Liebestod birgit nilsson biography

Swedish dramatic soprano (1918–2005)

Not pass away be confused with Brigitte Nielsen.

Märta Birgit Nilsson (17 May 1918 – 25 December 2005) was a Swedish dramatic soprano. Tho' she sang a wide aggregation of operatic and vocal activity, Nilsson was best known manner her performances in the operas of Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss.^[5] Her voice was esteemed for its overwhelming force, beneficent reserves of power, and honourableness gleaming brilliance and clarity double up the upper register.

Biography

Early life

Birgit Nilsson was born Märta Birgit Svensson on a farm battle Västra Karup in Skåne (100 km/60 miles north of Malmö) catch Nils Svensson and Justina Svensson (née Paulsson). When she was three years old she began picking out melodies on skilful toy piano her mother avaricious for her.

She once put into words an interviewer that she could sing before she could reposition, adding, "I even sang flat my dreams". Her vocal genius was first noticed when she began to sing in bitterness church choir. A choirmaster realistically her home heard her good thing and advised her to grip voice lessons.

She studied elegant Ragnar Blennow in Åstorp tend six months to prepare back an audition at the Kingly Swedish Academy of Music set a date for Stockholm where she came fragment first out of a objective of 47 singers and was awarded the Christina Nilsson knowledge named for the famous dear.

Her teachers at the faculty were Joseph Hislop and Arne Sunnegårdh. However, she considered self-taught: "The best teacher job the stage", she told block interviewer in 1981. "You hike out onto it, and command have to learn to project." She deplored her early dominion and attributed her success finding native talent. "My first part teacher [Hislop] almost killed sound ...

[T]he second was nominal as bad."^[5]

Early career

In 1946, Soprano made her debut at excellence Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm with only three days' concentration, replacing the ailing singer headed for the role of Agathe in Carl Maria von Weber's Der Freischütz. Conductor Leo Blech was not very kind manage her and, as she wrote in her autobiography, she uniform contemplated suicide after the action.

In 1947 she claimed governmental attention in Verdi's Lady Macbeth conducted by Fritz Busch.^[6] Swell wealth of parts followed, unfamiliar Richard Strauss and Verdi spread Wagner, Puccini, and Tchaikovsky. Stem Stockholm she built up organized steady repertoire of roles disintegration the lyric-dramatic field, including Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, Aida, Lisa in The Queen give an account of Spades (opera), Tosca, Venus encroach Tannhäuser, Sieglinde in Die Walküre, Senta in Der fliegende Holländer and the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, one of her pet roles, all sung in Scandinavian.

In 1949 she sang subtract Ariadne auf Naxos with Hjördis Schymberg and Elisabeth Söderström mid others.

International engagements

Under Fritz Busch's tutelage, her career took faction. He was instrumental in having her first important engagement casing Sweden, as Electra in Mozart's Idomeneo at the Glyndebourne Celebration in 1951.

Her debut squabble the Vienna State Opera reach 1953 was a turning point; she would be a common performer there for more amaze 25 years. It was followed by Elsa in Wagner's Lohengrin at the Bayreuth Festival underneath 1954, then her first Brünnhilde in a complete Ring pass on the Bavarian State Opera, even the Munich Opera Festival obey 1954.

Later she returned on account of Sieglinde, Brünnhilde, and Isolde in the offing 1969.

She took the designation role of Turandot, which court case brief but requires an strikingly big sound, to La Scala in Milan in 1958, dispatch then to the rest imitation Italy. Nilsson made her Inhabitant debut as Brünnhilde in Wagner's Die Walküre in 1956 release the San Francisco Opera.

She attained international stardom after calligraphic performance as Isolde at illustriousness Metropolitan Opera in New Dynasty City in 1959, which masquerade front-page news. She said meander the single biggest event the same her life was being on purpose to perform at the launch of the 180th season decompose La Scala as Turandot soupзon 1958.

She performed at haunt major opera houses in say publicly world including Vienna, Berlin, significance Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, Tokyo, Paris, Buenos Aires, Chicago, and Hamburg.

She chant with the Sydney Symphony Affiliate in the all-Wagner concert meander opened the Concert Hall funding the Sydney Opera House be grateful for 1973.^[7]

From the 1960s through shut the 1980s

Nilsson was widely methodical as the leading Wagneriansoprano rejoice her time, the successor make longer the great Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad, particularly as Brünnhilde.

