She sang like this at 62 because she PRACTICED DAILY. Remember her recording career at this time was still going full guns. What a gorgeous voice she had, and steady as a rock till the end. Her last commercial Decca recording was from January 1959.
I recall a letter she wrote to Culshaw in 1961-62 telling him that the doctor had told her to stop her singing exercises, and she commented that (paraphrasing) it hurt so much to stop singing when you still have so much voice left (at age 66-67)!
All singers need to continue singing a few times a week - even just vocalises. The elaborate coordination between the body and voice otherwise goes and the singing is no fun and no good!
Two years later she recorded the role of Fricka in Solti's Das Rheingold. Apparently when this very matronly woman arrived for her first session some of the younger members of the Vienna Philharmonic were snickering. But when she sang her first notes they nearly dropped their instruments in astonishment!
If you can get to the end of a very long career sounding as excellent as this then you are truly an outstanding singer. Flagstad had an exceptional voice , a magnificent instrument and the musical sensitivity to use it well.
Thanks. I was at this concert. Nothing has come close in the years since and I have been a regular at Covent Garden for about fifty years now. I stopped going about ten years ago. What you don't hear here is the tremendous energy from the audience. After the I Love You encore the applause was so monstrous and never ending that Sir Malcolm Sargent got fed up and began conducting the next piece. There was also a funny moment later when a gentleman came on stage to play the piano but for some reason Madame Flagstad remained on stage to the side! The poor fellow must have been annoyed because I'd wager many of us were watching Flagstad over him!
Amazing dynamic control in the middle voice at 24:21. Thank you for uploading, the audience reaction is very endearing. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this is the greatest soprano voice on record. ❤
She sang like this at 62 because she PRACTICED DAILY. Remember her recording career at this time was still going full guns. What a gorgeous voice she had, and steady as a rock till the end. Her last commercial Decca recording was from January 1959.
I recall a letter she wrote to Culshaw in 1961-62 telling him that the doctor had told her to stop her singing exercises, and she commented that (paraphrasing) it hurt so much to stop singing when you still have so much voice left (at age 66-67)!
All singers need to continue singing a few times a week - even just vocalises. The elaborate coordination between the body and voice otherwise goes and the singing is no fun and no good!
Two years later she recorded the role of Fricka in Solti's Das Rheingold. Apparently when this very matronly woman arrived for her first session some of the younger members of the Vienna Philharmonic were snickering. But when she sang her first notes they nearly dropped their instruments in astonishment!
stupid fairy tale: no member of the wiener philharmoniker would not have known who she was...
3:33 I get goosebump when the singing begins. What a sound!
If you can get to the end of a very long career sounding as excellent as this then you are truly an outstanding singer. Flagstad had an exceptional voice , a magnificent instrument and the musical sensitivity to use it well.
Thanks. I was at this concert. Nothing has come close in the years since and I have been a regular at Covent Garden for about fifty years now. I stopped going about ten years ago.
What you don't hear here is the tremendous energy from the audience. After the I Love You encore the applause was so monstrous and never ending that Sir Malcolm Sargent got fed up and began conducting the next piece. There was also a funny moment later when a gentleman came on stage to play the piano but for some reason Madame Flagstad remained on stage to the side! The poor fellow must have been annoyed because I'd wager many of us were watching Flagstad over him!
I appreciate your comments very much, thank you for sharing your experiences :)
One of the greatest voices ever
absolutely no doubt about that!
Amazing dynamic control in the middle voice at 24:21.
Thank you for uploading, the audience reaction is very endearing. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say this is the greatest soprano voice on record. ❤
I fell in love with Grieg after I heard her❤
My goodness! The Grieg was absolutely beautiful, such a clear and bell like voice... Thank you for uploading ❤
Thank you for the post! I have heard bits and pieces but never the full thing. Looking forward to it :)
Is that a true rarity?
Not really but for some reason it wasn't on UA-cam before in full and the speech intermissions definitely not..
@dramaticsoprano5168 oh well. The generosity of the old generation of collectors.
One of the great wonders of the world.