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Dramatic Soprano
Приєднався 22 сер 2015
Late Kirsten Flagstad sings "Hojotoho" for California Recital encore (1954)
Sang as an encore for a California Oil recital given October 7, 1954. This is definitely not her cleanest performance of the war cry in terms of pitch but probably forgivable by this point in her career.
It MAY be that the performance linked below and the the performance in this description are interchanged: ua-cam.com/video/uLzECXHhCYE/v-deo.html. I am not 100% confident either way.
Conductor - Gaetano Merol
San Francisco Philharmonic
October 7, 1954.
Music by Richard Wagner (Die Walkure).
It MAY be that the performance linked below and the the performance in this description are interchanged: ua-cam.com/video/uLzECXHhCYE/v-deo.html. I am not 100% confident either way.
Conductor - Gaetano Merol
San Francisco Philharmonic
October 7, 1954.
Music by Richard Wagner (Die Walkure).
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Відео
Kirsten Flagstad's sensational Met debut as Sieglinde (1935)
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Maybe not as refined an interpretation as in later versions but the sheer voice is already outstanding. Also more chest voice than later Flagstad! This is about as good quality as possible for this tape, and hopefully slightly better than what's currently out commercially. Conductor - Artur Bodanzky Sieglinde - Kirsten Flagstad Siegmund - Paul Althouse February 2nd, 1935. Music from Die Walküre...
Very late Flagstad displays her contralto register down to Gb3 (1959)
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Excerpts of Norwegian folk from one of her final recording sessions. Still present was her huge marble middle voice and quite a reasonable top G and G-sharp towards the end. These excerpts were taken from the album "Kirsten Flagstad: Alto Collection" which you can listen to in full here: ua-cam.com/video/NZoCaaF7Lo4/v-deo.html. Special thanks to the uploader for giving me permission to post the...
Kirsten Flagstad's Norway-sized middle voice in The Atlas
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I think the title speaks for itself... Except from a BBC Third Programme (the predecessor of Radio 3) broadcast dated July 5th, 1948. She performed seven songs in total for the broadcast, self-accompanied(?). I will post the rest when I get around to cleaning them. She interpolates a very low note in one of them! Music: Franz Schubert - Der Atlas
Legendary Sopranos and Their Signature High Notes
Переглядів 3,5 тис.9 місяців тому
A highlight reel of the some of the most renown sopranos hitting some of their best notes. Featured artists and recordings: 0:00 Astrid Varnay - A♭5 1) Salome - 1953 2) Elektra - 1975 3) Die Walküre - 1941 4) Don Carlo - 1951 5) Tristan und Isolde - 1954 1:12 Rosa Ponselle - A5 1) Suor Angelica 'Senza mamma' - 1952 2) Don Giovanni - 1934 3) Aida - 1923 4) La bohème - 1923 5) Cavalleria rustican...
Kirsten Flagstad - Strauss and Immolation (California, 1950)
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I don't believe this has been posted online before so here's another late Flagstad concert from my collection. A rare recital given in San Francisco, Standard Oil. Quite a challenging selection for so late in her career, but handled exceptionally well in my opinion. 0:00 Cäcilie (Strauss) 2:25 Befreit (Strauss) 8:30 Immolation Scene (Wagner) California Recital Conductor - Gaetano Merol San Fran...
5 Great Dramatic Sopranos sing Brünnhilde's betrayal scene (Götterdämmerung)
Переглядів 1,7 тис.11 місяців тому
The "Betrug!" scene is a challenging dramatic scene from Act 2 of Götterdämmerung spanning a range of almost two octaves (C4-B5) and requiring great stamina, carrying power in the middle-high, several atonal leaps, and even an ascending trill. Since it is a longer excerpt, I was unable to fit as many sopranos here as the usual videos. Instead, I went with my personal top five, hopefully at leas...
Kirsten Flagstad's final miraculous "Dich, teure Halle" (1953)
Переглядів 2,5 тис.11 місяців тому
Kirsten Flagstad singing her final greeting as Elisabeth at her 40th anniversary concert in Oslo. In my opinion, her greatest performance of this piece (and perhaps the greatest of all time - the ovation speaks for itself). This would be the final time she would sing any excerpt from Tannhäuser live in concert, or on the operatic stage. There are some later studio recordings of Elisabeth's two ...
Kirsten Flagstad sings a magnificient Liebestod in her final live Isolde (1951)
Переглядів 2,5 тис.Рік тому
The final excerpt I have from Kirsten Flagstad's Tristan run at Covent Garden in the May of 1951. This was her final recorded Isolde on the operatic stage (there is of course the famous studio record of 1952 and several concert excerpts which followed). Isolde - Kirsten Flagstad Conductor - Karl Rankl Music - Richard Wagner Covent Garden May, 1951.
