Search - Birgit Nilsson :: Live in Stockholm 1970 & 1974

A wonderful recital

g matheson | Boston , USA | 01/19/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Nilsson is in ravishing voice in these two recitals. Her "Four Last Songs" are sung very well, and the size of her voice is appropriate for what the music and style demand. Some of the passages are shaky, with the legato suffering, but overall Nilsson is superb in these songs. The 1974 recital has wonderful moments with Nilsson singing as though she had once been a Lieder singer in a previous life; yet, in my opinion, she never was entirely successful in the Lied style. It does not suit or match her temperament. She may do quite well for some measures and phrases, but the balance of the phrases are approached with "too much Wagner," as it were. Otherwise, the whole event is memorable and exciting. Highly recommeded!"

One of the best "Vier letzte Lieder"

Dag Kyndel | Hölö, Sweden | 08/03/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD contains recordings made at two different times. At first we have Nilsson's only performance of Richard Strauss "Vier letzte Lieder". It is recorded in 1970 live in Stockholm, conducted by Leif Segerstam. It was also televised. Myself and a friend have recently together listened through a whole bunch of LP:s and CD:s - all with "Vier letzte Lieder". We both were of the same opinion: The best recording av of all (and we did listen do both Schwarzkop's versions) was Elisabeth Söderström's, CBE, with Richard Armstrong conducting, 1982, nla, EMI - a CD issue please! The beauty of Söderström's voice is overwhelming, so is the total involvment and the vulnerability behind her singing. But - among the five best we also voted for Nilsson's 1970 version. She sings with a calm serenity that fits these works so well, and you can feel that she really knows the seriousity of the text. Very well done. Five stars for that.

The other performance dates from 1974. It was a special event in Stockholm, Nilsson had not held a whole evening with song performances in Sweden for very many years. And now she did, between to Elektras (!!) at the Royal Opera... I was there (at the evening with songs) with my sister. Nilsson entered dressed in av very beautiful green gown. Geoffrey Parsons accompanied. Our beloved singer gave us 17 songs, all sung with great musicality and even if the intonation somtime wavers, that happens seldom. (That's the reason for my four stars). The applause was overwhelming, and with her armful drowned with flowers she danced all over the podium singing "Wien, du Stadt meiner Träume". I think that we all went home in a happy mood. Nilsson herself later said humbly in a newspaper article that "It was not a complete failure after all".

It wasn't.

God bless her soul.



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