Legendary Historical Singers

[Tsaraslondon]

That's all fair, though I think the "comfortable shoes" comment is Birgit Nilsson's (it certainly made the rounds on her passing). For me, not to disparage Leider, Varnay (who never gets her due), or Nilsson - and certainly to disparage the current crop of Wagnerian sopranos, Flagstad had a power and nobility of tone that really makes up for her occasional vocal fussiness and her somewhat more than occasional reserve. Though, we should consider Helen Traubel and (oddly enough) Eileen Farrell in this, too.

I stand corrected. The comfortable shoes comment was Nilsson. The comment on Lotte Lehmann is illustrative, however.

[Anne]

Personally I'd place Leider above Flagstad. Flagstad's singing is undeniably secure and solid, but, for me, too much of her own personality comes through: the pragmatic, down to earth and somewhat prosaic side of her character. This is the Flagstad who said that the most important factor for a successful performance of Isolde was "comfortable shoes", and who was shocked at Lotte Lehmann's acting as Sieglinde, commenting that Lehmann behaved on stage with the tenor in a way that a woman should only behave with her husband. Leider sings with far greater freedom and abandon. Towards the end of her career, the top of the voice became a little wayward, but then so did Flagstad's (Schwarzkopf famously providing the top Cs in the Furtwaengler recording of Tristan und Isolde). Leider also had a genuine trill in her armoury, and, yes, Wagner does ask for one, when Brunnhilde makes her first entrance in Die Walkure[/

On the subject of great Wagner singers of the past, this is a tremendous set.



A major discovery for me was Marjorie Lawrence, an Australian mezzo (or more properly falcon), who  made her name in France. She was struck down with polio at the age of 32, but nevertheless continued to sing such roles as Venus in Tannhauser lying down and Amneris lying down. She sang both Brangane and Isolde, Ortrud and Brunnhilde, and Salome.

There is a movie about Marjorie Lawrence that is rather decent, at least IMO.  I remember at end of the movie that Lawrence is shown on an opera stage singing some opera (I think it was Wagner but forgot which opera).  I am sure Iago will know the title of the movie and the name of the opera if someone wants to ask him.

[Lady Chatterley]

Bidu Sayou,a great Brazillian soprano.Gorgeous voice.

[yashin]

Bidu Sayou - i second that one.  What a lovely voice she had.  I have a version of her and a very young Richard Tucker in La Boheme-it is terrific.

What about Antonio Cortis-the Spanish tenor.  Another great voice from the past.  His Nessum Dorma is very highly regarded.

And i do enjoy Tagliavini.  I bought cds with him in L'arlesiana and La Boheme.  In both he is beautiful-especially in L'Arlesiana.

[Que]

Bidu Sayou,a great Brazillian soprano.Gorgeous voice.

Bidu Sayou - i second that one.  What a lovely voice she had.  I have a version of her and a very young Richard Tucker in La Boheme-it is terrific.

Thirded! Bidú Sayão had beautiful voice and a strong personality.
Two of my favourite issues with her - that Villa Lobos is absolutely devastating!
(Wasn't she a gorgeous looking woman?)

Some info on her career.


                    Samples                                                                    Samples

Q

[George]

(Wasn't she a gorgeous looking woman?)

Indeed, I was thinking that just before I read your post! 

[Drasko]

Bidú Sayão had beautiful voice and a strong personality.

.........that Villa Lobos is absolutely devastating!

Portion of it can be heard here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYjnBELqqLA

[Iago]

There is a movie about Marjorie Lawrence that is rather decent.  I am sure Iago will know the title of the movie and the name of the opera if someone wants to ask him.

The name of the film was "Interrupted Melody". It starred Eleanor Parker as Marjorie Lawrence and Glenn Ford as her husband. I believe that Ms. Parkers singing voice was actually that of Eileen Farrell. And if memory serves me correctly the last segment of opera depicted in that film was either the Liebestod from T and I, or Brunnhildes Immolation from Gotterdammerung.
And although not credited as such, the musical performances (orchestral accompaniment) were provided by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Vladimir Golschmann. Unusually good, for Hollywood.

[Tsaraslondon]

The name of the film was "Interrupted Melody". It starred Eleanor Parker as Marjorie Lawrence and Glenn Ford as her husband. I believe that Ms. Parkers singing voice was actually that of Eileen Farrell. And if memory serves me correctly the last segment of opera depicted in that film was either the Liebestod from T and I, or Brunnhildes Immolation from Gotterdammerung.
And although not credited as such, the musical performances (orchestral accompaniment) were provided by the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Vladimir Golschmann. Unusually good, for Hollywood.

Thanks for that. I'll have to look out for it.

