Flagstad and Furtwangler - Gotterdammerung, part 1

From the opera "Gotterdammerung" by Wagner, Brunnhilde's Immolation

Please click the response video to hear the conclusion of the Immolation Scene.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Kirsten
• Flagstad
• Brunnhilde
• Gotterdammerung
• Richard
• Wagner
• opera
• Furtwangler

[shellac1925]

The audio seems to be quite sharp on this.  If this is the 1949 studio recording on EMI as I suspect, then it should be about half a minute longer.

[violinthief]

You're correct - it's about a quarter tone high. The blame here lies with EMI. The correct year is 1948.

[albertthrelkeld]

This is glorious singing. Flagstad's steadiness and consistency of tone from bottom to top is breathtaking. She soars over the great orchestra with ease. Does anyone have a recording of Flagstad and Melchior in Parsifal?

[violinthief]

I have posted the Flagstad/Melchior duets from Gotterdammerung and Tristan. Both were recorded in 1939 with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. That same session yielded duets from Lohengrin and Parsifal - the Parsifal duet is over 30 minutes long! I may post it as some point - I haven't because I would have to break it into 3 or 4 parts. Youtube's 10 minute limit can be very annoying at times!

[Johnny1206]

No one will ever match Flagstad in the german repertoire! Her voice is glorious, sublime, unique and beautiful!

[AulicExclusiva]

I wouldn't call you a Luddite. I would call you deaf.

[eddiechilvers]

@Iskander0027 Thankyou very much, i just bought it. Nothing compares to this.

[Iskander0027]

@eddiechilvers You should get your mitts on "Wagner: Opera Arias [Import]". Check it out on Amazon. I think it's the correct recording. It is EMI's References, with a blue cover, and a b&w photo of KF clasping her hands together.

[SamSolo88]

Is there a Flagstad version of Gotterdammerung from 1932?

[chepin85]

There are many fine recordings of the Immolation Scene but this is the definitive version.

[dieselheart001]

No insult or pun intended but whenever I hear her sing I imagine this would be the definitive "fat lady singing"- fat, as applied to the sheer ponderosity and inescapability of the power of her voice. If the angel Gabriel ever lost his trumpet, she could appropriate the heralding task with aplomb! What a voice... No one today can appproach her vocal majesty.

And yes. I still think "Furtwangler" sounds like "Fart Wrangler" or "Fart Knocker".

[Johnny1206]

Flagstad and Furtwängler, the best partnership in the History of Music!

[whizbang47]

She was the best ever recorded; maybe the best ever. This takes away nothing from other greats.

[violinthief]

Score another one for the violinthief. It's always amusing to have little classical music aficionados come to my channel and tell me that I don't know what I'm posting. Some other youtubers played the same game as you in the part 2 comments. They lost as well. Egg on all your faces. By the way, your sense of pitch is good, but that's it. I knew this was a different recording the first time I heard it. No two performances are exactly the same, especially when Furtwangler is the conductor.