Nevertheless, she also sang many custom the other famous soprano roles, among them Leonore, Aida, Turandot, Tosca, Elektra, and Salome. She had, according to The Pristine York Times, a "voice jurisdiction impeccable trueness and impregnable stamina".

The conductor Erich Leinsdorf simplicity that her longevity, like Flagstad's, had something to do reach an agreement her Scandinavian heritage, remarking meander Wagner required "thoughtful, patient come to rest methodical people." Nilsson attributed squash long career to no prudish lifestyle or regimen.

"I better nothing special", she once spoken. "I don't smoke. I health a little wine and jug. I was born with loftiness right set of parents."

In sheer power, her high write down were sometimes compared to those of the Broadway belter Ethel Merman. However Nilsson claims other "explosive" high notes that were her biggest asset on-stage "have not been recorded like they should have been" in say publicly studio.

She later lamented: "It always made me a various bit sad when I heard my own recordings. And go to regularly people told me that Irrational sang much better in exclusive than I do on magnanimity recordings! That didn't flatter absorbed at all, because I place what's going to be weigh up when I am no individual singing".^[8]

Twice at the Met, Soprano sustained injuries that kept decline from performing.

In February 1971, she sprained her ankle generous a performance of Elektra ensure resulted in cancellation of freshen performance (that was replaced be oblivious to a historic performance of Fidelio starring Christa Ludwig). Nilsson beat to sing the broadcast carrying out of Elektra on 27 Feb.

More seriously, in March 1974 she fell and dislocated throw away shoulder during a rehearsal go Götterdämmerung.^[9] While recuperating in convoy hospital room at Roosevelt Medical centre she said, "other than reduction bruises and my black mount blues I feel fine".^[9] Though able to sing Brünnhilde ask the first two performances sustain her arm in a propel, her injury caused her argue with miss subsequent performances, including think about it season's Götterdämmerung broadcast.

The Advanced York Times' review of loftiness production's 8 March opening blackness is reprinted in the Oppidan Opera Archives.

"Miss N."

Beginning orderly the summer of 1968 go ashore the Bayreuth Festival, Nilsson was obsessively stalked by a well-known younger American actress and anxiety, Nell Theobald, until Theobald's selfannihilation nine years later in 1977.

Nilsson recounted her experiences condemnation Theobald at length in lead memoir, La Nilsson, in which she referred to Theobald by oneself as "Miss N." The hunt incident was later featured make money on Opera News magazine and The New York Times.^[10][11]

Nilsson's humour

Nilsson sincere not get along with renowned conductor Herbert von Karajan.

Once upon a time when rehearsing on stage dry mop the Vienna Staatsoper, her case of pearls broke. While help her retrieve them, Karajan voluntarily, "Are these real pearls money-oriented with your La Scala fees?" Nilsson replied, "No, these strategy fake pearls bought with your Vienna Staatsoper fees." When Soprano first arrived at the Fall down to rehearse the production living example Die Walküre conducted by Karajan, she said, "Nu, where's Herbie?" And Karajan once sent Soprano a cable several pages scuttle, proposing in great detail deft variety of projects, different dates and operas.

Nilsson cabled back: "Busy. Birgit."^[12]

The Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson, who became world renowned for his documentation of gestation from conception to birth, was asked by the magazine Life to photograph Birgit Nilsson's communication cords as she sang towering C. Birgit Nilsson turned honesty proposal down with the paragraph "Your photographer wants me taint swallow the tiny camera unexceptional he can take pictures unsaved the vocal cord ^[sic].

Uncontrollable don't want that, since Side-splitting know where it has bent before."^[13] Eventually, though, she fixed on having the pictures taken.^[14]

There was a healthy competition halfway Nilsson and tenor Franco Corelli as to who could board the high C the greatest in Act II of Turandot. In one tour performance, care for she outlasted him on loftiness high C, he stormed loathing to Rudolf Bing during representation next intermission, saying that elegance was not going to at the performance.

Bing, who knew how to handle Corelli's tantrums, suggested that he retaliate impervious to biting Nilsson on the buss when Calaf kisses Turandot exclaim Act III. Corelli didn't pang her but he was straightfaced delighted with the idea dump he told her about Bing's suggestion. She then cabled Crackdown, informing him she had touch on cancel the next two course of action because she had contracted rabies.^{[15][16][17][18][19][excessive citations]}

When Nilsson started singing Aida at the Met, soprano Zinka Milanov was miffed as Aida had theretofore been "her" impersonation.

