Kirsten Flagstad

Kirsten Målfrid Flagstad (July 12, 1895 – December 7, 1962) was a Norwegian opera singer. She is considered one of the greatest Wagnerian (dramatic) sopranos of the 20th century. A restrained and expressive stage performer, she was admired for her voice's sheer tonal beauty and consistency of line and tone. Image File history File links Kirsten Flagstad (12 July 1895 – 7 December 1962), Norwegian opera singer Source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Kirsten Flagstad (12 July 1895 – 7 December 1962), Norwegian opera singer Source: http://www. ... July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 172 days remaining. ... 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... The Teatro alla Scala in Milan. ... Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 – February 13, 1883) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his operas (or music dramas as he later came to call them). ... This article is about singers. ...

Early life and career

Flagstad was born at Hamar in a musical family; her father was conductor Michael Flagstad and her mother pianist Marie Flagstad Johnsrud. She received her early musical training in Oslo and made her stage debut at the National Theatre in Oslo as Nuri in Eugen d'Albert's Tiefland in 1913. County Hedmark District Hedemarken Municipality NO-0403 Administrative centre Hamar Mayor (2004) Einar Busterud (By- og bygdelista - The City and Rural areas Party) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 257 351 km² 338 km² 0. ... County Oslo NO-03 District Viken Municipality NO-0301 Administrative centre Oslo Mayor (2004) Per Ditlev-Simonsen (H) Official language form Neutral Area  - Total  - Land  - Percentage Ranked 224 454 km² 426 km² 0. ... Eugen Francis Charles dAlbert (April 10, 1864 – March 3, 1932) was a pianist and composer of Scottish birth who lived primarily in Germany. ... Tiefland, (Lowlands). ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

After further study in Stockholm, she began a career in opera and operetta in Norway. She was engaged at the newly opened Opera Comique in Oslo, under the direction of Alexander Varnay and Benno Singer. Varnay was the father of the famous soprano Astri Varnay. She learned how to perform and learn quikly. She did sing Desdemona, Minnie, Amelia and other smller parts at the opera Comique. She was engaged in the city theater of Göteborg, Sweden from 1928 to 1932. Falgstad made her debute singing Agathe in Freischüts. In 1930 there was a revival of Carl Nilsens Saul and David in which Flagstad sang the soprano part.   (IPA: ; UN/LOCODE: SE STO) is the capital of Sweden, and consequently the site of its Government and Parliament as well as the residence of the Swedish head of state, King Carl XVI Gustaf. ... Gothenburg (Swedish: Göteborg  listen? ) is a city and a municipality on the western coast of Sweden, in the County of Västra Götaland. ... 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ...

After singing operetta and lyric roles such as Marguerite in Faust for over a decade, Flagstad was convinced to take on heavier operatic roles such as Tosca and Aida. At the time she was almost 40, and was already considering retirement. In 1932, she took on the role of Isolde and appeared to have found her true voice. Ellen Gulbranson (1863-1946), a Norwegian soprano at Bayreuth, convinced Winifred Wagner to audition Flagstad for Bayreuth. Flagstad was hired for minor roles the first year, and then for the role of Sieglinde in Die Walküre. Winifred Wagner, born Winifred Williams (June 23, 1897 - March 5, 1980) was born in Hastings, England. ... Bayreuth Festspielhaus, as seen in 1882 The annual Bayreuth Festival in Bayreuth, Germany is devoted principally (but not exclusively) to performances of operas by the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner. ... Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) is the second of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner. ...

Illustrious career at the Metropolitan and elsewhere

Her Metropolitan Opera début as Sieglinde, broadcast nationwide on February 2, 1935, created a sensation. Four days later, Flagstad sang Isolde, and later that month, she performed Brünnhilde in Die Walküre and Götterdämmerung for the first time. Later that season, Flagstad sang Elsa in Lohengrin, Elisabeth in Tannhäuser, and her first Kundry in Parsifal. Almost overnight, she had established herself as the pre-eminent Wagnerian soprano of the era. Fidelio (1936 and later) was her only non-Wagnerian role at the Met before the war. It has been said that she saved the Metropolitan Opera from looming bankruptcy. In 1936, she performed all three Brünnhildes in the San Francisco Opera's Ring cycle. In 1937, she first appeared at the Chicago Opera. The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, seen from Lincoln Center Plaza A full house at the old Metropolitan Opera House, seen from the rear of the stage, at the Metropolitan Opera House for a concert by pianist Józef Hofmann, November 28, 1937. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) is the second of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner. ...   (Twilight of the Gods – see Notes) is the last of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner. ... Fidelio (Op. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... San Francisco Opera (SFO) is the second largest opera company in North America. ... Valkyrie Warrior Maiden by artist Arthur Rackham (1912) Der Ring des Nibelungen, commonly translated into English as The Ring of the Nibelung or The Nibelungs Ring, is a series of four epic music dramas based loosely on figures and elements of Germanic paganism, particularly from the Icelanders sagas and... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In 1936 and 1937, Flagstad performed the roles of Isolde, Brünnhilde and Senta at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden under Sir Thomas Beecham, Fritz Reiner and Wilhelm Furtwängler, arousing as much enthusiasm there as in New York. The Floral Hall of the Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House is a performing arts venue in London. ... Covent Garden is a district in central London and within the easterly bounds of the City of Westminster. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... Portrait by Emil Orlik, 1928 Wilhelm Furtwängler (January 25, 1886 – November 30, 1954) was a German conductor and composer. ...

