"Siegmund! Sie`auf mich" (Todesverkündigung) from Die Walküre by Richard Wagner (1813-1883) Birgit Nilsson (Brünnhilde) John Vickers (Siegmund) London Symphony Orchestra Erich Leinsdorf, conductor London IX.1961
Thanks so much for posting. This was my first opera recording and I subsequently saw these two onstage at the Met in these roles. Both were at the top of their game and both were giants in these roles. Unforgetable! We will never see their equal again.
Vickers.. I saw him in Orange in Othello...what a tenor ....wonderful super wonderful....Nilsson i saw her always in Orange in Brunhilde....two wonderful moments of my life
The epicenter of the Ring, two ideal singers at their respective peaks. (Why didn't I hear them then? Well, I was a kid and hated opera. But I heard them both in my first live Walküre, some years later!)
Brilliant singing . I was 18 and saw them both in SF do Tristan. I recall the force of their vocal power to this day and happily recall it is one of the greatest nights in the opera house.
I think any of us who were fortunate enough to hear them together [I did at the Lyric in Chicago in this opera} know that it was a high point in our operagoing lives.
I heard them both do their one and only Tristan together at the Met more than 50 years ago. No performance I attended of anything before or since comes close.
This really captures the two of them. I saw them in this opera later on in Chicago. It was sheer heaven. We were only denied the complete Ring with the two of them because of the IRS conflict that led to Nilsson not singing in the US for several years.
All thanks to the Met. Vickers was caught in the same mess. Nilsson’s farewell tour at the end of her career was reportedly to settle with the IRS with all proceeds going to them.
This is just sheer heaven! The finest duet in all of Wagner sung by 2 of the finest Wagnerian singers of the 20 th century. I was so privileged to have seen them in live performances albeit not together on stage.
We have the same feelings on this. I was fortunate to hear Vickers and Rysanek in SF in Walküre in 1976. I went to all the performances. Roberta Knie and, I believe, Theo Adam were the Brünnhilde and Wotan they were outstanding, yes. Vickers and Rysanek, the mortal characters, were GODS.
Nilsson sounds much warmer and natural in this recording than in the famous Solti recording. She said in many interviews that she didn't like the Solti recording too much because of all the sound effects.
SymphonyBrahms Her comments appear in both of her books, “La Nilsson” and “My Life in Pictures.” Her remarks also appear in the 1980 Opera News feature article, as well as the recent PBS documentary. She said that she burst out laughing when she heard the orchestral racket of the giant’s entrance in Rheingold, only to hear two ‘pipsqueak’ voices from the giants themselves. Any further questions?
@@wotan10950 I've never liked this recording. It sounds like it was done in an echo chamber. The sound on the Solti recording is much better. The Solti recording is a masterpiece. This recording by the hack conductor Leinsdorf is a master class on how not to conduct.
She gives out not much more than good sound in most of the Leinsdorf recording ( which also suffers from over reverberant sound) she is much more dramatically plugged in five years later for Solti
Just for a bit of fun, I’m sitting here with my Schirmer score. Of course, Wagner is full of tricky rhythms and key changes, so I was curious if various singers observed the written score. As an example, at the (translated) words, ‘Wishmaidens will greet you there; Wotan’s daughter will serve you drink,’ Nilsson, I’m happy to say, observes the dotted eighth notes at the two spots, ‘Wotan’s tochter, reicht dir....’ You’d be surprised how many famous Brunnhilde’s sing those phrases as triplets instead. No names mentioned, but I always assumed they were triplets because that’s how I heard them. Birgit got it spot on!
@@operacat1 Oh please. Stemme cannot come close to Nilsson's artistry. She has a loud voice without much tonal qualities and no emotive sound whatsoever.
@@operacat1 Are you insane. Neither of them come even close to Nilsson and Vickers. Your type of opera listener is why we no longer have real voices. You accept second rate singers without question.
So wonderful to hear this....I never managed to see Vickers as Siegmund, (though I did see him as Tristan, Otello, Canio, Samson, and Peter Grimes!! (I discharged myself from hospital for this). The duet rises to a pitch of almost unbearable intensity at ----- 'umfaengt Siegmund Sieglinde dort?'
Did you find his Grimes worth it. I certainly would have done the same for the Grimes I heard him sing [and act] in Chicago. He created one of the most memorable characters I have ever seen on any stage, operatic or otherwise.
Siegmund! Sie`auf mich, από την όπερα του Wagner, Die Walküre. Στους κεντρικούς ρόλους η Birgit Nilsson ως Brünnhilde και ο John Vickers ως Siegmund. Την Συμφωνική ορχήστρα του Λονδίνου διευθύνει ο Erich Leinsdorf, σε μία ηχογράφηση του 1961. Richard Wagner, Die Walküre.
+Pe Callahan Doesn't sound right. This recording was made in September 1961. By October 1962, Solti could already record Siegfried with Nilsson. Seems he didn't have to wait for 1965 November (not 1966) for her contract to finish or whatsoever in order to record Walkure.
Oh no....Vickers was the best when we were young, and I miss him tremendously. But.....he is no longer with us, and we should be glad that (i) We have Vickers to remember (ii) We have singers of the calibre of Kaufmann today. (Although I doubt if Kaufmann could manage Peter Grimes! Stuart Skelton, on the other hand, can!)
I have never liked the Leinsdorf recording of Die Walkure because it sounds like it was recorded in an echo chamber. I prefer Nilsson on the Solti recording of the Ring and Vickers on the Karajan recording of the Ring. They are both better better recordings.
SymphonyBrahms That’s interesting because Nilsson much preferred the Leinsdorf Walkure and Bohm Ring to the Solti recording. I cited the sources in your comment above. She said Culshaw went way overboard with the orchestra and sound effects. And the voices don’t sound natural on the Decca. I heard Nilsson on stage several times, and her voice was much warmer than on the Culshaw recordings. But if that’s your preference, enjoy!
@@wotan10950 Solti's Ring is a masterpiece of sonic engineering (for its time). Leinsdorf was a better Wagner conductor. it's an issue of transfer from LP to digital that doesn't work well every time.
But Vickers has no top. I'm a tenor, and idolize many great tenors---Wunderlich, Corelli, Schipa, et al. He just doesn't sound like a true tenor, despite other fine qualities.
Are you out of your mind?????? Wunderlich, Corelli and Schipa would have died trying to sing this music. You had better get your ears cleaned out. Wagnerian tenors, or Otellos, are DRAMATIC TENORS!! Are you perhaps a countertenor?
Virginia, my not singing professionally doesn't disprove my opinion. Vickers is a 'short' tenor. His top is thin and effortful. Where are your facts and arguments?
