Full Answer
Who is Kirsten Flagstad?
Kirsten Malfrid Flagstad (12 July 1895 – 7 December 1962) was a Norwegian opera singer and a highly regarded Wagnerian soprano. She ranks among the greatest singers of the 20th century, and many opera critics called hers "the voice of the century."
Was Kirsten Flagstad a soprano or alto?
Wagnerian sopranoKirsten Flagstad, (born July 12, 1895, Hamar, Nor. —died Dec. 7, 1962, Oslo), greatest Wagnerian soprano of the mid-20th century.
How do you sing Wagner?
2:249:33Kirsten Flagstad - A singing lesson: How to sing Wagner [1950] - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd if you ever wish to sing them you must be prepared for many years of steady growing. Before youMoreAnd if you ever wish to sing them you must be prepared for many years of steady growing. Before you make the attempt. English and American audiences associate me almost entirely with Wagner.
What is a Wagnerian soprano?
Some dramatic sopranos, known as Wagnerian sopranos, have an exceptionally big voice that can assert itself over a large orchestra (of more than 80 or even 100 pieces). These voices are substantial, often denser in tone, extremely powerful and, ideally, evenly balanced throughout the vocal registers.
Who is the best Brunhilde?
Any such list would have to include the Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson, a performer of remarkable technical prowess and theatrical flair who emerged during the 1950s and '60s as one of the greatest interpreters of the role.
What is the voice classification of Barbara Bonney?
sopranoBarbara Bonney (born April 14, 1956) is an American soprano. She is associated with lyric soprano roles in operas by Mozart and Richard Strauss as well as lieder performances.
What is coloratura soprano in music?
A coloratura soprano is a type of operatic soprano voice that specializes in music that is distinguished by agile runs, leaps and trills. The term coloratura refers to the elaborate ornamentation of a melody, which is a typical component of the music written for this voice.
Who is the most famous soprano?
1. Maria Callas (1923-1977)
How do you know if you're a coloratura soprano?
0:154:40The Coloratura Soprano - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow you'll never forget the characters that cover at or is most often portray are unstable women ifMoreNow you'll never forget the characters that cover at or is most often portray are unstable women if she is mad angry. And yelling lots of high notes. That's probably a coloratura.
Is Diana Damrau a dramatic soprano?
Damrau has made her name as a high coloratura soprano. How high is high? For lyric and dramatic sopranos, the upper limit, practically speaking, is high C. In Ms.
Who is Kirsten Flagstad?
Kirsten Flagstad. Norwegian soprano, Kirsten Flagstad’s father was a conductor, and her mother was a singing coach and pianist as well as her first teacher. She continued her studies in Oslo with Ellen Schyte-Jacobsen and in Stockholm with Dr. Gillis Bratt.
Where did Kirsten Flagstad start?
While still a student, Kirsten Flagstad made her début at the National Theater in Oslo in 1913 as Nuri in Eugen d’Albert’s Tiefland. For the next 18 years she sang exclusively in Scandinavia, performing in opera, operetta and musical comedy.
What was the last opera that Margaret Flagstad performed?
Flagstad’s final role at the Metropolitan Opera was as Alceste in Gluck’s opera. Her final operatic performances were as Purcell’s Dido at the Mermaid Theatre in London in 1953. Flagstad continued to record and sing concerts, and was director of the Norwegian National Opera from 1958 to 1960.
When did Kirsten Flagstad return to the Metropolitan Opera?
She returned to San Francisco in 1948 but was not invited back to the Metropolitan Opera until Sir Rudolph Bing became manager.
When did Kirsten Flagstad audition for Frida Leider?
Her first Isolde in Oslo in 1932 led to Bayreuth engagements in minor parts in 1933 and to roles as Sieglinde and Gutrune in 1934. Later in 1934 , Kirsten Flagstad turned her sights on North America and auditioned at the Metropolitan Opera to succeed the reigning Wagnerian soprano Frida Leider.
Who sang the same roles in Chicago in 1937?
She sang the same repertory in San Francisco in 1935-1938 and in Chicago in 1937. In 1936 and 1937 Kirsten Flagstad performed the roles of Isolde, Brünhilde and Senta at Covent Garden under Sir Thomas Beecham, Fritz Reiner and Wilhelm Furtwängler, arousing as much enthusiasm there as in New York.
Who asked Flagstad to perform Vier Letzte?
Richard Strauss asked Flagstad to give the first performance of the Vier Letzte Lieder. Like Strauss, Flagstad was vilified as a Nazi collaborator after the war, and severely struggled to restart her career.
Who wrote Solveig's song?
Solveig’s Song by Edvard Grieg. Hearing Norway’s greatest soprano performing the songs of its most well-known composer in the original is a wonderful treat. Here is Flagstad recording that piece in 1929, six years before her big breakthrough: YouTube.
Who was the pre-eminent interpreter of Wagnerian opera?
The next five years saw Flagstad and McArthur conquer nearly wherever they chose to tread. Flagstad proved herself not only the world’s pre-eminent interpreter of Wagnerian opera, but in concert also did her best to promote the songs of her native Norway and those of her adopted America.
Was Flagstad the Nazi?
A tour through the Midwest featured almost empty seats, and concerts in Boston and the West Coast were heavily picketed by Americans who had been convinced by the Winchell articles that Flagstad was essentially the Naziest Nazi in Nazitown.
Was Flagstad a resistance artist?
Independent in so many things connected to her art, however, Flagstad was incapable of resistance in what she perceived as her duties as wife. She left behind everything and joined her husband in Norway. She was repeatedly asked by the German authorities to perform, and repeatedly refused.
Did Flagstad believe what she was reading?
At first, she chose not to believe what she was reading. Surely this was some trick of the Nazis attempting to lure her back home to make use of her in their massive cult to Wagner. When the demand was repeated through intermediaries and more letters, however, Flagstad realized that he was in earnest.
Who presented Wagner to non-Wagnerians?
Flagstad presented a Wagner that even non-Wagnerians could appreciate and the box office receipts showed it. All was going well when, in 1940, her homeland was invaded by the Nazi juggernaut.
Who captured Strauss's late genius?
Flagstad, in ill health herself and with not more than a decade to live, captured the fragile beauty of Strauss’s late genius and the experience of listening to those recordings has transfixed generations of listeners ever since.
What was Kirsten Flagstad's first concert?
Kirsten got piano lessons from her mother, and on her 10th birthday she got the vocal score of Wagner’s Lohengrin. On December 12th 1913, she had her stage debut at the National Theatre in Kristiania (Oslo) as Nuri in Tiefland by Eugen d’Albert. One of the most acclaimed contemporary music critics, Hjalmar Borgstrøm wrote in his review that Flagstad had “a very melodious voice”. Five years later, in March 1918, she held her debut concert in the Oslo University Aula together with the Swedish baritone Carl Richter and pianist Piero Coppola.
When did Flagstad sing Sieglinde?
This led to an engagement at the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth (Germany) in 1933-1934 where she sang Sieglinde in The Valkyrie and soprano in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony under Richard Strauss.
When was the last time Joan of Arc sang in public?
In 1953 she gave her farewell concert as Dido in Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeneas at Det Nye Teater in Oslo. On December 12 the same year, she resigned at the National Theatre, 40 years after her stage debut. The very last time she sang in public was at Lennart Hyland’s television program Morokulien on November 21st 1959.