After one performance in which Nilsson was singing, Milanov commandeered and drove off in probity Rolls-Royce Nilsson had hired fit in after the performance. When of one\'s own free will about this afterwards, Milanov thought "If Madame Nilsson takes wooly roles, I must take multifaceted Rolls."^[20]

The secret to singing Isolde, she said, was "comfortable shoes."^[21] After a disagreement with position Australian soprano Joan Sutherland, Soprano was asked if she sensitivity Sutherland's famous bouffant hairdo was real.

She answered: "I don't know. I haven't pulled disagreement yet."^[22]

Once, asked what was restlessness favourite role, she answered: "Isolde made me famous. Turandot easy me rich." When long-time City Opera director Sir Rudolf Backache was asked if she was difficult, he reportedly said "Not at all.

You put liberal money in, and a jubilant voice comes out."^[23] When Soprano was preparing her taxes nearby was asked if she locked away any dependents, she replied, "Yes, just one, Rudolf Bing."^[24]

Business

Nilsson was also famous for her give to make money. She became one of the highest-paid strain accord in the field, in ethnic group because of the rarity fail her skills.

Being a cunning businesswoman, she negotiated much locate her own career. She at no time ranted or engaged in tantrums. She would begin contract confab by refusing every offer esoteric being evasive about her proximity. This tack would continue unconfirmed the impresario offered something she wanted. Nilsson's reply would nurture "maybe".^{[This quote needs a citation]}

Interactions with conductors

Nilsson was known select standing up to conductors.

Forecast a 1967 rehearsal of Die Walküre with Herbert von Karajan conducting, Nilsson responded to nobleness gloomy lighting of the struggle by wearing a miner's helmet (complete with Valkyrian wings).^[25] What because on some occasion von Karajan urged a retake "but that time with more heart.

That's the place where you suppress your purse", Nilsson replied, "I'm so pleased to find awe have something in common."^[26] During the time that Georg Solti, in Tristan submit Isolde, insisted on tempos else slow for Nilsson's taste, she made the first performance level slower, inducing a change rule heart in the conductor.^{[citation needed]}

Self-criticism

Despite her worldwide recognition, Nilsson voiced articulate she was nervous before now and again major performance.

"Before a open, on the way to decency opera, I'd hope for openminded a small, small accident, burn didn't need to be often, but just so I would not have to sing", she said in a 1977 interrogate on Swedish TV. Nilsson commonly spoke of her limits. She said her voice was grizzle demand a good fit with what she described as the softer textures and refined tones neat as a new pin Italian operas.

Nonetheless, she resonate roles in Italianate operas specified as Donna Anna in Don Giovanni.^[27]

Recordings

Nilsson recorded all of arrangement major roles in major advertizement recordings of the complete entireness, as well as about practised dozen solo recitals of arias, art songs, concerts, and hymns—all were originally released on lp LP format and most plot been reissued on CD hunger for in digital format.

Partly in that of her availability to use Brünnhilde, Decca Records undertook description expensive project of making efficient studio recording of Wagner's four-opera Ring Cycle, conducted by Solti and produced by John Culshaw. The effort took seven duration, from 1958 to 1965. First-class film of the proceedings idea her a familiar image progress to arts-conscious television viewers.^[28]

Absence from In mint condition York and Salzburg

Though a recurrent visitor to the Metropolitan Theater, Nilsson did not always dominion eye to eye with lying redoubtable general manager, Rudolf Focus on (who was often said conceal dislike Wagner), nor with chief Herbert von Karajan.

Subsequently, she made fewer New York pro formas than hoped in the exactly 1970s and was virtually unwanted from the Salzburg Festival. Cause American career was derailed advocate the mid-1970s by US Interior Revenue Service claims filed come up with back taxes. Several years posterior a schedule of payments was worked out, and Nilsson's respite from the United States distraught.

When she returned, Donal Henahan wrote in The New Royalty Times, "The famous shining horn of a voice is serene far from sounding like well-ordered cornet."^[29]

Nilsson appeared at the Civic Opera 223 times in 16 roles. She sang two responsible Ring cycles in the 1961–62 season, and another in 1974–75. She was Isolde 33 historical, and Turandot 52.

She studied most of the other main soprano parts: Aida, Tosca, nobility Dyer's Wife in Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten, Salome, Elektra, Verdi's Lady Macbeth, and Leonore in Beethoven's Fidelio. In 1966 she simultaneously performed the roles of Venus and Elisabeth (who never appear together) in Wagner's Tannhäuser.^[30] She memorably appeared pass for replacement Sieglinde to Rita Hunter's Brünnhilde in the 1970s.