Rosa Ponselle unleashes her cavernous voice in rare radio performance (1936)
Переглядів 3,9 тис.Рік тому
"When I Have Sung My Songs" by Ernest Charles. Broadcast on the The Magic Key of RCA in 1936. Quite an unusually high key for this song but splendidly done.
Birgit Nilsson soaring top notes in her greatest live "Curse Scene" (1974)
Переглядів 3,1 тис.Рік тому
Quite late into her career (aged 55 here), Nilsson still had the incredibly focused top notes we expect from her (and still on pitch in this year) and maybe even a somewhat denser sound than earlier. This is, in my opinion, her greatest performance of this scene. Richard Wagner "Tristan und Isolde". Isolde - Birgit Nilsson Brangaene - Michèle Vilma Conductor - Erich Leinsdorf Metropolitan Opera...
The Biggest Soprano Notes (E5-E6)
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A compilation video of some of the largest and most exciting notes ever hit by sopranos. Somewhat inspired by the popular compilations of coloraturas hitting high notes in the 'stratospheric' range, but more tailored towards the heavyweights. Some disclaimers: - Artists do not appear in any specific order for each note (i.e., they are not ranked). - I included as many artists as possible but it...
[RARE] Kirsten Flagstad premieres Solo Cantata No. 1 for High Voice and Orchestra (1953)
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Previously listed as a recording from Der Freischütz and then Saul og David. Thanks to commenter Doris Heitkemper, the true source of this recording has been identified as an excerpt from Solo Cantata No. 1 for High Voice and Orchestra, Op. 10 by the Norwegian composer Johan Kvandal (1919-1999). The text is taken from the Bible: Psalm 88, 1-4, 7, 11, 13 15 and Isaiah 60, 1-3 in a Norwegian tran...
Kirsten Flagstad sings mezzo-soprano [RARE]
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A molten gold marble middle voice that could rival even a contralto's in richness. It is hard to believe that this is a soprano who has barely arrived at the second passaggio (the highest notes here are only Fs/Gs...) 'Music I Heard With You' by Richard Hageman. September 9th, 1954.
Kirsten Flagstad Bergen Festival - En Drøm / Liebestod / Immolation (1953) [RARE]
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Kirsten Flagstad opening the very first Bergen International Festival (Festspillene i Bergen) with performances of Grieg and Wagner. Conductor - Odd Grüner‑Hegge Oslo Philharmonic Bergen, Norway 12th June, 1953 This is taken from an American broadcast (a Norwegian one also exists but in lower quality). I don't believe either ever been posted online, but let me know if otherwise. 00:00 En Drøm (...
Flagstad cries two D6s only to dip into contralto tessitura
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Flagstad cries two D6s only to dip into contralto tessitura
Eileen Farrell sings an opulent Sieglinde (Die Walküre, 1968)
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Eileen Farrell sings an opulent Sieglinde (Die Walküre, 1968)
Kirsten Flagstad massive high C (Tristan und Isolde, 1951)
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Kirsten Flagstad massive high C (Tristan und Isolde, 1951)
Kirsten Flagstad & Constance Shacklock sing "Dein Werk? O tör'ge Magd!" (1951)
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Kirsten Flagstad & Constance Shacklock sing "Dein Werk? O tör'ge Magd!" (1951)
Kirsten Flagstad blasts a deafening curse in her final Isolde (1951)
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Kirsten Flagstad blasts a deafening curse in her final Isolde (1951)
Kirsten Flagstad gives a final heroic battle cry (1953)
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Kirsten Flagstad gives a final heroic battle cry (1953)
Kirsten Flagstad supersonic B-flats in rare bootleg "Ah! perfido" (1953)
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Kirsten Flagstad supersonic B-flats in rare bootleg "Ah! perfido" (1953)
Gertrude Grob-Prandl's bloodthirsty battle cry (Die Walküre, 1951)
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Gertrude Grob-Prandl's bloodthirsty battle cry (Die Walküre, 1951)
Kirsten Flagstad New York Farewell Full Concert (1955)
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Kirsten Flagstad New York Farewell Full Concert (1955)
Kirsten Flagstad's heroic Sieglinde vs Marjorie Lawrence's Brünnhilde
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Kirsten Flagstad's heroic Sieglinde vs Marjorie Lawrence's Brünnhilde
Early Astrid Varnay's "Was bluten muss?" (Elektra, 1952)
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Early Astrid Varnay's "Was bluten muss?" (Elektra, 1952)
15 Dramatic Sopranos attempt the "Abscheulicher!" climax (B3-B5)
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15 Dramatic Sopranos attempt the "Abscheulicher!" climax (B3-B5)
Birgit Nilsson unleashes her upper register as Kundry (Parsifal Act 2 finale, 1973)
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Birgit Nilsson unleashes her upper register as Kundry (Parsifal Act 2 finale, 1973)
Wagner would probably have preferred Frida Leider's more tasteful but also more dramatically effective way with this scene. Leinsdorf could be so dull at this point in his career, but he does wake up for the 2nd half of this. Nilsson is not in peak vocal shape but I agree, artistically, this may well be her most involved (put it that way) performance. The thing is that Leider as soprano and Blech as conductor overshadow all other attempts at this scene, still, nearly 100 years after their recording -- was it 1929?
