I believe the two excerpts from the New York Farewell that I uploaded previously are from the first of the two concerts she did. This is the second concert (as stated by McArthur in the closing speech), and thankfully in much better quality. The Liebestod here is her actual final recording of the piece, and somehow I think it is perhaps the greatest of them all.
In a weird way, Flagstad reminds me of MacNeil in his prime. Neither are the most imaginative or exciting interpreters, and their diction and attacks can sometimes come across as lethargic on recordings. But their voices are so rich, and their techniques so secure, that they can just let the sound do all the work. Both must have made such an impact live.
@ER1CwC lol, lethargic is a good word to describe Flagstad's energy sometimes. As for McNeil, he had intonation issues at the end of his career, something that Flagstad didn't have. Some of McNeil's early performances are very exciting though; Ernani, Luisa Miller, Aida. Listen how he tears his heart out with Tebaldi in the Nile scene, I wouldn't use lethargic to describe that.
I greatly appreciate this posting, and your intelligent comments about Flagstad's voice. As much as I admire and appreciate the work of other sopranos, I don't think there was ever anyone like her.
There really was no one like Flagstad. The majestic tone and phrasing. IMO, no other Wagner soprano ever reached her heights, including the well-known names, great as some of them were.
This is not the voice of a woman who should be contemplating retirement. It is more the voice of a soprano at the height of her powers. This was glorious.
I have always had problems with Flagstad's upper register but no one can deny she had one of the most resilient middle voices of all time. No wobbles, no tonality issues at all in that part of the voice- it was a marble wall of sound
I think it depends what you define as upper register. We know she was insecure about her C, but this was a very heavy voice for a soprano... Realistically the upper register for a big dramatic soprano already starts around G/A-flat. This is very evident by the A-flats in Du bist der Lenz and Schmerzen. And even at age 60+ she had no issue with the top B-flats and Bs in the Immolation scene. Nothing insecure about 52:42 and 53:11. Btw at 53:53 she goes sharp on the B and hits a C. Not the most secure sound, but it shows it was still there.
@@dramaticsoprano5168 It's not that Flagstad didn't have the high notes, it's just that they weren't free and easily accessible. They didn't have that natural projection and overtones like Nilsson or Grob-Prandl and at times it sounded like they took extreme effort to be emitted.
@opera revenger So? The epitome of a soprano, at least to me is that they have to have a working C6. These subcategories do not mean as much as people think they do. A 'dramatic' soprano singing Wagner should be able to sing a C6 as freely as a soprano singing Amina in Sonnambula (in fact Flagstad sang Amina in her early career). I don't really believe in putting sopranos in boxes anymore tbh.
@@jmiller05 I have to respectfully disagree with your comments. Your own vague 'C6' definition of soprano is more boxing than subcategories based on biological differences. Nilsson is of much lighter voice than the other two, therefore a poor comparison IMO. Grob-Prandl had a more secure top clearly but I disagree that it was 'effortlessly emitted' or 'natural sounding'. I have listened to all her recordings, and outside Robert le diable, she always pushed in the upper register (within reason) - part of the reason the vibrato was sharp on nearly all her top notes. Let's compare their Immolation B-flats/Bs: Grob-Prandl at 32: ua-cam.com/video/Bs7PyipPwlM/v-deo.html (11:35-13:03) Flagstad at 60: 52:39-53:56 Far from Flagstad's prime but no issue with either, both are massive and rise above and beyond the orchestra (unlike Nilsson who rather lasered through). Age context is also important. Regardless, not sure what overtone differences you are hearing? Grob-Prandl's voice was notorious for being captured without overtones, but that is one disadvantage of huge voices. In honesty, I doubt recordings do any justice to either, and certainly not the the 30s and early 40s recordings where Flagstad still sang the Cs.
I believe the two excerpts from the New York Farewell that I uploaded previously are from the first of the two concerts she did. This is the second concert (as stated by McArthur in the closing speech), and thankfully in much better quality.
The Liebestod here is her actual final recording of the piece, and somehow I think it is perhaps the greatest of them all.
The greatest of them all..At 60 she still has that glorious warmth and size. A wonder of the world..
What an avalanche of sound from a human being. Terrific! And the orchestra sounds great.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is how a genuine dramatic soprano sounds at 60.