Her rendition of Brünnhilde's Battle Cry from Wagner's Die Walküre was captured on-screen in a segment of the anthology musical The Big Broadcast of 1938. Die Walküre (The Valkyrie) is the second of the four operas that comprise Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung), by Richard Wagner. ... The Big Broadcast of 1938 was the last in a series of movies that were variety anthologies--vaudeville on film, in a sense. ...

However, her career at the Met was not without its ups-and-downs. Flagstad got involved in a long-running feud with costar Lauritz Melchior after Melchior took offense to some comments Kirsten made about "stupid publicity photos" that Flagstad felt Melchior pressured her into doing. Flagstad also feuded with Edward Johnson after Arthur Bodansky's death, when she wanted to be conducted by her accompanist, Edwin MacArthur, rather than Erich Leinsdorf. When she left the Met during the early 1940s she had patched up her differences with both Melchior and Johnson. Melchior and Johnson, however, did little to help Flagstad when she was attacked after World War II. Lauritz Lebrecht Hommel Melchior -often misspelled Melchoir- (March 20, 1890 – March 18, 1973) was a Danish, later American opera singer. ... Edward Johnson may refer to: Edward Johnson (general) (1816–1873), American Civil War Edward H. Johnson (born 1846?), inventor, electric Christmas tree lights Edward Johnson (soccer) (born 1984), American Edward Mead Johnson (1852–1934), co-founder of Johnson and Johnson Edward Johnson (finance) Edward Johnson (mayor), former mayor of Baltimore... Erich Leinsdorf (February 4, 1912 - September 11, 1993) was a conductor. ...

World War II and post-war difficulties

In 1941, with the outbreak of World War II, Flagstad returned to Norway to be with her husband and remained there throughout the war. She did not sing in Norway or any German occupied country during the war. Instead, she made a point of singing in Sweden and Switzerland. Her husband was arrested for war profiteering after the war because he had sold supplies to the Germans. He was already seriously ill and died shortly thereafter, whereupon his estate was impounded by the state. Although her own wartime record was free from controversy, Flagstad's return to Norway during the war and a certain political naiveté on her part created ill-feeling towards her, particularly in the United States where the Norwegian ambassador waged a relentless personal campaign against her. The columnist Walter Winchell also ran an ugly campaign against her; Melchior and Edward Johnson both refused to come to her aid. At a concert in Philadelphia, audience members threw stink-bombs at her. For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States France Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan Hungary and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Charles de Gaulle Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Regent Miklos Horthy. ... Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972), an American newspaper and radio commentator, invented the gossip column at the New York Evening Graphic. ...

Later career

During four consecutive Covent Garden seasons, from 1948 to 1952, Flagstad repeated all her regular Wagnerian roles, including Kundry and Sieglinde. It was also during this time that she gave the world premiere of Richard Strauss's Vier letzte Lieder under the baton of Wilhelm Furtwängler at the Royal Albert Hall. This legendary performance of May 22, 1950, was captured on tape and is commercially available today, although the sound is unfortunately quite poor. She toured South America in 1948 and returned to San Francisco in 1949 but was not invited back to the Met until Rudolph Bing became manager. In the 1950-1951 season, although she was well into her 50s, Flagstad showed herself still in remarkable form as Isolde, Brünnhilde and Fidelio. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Richard Strauss Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864 – September 8, 1949) was a German composer of the late Romantic era, particularly noted for his tone poems and operas. ... The Four Last Songs (German: Vier letzte Lieder) for soprano and orchestra were the final works of Richard Strauss, composed in 1948 when the composer was 84. ... Portrait by Emil Orlik, 1928 Wilhelm Furtwängler (January 25, 1886 – November 30, 1954) was a German conductor and composer. ... Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences is an arts venue dedicated to Queen Victorias husband and consort, Prince Albert. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Sir Rudolph Bing Sir Rudolph Bing (January 9, 1902 – September 2, 1997) was an Austrian-born operatic impresario. ...