@@billtroop4236 I admire Leider very much, but from a vocal emission standpoint, I don’t think she was in the caliber of Flagstad and Nilsson. My hunch is that the unfamiliar yet learned listener would be underwhelmed if he/she heard her with either of the other two back-to-back in the house. I’m speaking hypothetically, of course.
It's a fair point but I disagree. Let's start with Flagstad/Nilsson. Nobody I know (or rather, knew!) who heard Flagstad live considered Nilsson to be exceptional. Now if you listen to this recording and go straight to Leider's Narrative, Leider sounds a stronger singer. To be fair, Leider was in her vocal prime in 1928, and Nilsson is strained here in 1975 and it's not her greatest vocal night, even if it may be one of her greatest interpretative nights. But Leider always had much more technique and variety of sound than Nilsson ever did (Leider's trill, Leider's coloratura, etc. etc. ). And Nilsson for all her artistry and fabulous sound, never gave as satisfying a total performance as Leider and I say that while acknowledging that Nilsson had great psychological gifts and studied her roles with utmost seriousness. That said, I am glad I heard her as often as I did, especially in Elektra and Turandot, less so in Wagner. It's more difficult when you compare Flagstad to Leider. Flagstad was not an actress and was not a psychologist and not a particularly good musician. Again and again she disappoints in the great Wagner roles. BUT, there is that overwhelming sound that drove everyone mad with joy. The sheer visceral pleasure of hearing her live, which recordings do suggest . . . . . one cannot take that away from her. (I would particularly praise the 1936 Tristan under Reiner in the VAI transfer most particularly.) The Tristan Duet shows in the first half that Leider simply does not have the horsepower of Flagstad, though that could be microphone placement, as she is much better in the 2nd half. There is also an unpublished alternate. The only person I knew who heard a lot of Frida Leider live was Friedelind Wagner. Yet I don't think she was that impressed. She told me that at the memorial service for Leider, they played the Liebestod recording, and everyone said the same thing: my goodness, she really WAS great. - - and I thought, but did not say, but the Liebestod is one of her weakest recordings. It is the Narrative and Curse that shows her at her absolute best. . . . .
you missed Raina Kabaivanska, looks like she could have placed high here (after you know who) ua-cam.com/video/bVBL8XaBEO0/v-deo.html
The best: Callas, the most playful: Bumbry, the worst: Pirozzi and Rysanek.
Simply amazing each time I hear here again..never live but became an opera lover because of her and others with superb techniques and a recognizable voice!
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Flagstad is my favorite! Her gigantic voice is at the highest tier. Farrell's G#5 at 3:37 was explosive! 🤍
1:47 arguably Flagstad's best high C ever
It is great, but I can find some much easier/cleaner Cs in my collection. Unfortunately, I don't have the time at the moment to clean and upload them. I can maybe send an excerpt to you if you want
I uploaded a short excerpt which came to mind which shows just how free and accessible and smooth her top was, especially when singing lighter rep: ua-cam.com/video/vswzQuCsLCk/v-deo.html
@@dramaticsoprano5168 yes, you can send me her best high C's? where? in g mail?
@@dramaticsoprano5168 she sounds amazing and she kinda reminded me of Nilsson here. Which opera is this? also indeed she has stunning highs and effortless top during these years in the 1930s. She actually has easier and better high notes than Tebaldi despite being a lower voice than her as she was a dramatic soprano and Tebaldi was a higher-set voice - spinto. And this is because Tebaldi thickened her voice too much and brought all the weight up without lightening and thinning enough. Flagstad and Nilsson both thinned out on the top which allowed them to have very easy and effortless high notes in their prime. But after hearing this clip, I think that Astrid Varnay was probably more of a dramatic soprano than Flagstad (both were true dramatic sopranos) but Varnay might be the most dramatic I have ever heard and probably the biggest soprano voice ever and it seemed like it was lower-set than Flagstad's. Also based on Flagstad's early repertoire. And Varnay also became a mezzo later while Flagstad always remained a soprano. Traubel was always a mezzo in my opinion, who probably just loved the wagnerian dramatic soprano roles and wanted to sing them despite not having the proper range and tessitura which forced her to transpose down in some cases.