In a weird way, Flagstad reminds me of MacNeil in his prime. Neither are the most imaginative or exciting interpreters, and their diction and attacks can sometimes come across as lethargic on recordings. But their voices are so rich, and their techniques so secure, that they can just let the sound do all the work. Both must have made such an impact live.
@ER1CwC lol, lethargic is a good word to describe Flagstad's energy sometimes. As for McNeil, he had intonation issues at the end of his career, something that Flagstad didn't have. Some of McNeil's early performances are very exciting though; Ernani, Luisa Miller, Aida. Listen how he tears his heart out with Tebaldi in the Nile scene, I wouldn't use lethargic to describe that.
Still monumental even past her prime, a great testament to her personal integrity and the mastery of her art. Thanks for posting.
I greatly appreciate this posting, and your intelligent comments about Flagstad's voice. As much as I admire and appreciate the work of other sopranos, I don't think there was ever anyone like her.
OMG what a sound !!!😊😊
There really was no one like Flagstad. The majestic tone and phrasing. IMO, no other Wagner soprano ever reached her heights, including the well-known names, great as some of them were.
Incomparable talent. Amazing
Thank you for uploading!
Great shape of a voice
This is not the voice of a woman who should be contemplating retirement. It is more the voice of a soprano at the height of her powers. This was glorious.
It makes you wonder what she actually sounded like in the 20s and 30s had we recordings of even early stereo quality like this.
In the lieder it's like she is making love to my ears. Beautiful singing!
So apparently the Flagstad videos on this channel are the places where the Callas and Tebaldi fans on UA-cam convene to agree.
not really
I have always had problems with Flagstad's upper register but no one can deny she had one of the most resilient middle voices of all time. No wobbles, no tonality issues at all in that part of the voice- it was a marble wall of sound
I think it depends what you define as upper register. We know she was insecure about her C, but this was a very heavy voice for a soprano... Realistically the upper register for a big dramatic soprano already starts around G/A-flat. This is very evident by the A-flats in Du bist der Lenz and Schmerzen. And even at age 60+ she had no issue with the top B-flats and Bs in the Immolation scene. Nothing insecure about 52:42 and 53:11.
Btw at 53:53 she goes sharp on the B and hits a C. Not the most secure sound, but it shows it was still there.
@@dramaticsoprano5168 It's not that Flagstad didn't have the high notes, it's just that they weren't free and easily accessible. They didn't have that natural projection and overtones like Nilsson or Grob-Prandl and at times it sounded like they took extreme effort to be emitted.
@opera revenger So? The epitome of a soprano, at least to me is that they have to have a working C6. These subcategories do not mean as much as people think they do. A 'dramatic' soprano singing Wagner should be able to sing a C6 as freely as a soprano singing Amina in Sonnambula (in fact Flagstad sang Amina in her early career). I don't really believe in putting sopranos in boxes anymore tbh.
@opera revenger Great.
@@jmiller05 I have to respectfully disagree with your comments. Your own vague 'C6' definition of soprano is more boxing than subcategories based on biological differences.
Nilsson is of much lighter voice than the other two, therefore a poor comparison IMO.
Grob-Prandl had a more secure top clearly but I disagree that it was 'effortlessly emitted' or 'natural sounding'. I have listened to all her recordings, and outside Robert le diable, she always pushed in the upper register (within reason) - part of the reason the vibrato was sharp on nearly all her top notes. Let's compare their Immolation B-flats/Bs:
Grob-Prandl at 32: ua-cam.com/video/Bs7PyipPwlM/v-deo.html (11:35-13:03)
Flagstad at 60: 52:39-53:56
Far from Flagstad's prime but no issue with either, both are massive and rise above and beyond the orchestra (unlike Nilsson who rather lasered through). Age context is also important. Regardless, not sure what overtone differences you are hearing? Grob-Prandl's voice was notorious for being captured without overtones, but that is one disadvantage of huge voices. In honesty, I doubt recordings do any justice to either, and certainly not the the 30s and early 40s recordings where Flagstad still sang the Cs.
Orchestra?
The Symphony of the Air, sorry forgot to include in description.
@@dramaticsoprano5168 Thanks. The continuation of the NBC Orchestra, post Toscanini.