Birgit Nilsson & Astrid Varnay : "Ortrud, wo bist du?" (Lohengrin) by Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Lohengrin : "Ortrud, wo bist du?"

Elsa : Birgit Nilsson
Ortrud : Astrid Varnay

Orchester der Bayreuther Festspiele
Conducted by Eugen Jochum
Bayreuth, 1954.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• richard
• wagner
• birgit
• nilsson
• astrid
• varnay
• elsa
• ortrud
• wo
• bist
• du
• lohengrin
• operazaile

[tarstan]

These things are completely subjective and we're all entitled to our opinions. If we can express them civilly that's even better. I agree with vully70. Elsa was not Nilsson's best role but few singers have given me more pleasure.

[vully70]

Let's just be fair. Nilsson sings impeccably in this recording - Elsa just wasn't her best role:

Like Leonie Rysanek, who took over as Elsa in Bayreuth, her voice is too strong, too stable for a sensitive, unsure young girl. Bayreuth had to wait vor Elisabeth Grümmer for an ideal Elsa.

[mannail888]

PR machine, Pav, Callas or whatever, the fact remains Nilsson isn't in anyway a great singing artist, period.

[65attila]

I am old enough to remember much of Nilsson's career - if she had a publicity machine it did not reach my part of the US.

Whether you like her or not is irrelevant to me- she was not a household word and even in opera circles the talk was about her singing.

PR machines were had by Pav who IMO as a great singer and Callas who was at least 50% PR known for her extra singing activities. Maria knew what do do to keep her self alive while her voice was near death.

[mannail888]

If you so insist my English is not up to par, please further elaborate, "Dr. Higgins". By the way, your stooping to steering away from what's at hand: discussing the merit and, more accurately, the weakness of Nilsson's singing can only point to one fact: you inwardly must have realized Nilsson, along with Domingo, is the most over-rated opera singer of the past century.

[BGSourgas]

thanks operazaile!!!