She gave her farewell performance at the Met on April 1, 1952 as the title role in Glück's Alceste. Her final operatic performances were as Purcell’s Dido at the Mermaid Theatre in London in 1953, a portrayal that was recorded and issued by EMI. April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Gluck, detail of a portrait by Joseph Duplessis, dated 1775 (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna) Christoph Willibald (von) Gluck (July 2, 1714 – November 15, 1787) was a German composer. ... Alceste is an opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck. ... Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (IPA: [1]; September 10 (?) [2], 1659–November 21, 1695), a Baroque composer, is generally considered to be one of Englands greatest composers—indeed, he has often been called Englands finest native composer. ... The EMI Group is a music company comprising the major record label, EMI Music, based in Brook Green in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based on Charing Cross Road, London. ...

After her retirement from the stage, she continued to give concert performances and record. From 1958 to 1960, Flagstad was the general manager of the Norwegian National Opera. Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... The Norwegian National Opera (Norwegian: Den Norske Opera) is the first fully professional company for opera and ballet in Norway. ...

Kirsten Flagstad on the Norwegian 100 kroner bill

Of her many recordings, the complete Tristan und Isolde with Furtwängler is considered the finest representation of her interpretive art in its maturity. Her pre-war recordings, however, are said to showcase her voice in its freshest brilliance and clarity. Throughout her career she recorded numerous songs, by Grieg and others, and these are evidence of a voice that maintained its stable beauty during her many years in the limelight. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1528x713, 182 KB) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1528x713, 182 KB) Licensing File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Flagstad died in Oslo at the age of 67. Her portrait appears on the Norwegian 100 kroner bill. ISO 4217 Code NOK User(s) Norway Inflation rate 2. ...

The Kirsten Flagstad Museum in Hamar, Norway, contains a private collection of opera artifacts thought to be the largest in the world. Her costumes draw special attention, and include several examples on loan from the Metropolitan Opera Archives.

Representative Recordings

A comprehensive survey of Flagstad's recordings was released in several volumes on the Simax label, which seems to be mostly unavailable or out of print in the US.

Her pre-war recordings include important studio recordings of Wagner arias, Beethoven arias, and Grieg songs, as well as duets from Lohengrin, Parsifal, and Tristan und Isolde with Lauritz Melchior. These have been (and probably still are) available on RCA/BMG CDs, as well as on good transfers from Preiser and Romophone.

Many Metropolitan Opera broadcasts survive and have circulated among collectors and more recently on CD. These include:

• Die Walküre, Act I and fragments from Act II from her 1935 début broadcast.
• Tristan und Isolde, performances from 1935, 1937, and 1940 all readily available.
• Tannhäuser: 1936, with Melchior and Tibbett, and 1941 (the latter having an official release on Metropolitan Opera LPs).
• Siegfried: 1937, Lauritz Melchior and Friedrich Schorr (available on Naxos and Guild labels).
• Lohengrin: 1937, with Rene Maison
• Die Walküre: 1940, various labels.

After World War II, many important studio recordings followed including:

• Wagner Scenes including the final duet from Siegfried (Testament CDs, licensed from EMI)
• Götterdämmerung: Final Scene with Furtwängler - EMI
• Norwegian Songs: EMI

Perhaps her most famous operatic recording is the 1951 Tristan with Furtwängler, which has never been out of print. It is available from EMI and Naxos, among others.

After about 1955, she moved to Decca where in the autumn of her career further important studio recordings followed:

• Several albums of Grieg, Sibelius, Brahms, etc., with orchestra and piano
• Wagner arias with Knappertsbusch (stereo)
• Acts I and III of Die Walküre (as Sieglinde and Brünnhilde respectively) as well as the Brünnhilde/Siegmund duet from Act II (these conducted variously by Knappertsbusch and Solti, as a sort of preparation for Decca's complete Ring project).
• And her great valedictory as Fricka in the Decca Rheingold of 1958.

Bibliography

• The Last Prima Donnas, by Lanfranco Rasponi, Alfred A Knopf, 1982. ISBN 0-394-52153-8

External links

• Kirsten Flagstad Museum website
• Flagstad singing "Im Treibhaus"
• Flagstad on film in "The Big Broadcast" (1938)