[Anne]

Thanks, Iago

[marvinbrown]

I'd agree completely with that statement, if you changed "Isolde" to "Wagnerian soprano." Heck, I'd probably agree with, "Kirsten Flagstad is the greatest of them all." When Wilhelm Furtwängler premiered Strauss' Vier letzte Lieder (Flagstad singing) in 1950, the second half of the program had Wagner excerpts (that's not entirely fair, the program began with Wagner) including the final scenes of Tristan und Isolde (the "Liebestod," though that's not what Wagner called it) and Götterdämmerung. Having Flagstad in some of what could be called the greatest soprano material of all time, the Strauss Lieder and the Wagner scenes, with Furtwängler conducting the Philharmonia. That's as good as it gets. Testament just released the concert (22 May 1950) as it stands: it's missing a Meistersinger overture and the Siegfried-Idyll. The sound isn't great, but when you have performances like these, you could record it on a wax cylinder.

  WOW I did not know that Flagstad was so popular...I rarely hear her name on the opera boards.  I am so glad that others find her fascinating.  Regarding that historical recording of Flagstad in Tristan und Isolde, I discovered that recording by accident and it blew me away.  I also understand and I think Tsaraslondon would help me out here that Callas sang the role of Isolde a long time ago (legendary recording)?  Is this true? 

  marvin
 

[Tsaraslondon]

  WOW I did not know that Flagstad was so popular...I rarely hear her name on the opera boards.  I am so glad that others find her fascinating.  Regarding that historical recording of Flagstad in Tristan und Isolde, I discovered that recording by accident and it blew me away.  I also understand and I think Tsaraslondon would help me out here that Callas sang the role of Isolde a long time ago (legendary recording)?  Is this true? 

  marvin
 

Callas sang Isolde, Brunnhilde and Kundry in her youth, and she recorded the Liebstod (in Italian) for Cetra in 1949. It is a lovely, warm and feminine performance. She returned to the music once in 1957, when she programmed the Liebstod into a concert in Athens, which was also recorded. We are also fortunate that there exists a complete performance of Parsifal with her as Kundry, though again in Italian. This recording is much more than a curiosity. Though the tenor is pretty forgettable, there are notable contributions from Boris Christoff as Gurnemanz, Rolando Panerai as Amfortas and from the conductor, Vittorio Gui. This must be the only performance of the opera, featuring two famous Lucias. Lina Pagliughi was also in the cast as one of the Flower Maidens.

Mention of Brunnhilde reminds me that it was while Callas was singing the role in Die Walkure, that she made a sensation by deputising for an ailing Margareta Carosio in Bellini's I Puritani. All she knew of the part was the Mad Scene, but she learned the opera in between performances of Die Walkure, and went on to have a enormous triumph as Elvira a couple of nights after the Wagner opera. Thus was history made.

[knight66]

Another modified vote for Flagstad. Like some others, I find her a bit cool temperamentally, but she offers so very much that is basically missing from most of the singers presently attempting this repertoire now.

Mike

[marvinbrown]

Callas sang Isolde, Brunnhilde and Kundry in her youth, and she recorded the Liebstod (in Italian) for Cetra in 1949. It is a lovely, warm and feminine performance. She returned to the music once in 1957, when she programmed the Liebstod into a concert in Athens, which was also recorded. We are also fortunate that there exists a complete performance of Parsifal with her as Kundry, though again in Italian. This recording is much more than a curiosity. Though the tenor is pretty forgettable, there are also notable contributions from Boris Christoff as Gurnemanz, Rolando Panerai as Amfortas and from the conductor, Vittorio Gui. This must be the only performance of the opera, featuring two famous Lucias. Lina Pagliughi was also in the cast as one of the Flower Maidens.

  After I read your post I was intrigued and went looking for this recording.  I found the following old recording of Callas's Liebstod from Athens in 1957 (does that count as a legendary recording?  I am hoping yes and that the judges would rule in my favor  )  though I did not know that she sang it in Italian.  Then again Wagner never had a problem with his operas being translated...I can't wait to hear this.  The Kundry role in Parsifal is news to me...I'll have to check this out too.

Mention of Brunnhilde reminds me that it was while Callas was singing the role in Die Walkure, that she made a sensation by deputising for an ailing Margareta Carosio in Bellini's I Puritani. All she knew of the part was the Mad Scene, but she learned the opera in between performances of Die Walkure, and went on to have a enormous triumph as Elvira a couple of nights after the Wagner opera. Thus was history made.

