Page 27 - Birgit Nilsson Book

Nilsson triumphed whenever she appeared, and she also became known as one of the most reliable artists, who rarely ever cancelled. Her debut in one of the most notoriously “dif cult” opera houses — La Scala — was as Brünnhilde (Die Walküre) in early 1958; this was followed with another role which suited her vocal and dramatic abilities perfectly and in which she achieved a total triumph in December that year on the opening night of the season (and the rst time the season had opened with a non-Italian in a major role): Turandot. Nilsson had rst performed Turandot in Stockholm in 1957. The role of the icy princess was her greatest achievement in the Italian repertory and one that she performed many times and in all the major opera houses. The role is vocally demanding but it is relatively short and while it terri es many sopranos Nilsson made light of it and her portrayal was in demand everywhere.
Nilsson’s most important studio recordings were made with Georg Solti, beginning with Tristan und Isolde in Vienna in 1960. By this time Solti’s recording of the complete Ring was under way (it had started with Das Rheingold in 1958), and there was no question of any soprano but Nilsson assuming the role of Brünnhilde. Nilsson and Solti also made one of the greatest ever recordings of Salome (she had rst sung the title role in Sweden in 1954) and what is probably the greatest Elektra (with Regina Resnik on truly fantastic form as Elektra’s demented mother Klytemnestra) — it is certainly dif cult to think of another studio recording with the rhythmic drive and sheer vocal security of this Elektra. The recoding is important, too, for presenting the opera complete (in the theatre some small cuts are usually made).
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