "Sunday school Bible lesson felt cut-outs" is perfect LOL! I think she never took any of these TV shootings seriously, I mean, not really! Even when portraying Turandot for TV she made funny faces, as if sneering. Her sense of humor wouldn't allow her to be serious in settings such as the ones we see here...

[Arsamene87]

Really stunning performance! Wonderful, BRAVA!

[AggiedeLampedusa]

Where did she get that hat?

[eeli1]

An excellent role model for all dramatic voices. Her voice is undarkened and pure, big and beautiful. Even with as wagnerian soprano she maintains that beautiful tone.

[63Attila]

This not live singing nut dubbing. Maybe from the Nillson Sings Verdi album. Dubbing is a fraud

[AmatureComposer]

She has a complete recording of the opera

[VivaTebaldi]

She sounds very good here, better than her Aida, suis her more.

[Doooku]

Shirley Verrett is better in this role

[bogdankos]

nilsson was a more than great singer and this is first of all verdi, and not shakespeare, since we're not talking shakespeare text, and it was meant to be sung, I suppose... which is excactly what nilsson did, and did it breathtakingly

[filiodecallas]

QUé falso ese ridículo doblaje de la lectura de la carta! Craso error en esta producción. Nilsson nada aporta a este rol, y en el sentido teatral si recordamos que es Shakespeare, nada ofrece.

[jeffreypick57]

She has the voice - a bit mooey for my taste, but where is aany characterisation ? Just looking at the video clip it could be any opera anywhere. Callas has it by several miles - flaws and all ! She is Lady macbeth - not acting it.

[tobobba]

Perfect again....woow!

[Operaddict]

Nilsson is fantastic. Such a technique and powerful sound. This kind of singing is perfect for the Lady. Verdi didn't mean for the voice to be ugly...only the character. This music needs a perfect voice to pull it off...and Nilsson had all the goods to do just that.

[cleanears]

whatever happened to those wonderful macbeth scenes from swedish tv? no playback there...

[MezzoMaleprano]

excellent sir!

[andersthlm]

the best!

[maplebob23]

OMG! I only know this from a CD collection of highlights and seeing it performed, OMG! She is so deliciously evil and creepy! And this singer makes it seem so effortless. Truly amazing.

[owenboi66]

Like most singers, Verrett got through this aria. Nilsson plays with it and glories in it. The result is pure evil. Maybe not psychologically as interesting - but musically thrilling, and unquestionably the voice of a she devil - which is what Verdi wanted.

[FoggyRoad81]

Verrett owns the aria, please check out her live versions from the seventies.

[billyguns2]

FANTASTIC! I thought the letter reading was Callas dubbed! For me Nilsson was the most perfect female singer ever; she had it all: flawless intonation, power, and impeccable musical taste coupled with an endearing personality that swept all before it. We shall never see her liek again, and THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for posting this memorable example of her art.

[Laeliapurpurata]

Now that's I've experienced this... I can die happy.

[pirocagrande]

We do not have voices like that anymore...sad!(at least singing in North America that is.)

[cdivo39]

I saw Shirley Verrett sing Lady Macbeth at LaScala many, many years ago, and she was the GREATEST interpreter of the role!

[senilangakali]

oh give the world a break!!!a mezzo forced into singing soprano roles??

[Lflennoy]

Was that in 1975 with Claudio Abbado conducting? I have a live recording of that on Opera D'oro.

[janejones11]

Nilsson has always been one of my favorite Lady M's. She handles the coloratura well, she has the requisite vocal power ( obviously), and the high notes are fabulous! I also think the characterization is quite good.

[MaxErnst]

she was the best Lady Macbeth of them all

[waterfordwinstons]

OH!!!!!!!!!! you must be a new Opera Fan Please take a look at Miss Verrett as Lady Macbeth.. she is the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OperaBR]

Verrett is really one of the best Lady Macbeth ever, but I don't think it's an unquestionable fact that she was the one and only best interpreter. Nilsson had that penetrating metallic sound that fits the role perfectly, a supreme technique (including ability in the coloraturas!) and the way she interpreted the role with less fire and more "cold" evil is most interesting! ;-)

[Liwah]

I think Lady Macbeth is more of a fiery, evil character rather than the cold 'Turandot evil'.

[cabelleto]

What a find; thanks you so much.

[lekkerejongen]

What amazing high notes!!!! The costume designer should have been shot for that costume.

[tjfloyd]

the makeup is no great shakes either. maybe they recyled one of her "Turandot" costumes?? but ay, carramba, what great singing!

[mrrk]

What the hell is she wearing on her head? Great singing.

[VivaTebaldi]

I agree with you, what kind of hat is that.

[Orbazzano]

Grandiosa!!!