Birgit Nilsson: Queen of the Night
SeattleJohn
played a recording on a 78rpm record of Nilsson singing the Queen of
the Night aria complete with high F's. Did anyone hear it ?? Does
anyone know of a copy of this anywhere. It's not on Youtube, so it
might not exist:) A funny anecdote was one of the panelists claimed
that they had a hard time believing the artist in the recording had a
professional opera career!
ivanmaxim
I remember that intermission (I don't remember that it was that aria)
but you are right the panelists were unable to recognize the voice. I
thought it was pretty readily available - I'll see if I can find it
Wagner fan
SeattleJohn
ivanmaxim
OMG the tofu turkey - that was SO funny!!!!!!!! Wagner Fan
edo...@gmail.com
I remember it too, and it was not the Queen of the Night aria. It was
something more associated with Nilsson, but I don't remember what.
Nilsson once said that she sometimes "warms up" with the Queen of the
Night aria, but she never ever sang it in public or recorded it, on 78
or any other speed.
Ed
ivanmaxim
I have discovered it was an excerpt from "Du bist der lenz" from
Walkure (not Zauberflote) but I'm still searching for the date.
Wagner Fan
ivanmaxim
>
> - Show quoted text -
I have discovered this paragraph re; Mike Richter
"In 1966, Birgit Nilsson recorded a cylinder of "Du bist der Lenz".
Paul
Charosh, who provided the equipment for the recording and engineered
it,
has supplied documentation and a photograph of the event. Beginning
late
Friday night, I will offer Paul's report, the recording in and out of
the context of the Opera Quiz on which it was broadcast and an
approximately contemporaneous performance of the aria by Nilsson which
has beeen available only on a CD-ROM no longer in print.
Wagner fan
ivanmaxim
>
> - Show quoted text -
And more in Italian
Allargando un po' il discorso sulla tecnica primordiale per mezzo di
una parabola (vera!): Nel 1966, quelli che scelsero le domande per il
Met Opera Quiz, decisero di prendere in giro i tre critici che
rispondevano quel sabato pomeriggio. Trovarono un vecchio apparecchio
Edison e qualche cilindro. Birgit Nilsson fece un' incisione di "Du
bist der Lenz." Dopo aver ascoltato la registrazione, nessuno poteva
dire chi era che cantava. Inoltre, uno osò scherzare che si chiamava
"anonima" perché l'arte esibita nel brano era davvero anonima.
Immaginate l'imbarazzo corale dopo la rivelazione dell'identità del
cantante Nilsson stessa dopo aver ascoltato il cilindro disse, "Oh
my ! That's terrible ! I will never laugh again when I hear an old
recording." Wagner Fan
JAC
aria is that she maintained that *after* an opera performance, her
voice was so warmed up that she was able to sing this aria easily.
When Karl Boehm was dubious, she invited him to her dressing room
after a Wagner performance and demonstrated it for him.
Any scepticism I may have about the story relates not to altitude but
to velocity. At her (frequent) peak, her voice sounded so "complete"
on high C that it's not heard to believe that her vocalizing range
extended considerably higher. But (and remember that I adore her) any
attempts at 16th-note runs and fast triplets needed to be taken with a
lot of charity and "it's not bad, considering...".
JAC
rich...@gmail.com
I remember this story too, but I don't think she ever specified which
aria. When I've thought about it, I have wondered if it was not the
second; you've got 4 Fs and lots of Ds but the coloratura isn't awful
except for the triplets, which no one really sings quite as written.
She would be deeply impressive in a great deal of it, I would have
thought, suitably frightening, and frankly if she was singing it full
out in her dressing room at you, you might well tell her it was
perfect even if it wasn't, after you picked yourself off from being
hurled against the wall by the sheer force of the voice. (And I do
love her as much as you);
Although I don't know. She recorded Donna Anna twice (I think twice,
no?, certainly with Leinsdorf). At her last Met appearance, which I
guess was the Centennial concert (maybe also she sang there later, I
am very groggy today) she did a little piece that Christine N had
done, and there were some downward arpeggios that she really pulled
off. But I tend to think it's the Holle Rache.
All best
JAC
wrote:
> On Nov 25, 1:14 pm, JAC <jonalancon...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > And as I recall it, the story about Nilsson and the Queen of the Night
> > aria is that she maintained that *after* an opera performance, her
> > voice was so warmed up that she was able to sing this aria easily.
> > When Karl Boehm was dubious, she invited him to her dressing room
> > after a Wagner performance and demonstrated it for him.
> > Any scepticism I may have about the story relates not to altitude but
> > to velocity. At her (frequent) peak, her voice sounded so "complete"
> > on high C that it's not heard to believe that her vocalizing range
> > extended considerably higher. But (and remember that I adore her) any
> > attempts at 16th-note runs and fast triplets needed to be taken with a
> > lot of charity and "it's not bad, considering...".
> I remember this story too, but I don't think she ever specified which
> aria. When I've thought about it, I have wondered if it was not the
> second;
Oh, I think so too. Aside from all your other reasons, the first one
takes too long to get flashy to make a good impromptu demo.
> you've got 4 Fs and lots of Ds but the coloratura isn't awful
> except for the triplets, which no one really sings quite as written.
> She would be deeply impressive in a great deal of it, I would have
> thought, suitably frightening, and frankly if she was singing it full
> out in her dressing room at you, you might well tell her it was
> perfect even if it wasn't
Well, sure! I totally would. But that's what I'm talking about: those
who were there might afterwards describe it as an awesome performance,
even if...
> Although I don't know. She recorded Donna Anna twice (I think twice,
> no?, certainly with Leinsdorf).
Twice, yes (second with Böhm on DG). But not well, either time. Of
course the first aria is awe-inspiring, but the second one (and the
fast part of the Act II sextet)? We're back to the old "Eh,
considering that she does Elektra, it's surprisingly sort of not-
awful" sorts of pussy-footing. (Same with the florid moments in
Macbeth, Fidelio, Freischütz, and Oberon on other recordings; actually
I remember the Weber operas as closest of all to almost-good-enough in
this respect, but it's been years since I heard them.)
> At her last Met appearance, which I
> guess was the Centennial concert (maybe also she sang there later, I
> am very groggy today) she did a little piece that Christine N had
> done, and there were some downward arpeggios that she really pulled
> off.
I don't recall how this performance went, so I'll believe you on it,
especially if the arpeggios were short 4- or 5-note ones. (She was
always a notably diligent worker on her roles, even after she became
famous for them.) It was the long scales in the Mozart that found out
her weak spots.
JAC
ivanmaxim
>
> - Show quoted text -
I have a fondness for the EMI Freischutz set - conducted by good old
Robert Heger and very strongly cast - Gedda, Nilsson, Berry, Koth -
and Nilsson herself loved the role - it was her debut role - although
a little ungainly its deeply felt, some parts are so powerful even
Samiel might hesitate before going up against her. Wagner Fan