@@judygarland7186 The excerpt was from the Flying Dutchman. I would be careful comparing the mono recordings of the 30s to the mostly stereo recording of the 50s. Although Varnay's lower register does attest to her being being a lower voice than Flagstad, though a difficult comparison as Flagstad sang lighter, similarly to Nilsson, and even moreso on the bottom. I agree Varnay aged into a darker voice/mezzo much faster but one could argue this was related to vocal damage and smoking. I don't agree Traubel was a mezzo. Her natural timbre was brighter than both Varnay's and Flagstad's. I think she was almost a dramatic soprano version of Tebaldi, but more extreme as she did not learn to efficiently lighten her top register above A-flat.
Callas is the only one who sings all the notes.
La admiro... La voz de una diosa
Just as I heard her in the theater, Goerke has some very eccentric ideas about pitch.
As to me, the greatests are Birgit Nilsson, Gwyneth Jones & Linda Watson... not necessarily in that order !!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤
1:59 is a high A not B-flat
@@tsquare076 Yes, corrected.
@@dramaticsoprano5168 thanks. I hope you post more videos.
@@tsquare076 Yes, I will get around to it. I am a little busy with things at the moment, so sorry for the long delay! Do you prefer compilation/comparison videos or highlighted performances like this upload?
@@dramaticsoprano5168 anything format really! 👍 I personally would want to see more dramatic/wagnerian soprano contents. Maybe more excerpts with score? Like the Varnay and Flagstad duet you did. But that's just me. There's something about the raw power of wagnerians sopranos that really fascinates me. But you should post whatever you feel like, it's your channel after all.
This is what it’s all about after all,!!!
It’s nice to see some of the lesser celebrated singers Elena Souliotis and Gertrude Grob-Prandl. Also, I had no idea that Grace Bumbry (pictured as Amneris) sang Turandot. Astonishing! This clip is clearly a scholarly effort in my opinion and de feast for the years!
Interesting to see the great Rosa Ponselle in “ Carmen” this was near the end of her career and she chose the role because it didn’t have as many demanding high notes as she was struggling to hit them at this point in her career. I think she started singing when she was 21? And she’s in late 30s here. At any rate, her appearances in Carmen were financials successes, but the critics were not kind to her. And with her top register no longer secure, and the met not willing to help her along with an appropriate repertory she inadvertently retired from the opera stage couple of years later. Also, she just got married. I think that helped.
That’s a little confusing, in May 1951 we only have the performance conducted by Clemens Krauss, so I believe this recording is under the Krauss’ baton.
I will check my notes and get back to you but I'm fairly certain this was Rankl.
@@Rongze Checked my notes and you were correct!, this was Krauss! I'll correct the description.
I don't think I've ever heard such awful recorded sound quality.
Why doesn't anyone ever say anything about her masterful handling of the texts and the subtlety of her interpretations? She was not just a great voice, but a great artist! Singing these things for a "hometown" audience certainly brings a shine to the voice, more than usual.
Such a pity EMI did not record Walkure or Gotterdammerung with Flagstad and Furtwangler in 1953!
please do a norma high d comparison video!
Erna schlüter is pretty intense. 😊
Flagstad… OMG
Can you post compilations of Dramatic Sopranos who aren't Wagnerian Sopranos? Thank youu
From all this examples, the only one who is in control of the written music is Callas.
1) Only scandinavian soprans should be allowed to be a Valkyrie. 2) It’s not alone about strength; some voices are plain ugly.
Frida was nice. Unfortunately the earlier records were recorded during era with technology that only picked up 60-70% of total sound. Even modern opera singers who've recorded with old bell phone technology sound like old singers, i.e. phonic, register changes, etc are very noticeable with old recordings, no matter how well blended. I liked Lillian Nordica, sounded like it was recorded around 1900-1915?
If you mean the first recording in the video, it is from 1906. As for the one linked in the video description, I'm not certain.
Tebaldi in Traviata or Trovatore... Really???
The wall of sound especially from 1:20 is onwards is just glorious. Where is the A5 from? What a thrilling sound with the orchestra going full blast underneath her.
It is from "Dein werk? O tor'ge Magd" from Act 2 of Tristan und Isolde. I believe the 1952 recording here, but my favorite is the 1951 Covent Garden version which is even more dramatic! Bodanzky 1937 is also another great one.
