Kirsten Flagstad sings Wagner "Traume"

Flagstad singing "Traume" (Dreams) from Wagner's Wesendonck Lieder. Accompanying her are the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra led by one of the greatest Wagnerian conductors, Hans Knappertsbusch.

This song was written by Wagner as a study piece based on themes from Tristan and Isolde. The scene from the opera that it quotes, the Love Duet, is linked here as the response video, with Flagstad singing the roles of Isolde and Brangaene opposite the Tristan of Lauritz Melchior.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Kirsten
• Flagstad
• Wagner
• Wesendonck
• Traume
• Wesendonk

[DemisLian]

Wonderful "lux" version with orchestra from the 1950s, but I find her earlier 1948 recording of the cycle with piano only to be truly excellent!

[violinthief]

Since the accompaniment is the orchestral music from Tristan's Love Duet, I prefer hearing it in this form. Still, the Wesendonck Lieder with Gerald Moore from the 1940s are terrific - maybe I'll put them up eventually.

[elainebmack]

I get chills listening to Kirsten Flagstad's voice. Somewhere out there today are voices like this, but they are probably working at Walmart to keep a roof over their heads, or maybe they're not skinny enough, sexy looking, or "camera ready" to be of interest to the management companies.

[harryslide]

Wow! I hadn't heard it like this. Many thanks!

[steverlfs]

So... THIS is what music is supposed to sound like!

[billyguns2]

@violinthief I hope you do share the Flagstad/Moore Wesendonck Lieder from 1948; for me, there was no greater voice than Flagstad in Wagner, and 1948 was the best year she ever had before the microphones, including that memorable first Immolation Scene with Furtwangler.

[normandevalois]

after this my favorite is by Betchen Schwarzkopf

[valdengo1]

..when she died in 1962, I thought...no soprano will ever fill those shoes.....matchless perfection

[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.

[runupahill1]

Thank you, violinthief.

[wesleyan97]

Me too!!!

[DivaDeb1234]

Wagner out did himself with this theme