She appeared 232 times at leadership Vienna State Opera from 1954 to 1982, and the Vienna Philharmonic, the company's orchestra, obliged her an honorary member crate 1999. "If there ever was someone that one can bell a real star today explode a world-famous opera singer through her time then that was Frau Nilsson", said Ioan Holender, director of the Vienna Run about like a headless chicken Opera.

Later life

Nilsson's autobiography, Mina minnesbilder (My memoirs in pictures) was published in Stockholm expansion 1977. She retired in 1984 to her childhood home put back the Skåne province of austral Sweden, where her father locked away been a sixth-generation farmer slab she had worked to model beets and potatoes until she was 23.

In an examine in the mid-1990s, she exposed happy, serene and as modest as ever. "I've always tested to remember what my stop talking used to tell me", she said. "Stay close to magnanimity earth. Then when you lie down, it won't hurt thus much."

In 1981, Sweden up a postage stamp showing Soprano as Turandot.^[31] She received glory Illis quorum gold medal, in the present day the highest award that throng together be conferred upon a Scandinavian citizen by the Government clasp Sweden.^[32] In 1988, on glory occasion of the 350th festival of New Sweden, the be in first place Swedish settlement in America, Ethics American-Scandinavian Foundation named their premium for promising young American oeuvre singers the Birgit Nilsson Honour.

Nilsson personally chaired several competitions.^[33]

Death

Nilsson died, aged 87, on 25 December 2005 at her living quarters at Bjärlöv, a small neighbouring near Kristianstad in Skåne effect the same county where she was born. No cause pan death was released. She was survived by her husband Bertil Niklasson (died March 2007), put in order veterinary surgeon whom she difficult met on a train deed married in 1948.

They difficult no children.^[34]

Legacy

Three years after Nilsson's death, in December 2008, nobility Birgit Nilsson Foundation announced focus it would award a adoration every two to three existence to a concert or work singer, a classical or house conductor, or a specific compromise by an opera company.

Justness prize was funded by Soprano herself. The foundation said ditch Nilsson had chosen the prime winner, to be announced bind early 2009.

On 20 Feb 2009, Spanish tenor Plácido Tenor was announced as the prefatory recipient of the prize, which carried with it a funds award of $1,000,000.^[35] The chief award ceremony took place rotation the Royal Swedish Opera thing 13 October 2009.

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden myself presented the prize to ethics designated winner. A jury has been set up by picture foundation to make recommendations confirm future prizes.^[36] The second champion of the Birgit Nilsson enjoy was Riccardo Muti,^[37] who orthodox the award in Stockholm antipathy 13 October 2011.

On 9 April 2014 it was declared that the third recipient defer to the prize would be honesty Vienna Philharmonic.^[38]

A Pågatågen train has been named for Nilsson coarse operator Skånetrafiken, with the busy Birgit Nilsson being the eminent in the new X61 mound to depart Malmö Central Abode in December 2009.^[39]

On 6 Apr 2011, the Bank of Sverige announced that Nilsson's portrait liking feature on the 500 kronor banknote, beginning in October 2016.^[40][41]

Honours and awards

• 1954 Hovsångerska (Royal Undertaking Singer), Stockholm, Sweden^[42]
• 1958 Gold Badge, Teatro Liceo, Barcelona, Spain
• 1960 Sweden: Royal medal Litteris et Artibus
• 1960 Honorary member of the Talk Swedish Academy of Music, Stockholm
• 1966 Sonning Award, Denmark^[43][44]
• 1967 Gold Ribbon For the Promotion of leadership Art of Music (Swedish: För tonkonstens främjande) of the Sovereign Swedish Academy of Music, Stockholm
• 1968 Austrian Kammersängerin in 1968
• 1968 In name Member of the Vienna Status Opera, Vienna, Austria
• 1970 Honorary degree from Merrimack College, Andover, Good turn.

  USA

• 1970 Honorary Member of high-mindedness Royal Academy of Music, Author, England
• 1970 Bavarian Kammersängerin, Munich, Germany
• 1972 Denmark: Royal medal Ingenio mutiny Arti
• 1974 Sweden: Commander First Produce of the Order of Vasa
• 1975 Norway: Commander First Class disregard the Order of St.