@@dramaticsoprano5168 Oh yes! It's fun hearing the evolution of her voice. The later ones lack the slightly lyric quality present in the earlier ones, yet the voice became a wall of granite. Both thrilling.
Some great singing here, thank you! Ingrid Bjoner also did a very respectable job with this treacherous aria. I recommend that recording of the complete Oberon. And Varnay. She was unique. So musical.
Absolutely beautiful!! However, let's not forget Callas was in fact a coloratura soprano, strictly speaking, not a dramatic one, as her tessitura demonstrates. No dramatic soprano can reach a real E like that. And likewise, Callas did not have the same intensity and clarity on the notes below low C, in contrast to the actual dramatic sopranos.
Interesting. I’m a dramatic coloratura, but the color has only richened as I’ve turned 28. I still maintain my high notes. Unfortunately, I doubt I will ever go back into the opera world as I found it quite unwelcoming my first year of school and switched to musical theater. I wonder what someone like Audra Macdonald is classified as
No one thought about it before ? This is the way how to disperse a troubling crowd, more efficient than the police siren 😄 !
Every dramatic soprano has the syrupy "thick" quality in their chest voice. It's amazing. The real bloom on the voice doesn't happen until around E, but my goodness, she had a titanic voice. Gorgeous.
You forgot Rosa Ponselle!
Connell already have cancer at that time.
This was the role Callas walked out on because her short career of about 6 years without the wabble
The voices of course are stunning. What I find marvelous is Stiedry's conducting. The tempo he is using is quite a bit faster than most other conductors to my ears and this enhances the very powerful dramatic emotions of the duet interaction. Perhaps it was the fact that the singers could handle tempo.
Who is the Klingsor?
Norman Bailey
Wer auch immer das hier hoch geladen hat, für mich, is des Was Danke Schuberrt und Schuh Psychos u Syphilis Kranker, daran verreckt; Schuh Bert!
Everyone stating that Callas had the best is because her conductor knew how to set her up for success in the leading run. Go back and listen. None of the other conductors knew how to set their soprano up for success and perhaps they did not care. Viva Callas!
0:06 this is the most unique about Rosa Ponselle
Note perfect! It's done a bit slower than before. But its glorious❤
I don't think Maria Callas belongs in quite the same vocal category as the other singers presented here. Certainly she did sing some of the heaviest soprano roles including some Wagner ones and i.e. Turandot, Medea, Gioconda, but they pushed her voice to its limits, taxed it. She was a very particular voice, a large voice of great range and flexibility and of course a very dramatic singing personality, but not a natural dramatic soprano like the others here. A few other historically famous mid-20th century singers -- real natural dramatic sopranos -- such as Ponselle, Gina Cigna, and Milanov were well-included in your Part 2 of this series. A few others I would mention -- Helen Traubel, Inge Borkh, Marta Moedl, Germaine Lubin.
I think Callas was a dramatic coloratura, which is lighter than spinto and similar to big lyric in terms of weight. Medea was perfect for her (high tessitura with lots of opportunity to show off the chest), but I would agree with you that Gioconda was a stretch. She basically admitted it when she said in the Edward Downes Met interview that it just falls within the bounds of decent singing. I think she took a quasi-lieder approach to her Wagner roles which is fascinating, but I do wonder if she could have pulled it off in a house that was larger than the Fenice. She did feel less compelled to push in Wagner than in verismo and Puccini though, so in a way Wagner oddly probably didn't hurt her.
L'estensione della Tebaldi...bella e piena...
meno di alcuni mezzo,Stignami Simionato,un tempo
@@saverioorlando cercherò di sopravvivere...
@@davideferrari5702 certo,la Tebaldi l'ho ammirata in Otello e Tosca alla Scala,era grandissima e poi-poco evidenziata-un'' intonazione naturalmente felice,una dizione meravigliosa,un timbro unico al mondo A parte questo,qui manca la Caballè....
La CALLAS es la OPERA señores míos dúelale a quién le duela!!!!!!!!!!!! NADIE jamás siquiera se puede medianamente comparar en este o cualquier otra OPERA ya que CALLAS es la "Egea sentada en su trono" viendo si alguna otra mortal por lo menos aprenden un poquito de élla. CALLAS l'UNICA SOPRANO ASSOLUTA NESSUNA NESSUNA NESSUNA NESSUNA COME LEI. Hé DICHO!!!!!!!!
Nilsson!
Lord Have Mercy !!! Superhuman 😊
3:30 vissi darte?
ASTRID VARNAY ....... SUPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ASTRID VARNAY....... SUPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
National voice of norway what a beautiful voice thank you for sharing it ❤