The final scene of Salome with Birgit Nilsson. Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting the Orchestra Sinfonica di Roma della Radiotelevisione Italiana in Rome. The date is unknown.
John Fitzpatrick If Solti had been more human, then we could have listen on youtube the Verdi opera Un ballo in mascera with La Nilsson and Jussi Björling. Some people says that partly it broke Jussi’s heart, when Solti cancelled the whole projekt, depending on that Solti eanted that Jussi should change his part so much. And Jussi had performed the King’s part so nany times. Beside that: Mrs Nilsson’s Salomè is just better than the best. Love it!
I saw the great soprano as Salome in 1964 at the Metropolitan. she certainly had the vocal power to soar above the 125 piece orchestra. She was electrifying and at the height of her vocal power. I can never forget that performance.
There were three or four performances of Salome that season. William Dooley as Jochanaan. Boem conducted. She did the Dance of the Seven Veils full out; big body moves. I remember being awed by the way she finished the dance and reached for a golden goblet; took a swig of whatever was in the goblet and then launched full out into the final aria. Dooley said of her: "She has a voice like a diamond. It could cut through steel."
When I was in high school in New York, late '50s or early '60s, I had the privilege of seeing Mme. Nilsson in Walküre at the old Met. At the time I couldn't afford a regular ticket but stood in line for "student rush" or something like that, and wound up in literally the worst seat in the house, up in the last row of the highest balcony, way over in the last seat in the row. And that voice, like a big, thick laser beam . . . it was as if she were standing next to me, singing into my ear. I'll never forget it. One of the great opera-going experiences of my life.
Had the privilege of seeing her in this role at the Teatro Colon (Buenos Aires) in 1965: a never-to-be-forgotten experience! She was paired with Eberhard Waechter (Jochanaan), Fritz Uhl (Heroes) and Grace Hoffman (Herodias). Georges Sebastian conducted.
Every note profound.a thoughtfully psychologically informed performance.. Every note from soloist and orchestra perfectly measured. Truly a profound performance.
Brava! How she can sing this demanding scene is unbelievable. She has enough volume as TWO of today's Dramatic sopranos (Jesse Norman excluded). This is Must watch! The Solome final scene on RU-vid has better picture but it is only partial. This one is complete. Sutherland, Callas, Tebaldi, Corelli, Nilsson, Moffo, Price, Sills, Horne, Norman, Pavarotti, Domingo makes up the greatest Golden Age of the last 60 years!!! And we are sooo lucky to have so many footage of them :)
I never saw Nilsson in the full role of Salome, but I did see her in this scene at the time of her Met Comeback! She also sang the Immolation Scene. Easy-Peasy, for the great Birgit anyway. Not to split hairs, but hers is not the loudest voice I ever heard (that would be Eva Marton and Gwyneth Jones), but she had a seemingly effortless way of focusing her voice, making it like a laser beam that you could hear in Central Park! In fact, Nilsson once called Beverly Sills to say she was disappointed that Sills couldn’t come to her performance. Beverly replied, “I will just open my apartment window and I’ll be able to hear you!”
It looks like around 1970 to me. Vocally she was the perfect Salome. She even nailed that excursion down to the F below C after all that singing in the head register.
C'est la version aggrandie de la scène. Très impressionnant mais Herode ne doit pas en mener large ! Ljuba Wellitsch est insurpassée dans le rôle : vierge et perverse.
Earthshattering Nilsson as Salome! never heard it better than this, though I also love Varnay but Nilsson is truly a masterclass of great flawless execution. Great collaboration with Sawallisch for a truly magical experience.
Everything Birgit Nilsson does is entirely dramatic and entirely musical, and -- seemingly effortless. I saw her do Strauss' Elektra @ La Scala with Sawallisch conducting, and she was astonishing. She even did her own Elektra dance.
It's worth noting that normally the orchestra wall of sound is muffled (somewhat) in the opera pit, but her she has to sing with them on the same level - but it makes no difference to that astonishing instrument she posessed. She could still pin people to the back wall of the auditorium!
Since the orchestra is behind her, it gives her a vocal advantage. The chances of the orchestra overpowering her are greatly reduced by placing them a behind the singer.
Hers was a naturally God given fully dramatic voice. Not manufactured. With that said, that would mean nothing if she had not been the intelligent sensitive artist she was who knew her instrument inside out.
She was my singer goddess. Unfortunately, I saw her only once as Salome, more often than Tosca, Turandot, Leonore (Fidelio) and many times as Elektra and Färberin (Dyer) in "Die Frau ohne Schatten" (The Woman without Shadow). I will never forget "my" Birgit.
I wonder how does W. Sawallisch, just one meter far from her, to resist to those vibrations without being dislocated, desintegrated, transformed in puzzle !
Many thanks Mr. Lazar for this wonderful video. I had seen her in person in the late '70' and early '80' and she indeed has more than enough power to compete with and complement Strauss' wonderful wall of sound. But what a lovely note at 11:01.
Just nobody like her in this s aria!!sorry. Von. Karajan!!you were wrong about her,about her trumpet sound. yes!!you need a trumpet sounds for this morstrous aria!!and not the sound of a 15 years old girl!! The right sound for this aria is. Nilsson!!!!!!
Nice. She didn't look the part whatsoever, but her voice and acting is untouchable. I love her recording of Salome with Solti and the Vienna Philharmonic---glorious.
What does "looking the part" mean? Were you around 2000 years ago to know what the "real" Salomé looked like? I bet she didn't ask for his head in German either. Opera has nothing to do with reality, it creates its own reality. Which she sure does here.
Have you ever heard Ljuba Weilitsch sing “Salome”? She had it ALL! No wobbling notes, no harsh belting, but powerful, beautiful singing with a young girlish sound.