  Yes Callas was special that way...so versatile and talented. If I am not mistaken she once responded when asked about her rivalry with Renata Tibaldi (another legendary singer) by saying that when Tebaldi can sing a Wagnarian role (she refered to Die Walkure) and an Italian opera aria role then maybe then you can compare her to me.....another famous quote she had relating to her rivalry with Tebaldi went something along the lines that comparing Tebaldi to Callas is like comparing  Coca Cola to Champagne....that one always puts a smile on my face.  (BY the way I love Renata Tebaldi too) 

  marvin

[Tsaraslondon]

  Yes Callas was special that way...so versatile and talented. If I am not mistaken she once responded when asked about her rivalry with Renata Tibaldi (another legendary singer) by saying that when Tebaldi can sing a Wagnarian role (she refered to Die Walkure) and an Italian opera aria role then maybe then you can compare her to me.....another famous quote she had relating to her rivalry with Tebaldi went something along the lines that comparing Tebaldi to Callas is like comparing  Coca Cola to Champagne....that one always puts a smile on my face.  (BY the way I love Renata Tebaldi too) 

  marvin

Marvin, I wouldn't want to disparage Tebaldi, who was also a great singer, and who, incidentally, sang at least two Wagner roles in her early career - Elsa and Eva. Wikipedia tell the Coca-Cola story differently, thus:

The culmination of this rivalry came in an article in Time magazine where Callas was quoted as saying that comparing herself to Tebaldi was like comparing champagne with Coca-Cola. However, witnesses to the interview stated that Callas only said "champagne with cognac" after which a bystander quippped, "No, with Coca-Cola", but the Time reporter attributed the comment to Callas.

Of course they were both very different singers and should never really have been compared, though Tebaldi commented in later life that the attendant publicity did neither of them any harm.

[PSmith08]

  WOW I did not know that Flagstad was so popular...I rarely hear her name on the opera boards.  I am so glad that others find her fascinating.  Regarding that historical recording of Flagstad in Tristan und Isolde, I discovered that recording by accident and it blew me away.  I also understand and I think Tsaraslondon would help me out here that Callas sang the role of Isolde a long time ago (legendary recording)?  Is this true? 

  marvin
 

Flagstad's apparent relative obscurity is news to me. As far as I ever knew, the debate over Wagnerian sopranos of that stripe (i.e., grand and noble voices, though not to everyone's liking) came down to Flagstad and Nilsson, with Varnay sort of floating around the edges. I tend to prefer Flagstad to Nilsson, but I also like to take a broad view of the classic Wagner singer range.

Most of the modern singers, with some big exceptions, would have made serviceable understudies to the greats of the past. Not much more, though.

[marvinbrown]

Marvin, I wouldn't want to disparage Tebaldi, who was also a great singer, and who, incidentally, sang at least two Wagner roles in her early career - Elsa and Eva. Wikipedia tell the Coca-Cola story differently, thus:

The culmination of this rivalry came in an article in Time magazine where Callas was quoted as saying that comparing herself to Tebaldi was like comparing champagne with Coca-Cola. However, witnesses to the interview stated that Callas only said "champagne with cognac" after which a bystander quippped, "No, with Coca-Cola", but the Time reporter attributed the comment to Callas.

Of course they were both very different singers and should never really have been compared, though Tebaldi commented in later life that the attendant publicity did neither of them any harm.

  Oh I stand corrected then- these rumours get out of hand don't they.  I am surprised to hear that Tebaldi sang (Elsa) from Lohengrin and Eva from Meistersinger.  Here I go again with another rumour but wasn't it Tebaldi that said later on in her career that she only preferred to sing in Italian as French was too "nasally" and German was too rough or coarse or "throaty"?

  marvin

[marvinbrown]

Flagstad's apparent relative obscurity is news to me. As far as I ever knew, the debate over Wagnerian sopranos of that stripe (i.e., grand and noble voices, though not to everyone's liking) came down to Flagstad and Nilsson, with Varnay sort of floating around the edges. I tend to prefer Flagstad to Nilsson, but I also like to take a broad view of the classic Wagner singer range.

Most of the modern singers, with some big exceptions, would have made serviceable understudies to the greats of the past. Not much more, though.

  Somehow I would like to think that these great legendary singers cast a hidden or latent (what word works best here I do not know?) shadow over the modern singers.  I would like to think that Callas, Flagstad, Tebaldi and Nilsson are names that will continue to echo through time......setting the standard to which modern singers are measured.

  marvin   

[Tsaraslondon]

  Oh I stand corrected then- these rumours get out of hand don't they.  I am surprised to hear that Tebaldi sang (Elsa) from Lohengrin and Eva from Meistersinger.  Here I go again with another rumour but wasn't it Tebaldi that said later on in her career that she only preferred to sing in Italian as French was too "nasally" and German was too rough or coarse or "throaty"?

  marvin

I don't know whether that is true or not, but Tebaldi, like Callas, would have sung her Wagner roles in Italian anyway.

[marvinbrown]

I don't know whether that is true or not, but Tebaldi, like Callas, would have sung her Wagner roles in Italian anyway.

  Good point....I completely missed that  .

  marvin