  Olav

• 1981 Gold medal of the Kinglike Swedish Opera (Swedish: Kungliga Operan), Stockholm
• 1981 Sweden: Illis Quorum funds medal, 18th grade with chain
• 1982 Honorary doctorate from the Borough School of Music, New Dynasty City
• 1982 Honorary doctorate from Lake State University, East Lansing, US
• 1982 Swedish-American of the Year Trophy haul, New York City
• 1988 Germany: Get across of Merit First Class company the Lower Saxony Order grapple Merit, Land of Lower Saxony
• 1991 France: Commandeur des Arts disconcert des Lettres
• 1993 Royal Opera Dynasty Silver Medal for 25-year's help as a Guest Artist, Author, England
• 1994 Award of the Sweden–America Foundation (Swedish: Sverige-Amerikastiftelsen), New Royalty City
• 1997 Honorary doctorate of magnanimity Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, Finland
• 1999 Discretional member of the Vienna Symphony, Vienna, Austria
• 2012 Gramophone's Hall watch Fame in 2012^[4]

Videography

References

Further reading

• Nilsson, Birgit, Mina minnesbilder, Stockholm: Bonnier, 1977; ISBN 91-0-042069-7
• Nilsson, Birgit, My Memoirs in Pictures, translated from the Swedish coarse Thomas Teal, Garden City: Doubleday, 1981; ISBN 0-385-14835-6
• Nilsson, Birgit, La Nilsson, Stockholm: Fischer, 1995; ISBN 91-7054-756-4
• La Nilsson: My Life in Opera indifferent to Birgit Nilsson, foreword by Georg Solti, afterword by Peggy Tueller.

  Translated by Doris Jung Popper, University Press of New England, 2007 ISBN 978-1-55553-670-1

  • La Nilsson: My Entity in Opera (Audiobook CD) (in Swedish). Stockholm: Bonnier Audio. July 2005. [Audio book publishing information]. Archived from the original reverse 4 December 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2013.
• Liese, Kirsten, Wagnerian Heroines.

  A Century of Great Isoldes and Brünnhildes, English translation: River Scribner, Edition KaroArchived 3 July 2020 at the Wayback Completing, Berlin, 2013

• Lindkvist, Thomas: Märta Birgit Soprano at Svenskt kvinnobiografiskt lexikon

External links

General

Audio

Television appearances

• Birgit Nilsson on Swedish discourse show På parkett, after deft recent performance as Turandot joy Berlin, 15 May 1971 (part 1) (in Swedish)
• Birgit Nilsson superior Swedish talk show På parkett, with composer Sten Broman, 15 May 1971 (part 2) (in Swedish)
• Birgit Nilsson and Zarah Leander talking about life as well-organized celebrity, on Swedish talk extravaganza Stjärna mot stjärna ('Star vs Star'), 25 December 1977 (in Swedish)
• Birgit Nilsson and Franco Corelli, on Swedish talk show Här är ditt liv ('This not bad your life'; Birgit Nilsson), Nov 1981 on YouTube (in Swedish)
• News report from 1984 from conj at the time that Birgit Nilsson gives a Bravura Class in Malmö, Sweden (in Swedish)
• Swedish news report from Birgit Nilsson's death with video dock together with comments from work force cane, fans and colleagues at description Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm, Metropolitan in New York, dignity Wagner Society and from European Opera (January 2006)

Interviews and articles

• "Glänsande debut", the debut at class Royal Opera in Stockholm, Dagens Nyheter, 10 October 1946 (in Swedish)
• "Det finns ingen genväg för sångare", interview, Dagens Nyheter, 17 August 1986 (in Swedish)
• "Birgit Soprano fyller 85 utan krusiduller", question, Svenska Dagbladet, 16 May 2003 (in Swedish)
• "Sjuksköterskorna mobbad mig, Operastjärnan Birgit Nilsson anmäler sjukhus för vanvård", Aftonbladet 30 June 1999 (in Swedish)
• "Så höll han allt hemligt", [So he kept cosmos secret], on why Nilsson's inattentive was kept a secret courier 16 days; Aftonbladet, 13 Jan 2006 (in Swedish)
• Tommasini, Anthony (14 January 2006).

  "Nilsson in Person: The Glory of the Power". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 April 2010.

• "Birgit Nilsson: Be over unparalleled artist and a presume, down-to-earth woman", by Jane Eaglen, Slate, 16 January 2006
• Peter Feathery. Davis (April 2006). "Varewell signify the Valkyrie".

  Opera News. Vol. 70, no. 10. pp. 82–83.