{"id":4715,"date":"2024-07-12T09:34:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-12T07:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/?p=4715"},"modified":"2025-07-12T12:11:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T10:11:18","slug":"lg-kirsten-flagstad-soprano-july-12-1895","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/de\/2024\/07\/lg-kirsten-flagstad-soprano-july-12-1895\/","title":{"rendered":"KIRSTEN FLAGSTAD, SOPRAN, 12. JULI 1895"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"4715\" class=\"elementor elementor-4715\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9d53aa1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9d53aa1\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-e9e4261\" data-id=\"e9e4261\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c7fa022 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c7fa022\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-02a3a88\" data-id=\"02a3a88\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ee66d81 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ee66d81\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-751ba29\" data-id=\"751ba29\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-939616d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"939616d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">KIRSTEN FLAGSTAD <br>SOPRANO\n JULY 12TH, 1895<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-152f879 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"152f879\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ead8fc7\" data-id=\"ead8fc7\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e16e864 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e16e864\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-d561d6d\" data-id=\"d561d6d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2af5058 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2af5058\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"773\" src=\"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Flagstad-FINAL-1024x989.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4717\" alt=\"Drawing of Kirsten Flagstad\" srcset=\"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Flagstad-FINAL-1024x989.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Flagstad-FINAL-300x290.jpg 300w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Flagstad-FINAL-768x742.jpg 768w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Flagstad-FINAL-12x12.jpg 12w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Flagstad-FINAL-600x579.jpg 600w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Flagstad-FINAL.jpg 1249w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-524a576 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"524a576\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-04a928c\" data-id=\"04a928c\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d71efd8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d71efd8\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3ee0639\" data-id=\"3ee0639\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-af4f8d1 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"af4f8d1\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-706bef8\" data-id=\"706bef8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff451c9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ff451c9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kirsten Flagstad was born in Hamar, Norway. Like so many outstanding singers, she grew up in a musically gifted family and indeed this soprano would be hailed the \u2018voice of the century.\u2019 Raised and nurtured in Oslo by her father Michael a conductor, her mother Maja a pianist and with her future musician siblings, brothers Ole a conductor and Lasse a pianist and her sister Karen- Marie also a Wagnerian soprano.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flagstad made her debut in 1913 as Nuri in Eugen d\u2019Albert\u2019s <em>Tiefland<\/em> at the National Theatre in Oslo. Early recordings of her voice were taken at this young age between 1913 and 1915.<a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftn1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After singing opera and operetta at the Opera Comique for over a decade, which interestingly was co-directed by Alexander Varnay, the father of another Wagnerian soprano Astrid Varnay. It is also worth noting that at this time, Flagstad sang Desdemona to Leo Slezak\u2019s Otello. As her career progressed she gravitated towards the heavier more dramatic soprano roles. Apparently it was the role of A\u00efda that unleashed the potential to ultimately find her true calling when she took on the role of Isolde in Wagner\u2019s <em>Tristan und Isolde <\/em>in 1932.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A fellow Scandinavian soprano Ellen Gulbranson brought Flagstad\u2019s voice to the attention of Winifred Wagner who hired Flagstad to initially sing minor roles at Bayreuth in 1933. In the following season she sang Sieglinde in <em>Die Walk\u00fcre <\/em>and Gutrune in <em>Die G\u00f6tterdammerung <\/em>opposite Frida Leider as Br\u00fcnnhilde.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A year later she was auditioned and engaged immediately by the Metropolitan Opera in New York who were looking for a replacement to sing the same repertoire as Frida Leider. Her svelte youthful appearance was an added bonus to her obvious vocal abilities and talent.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Her Metropolitan debut was a sensation, and almost overnight she had established herself as the pre-eminent Wagnerian soprano of the era. Her sometimes three or four performances a week in early days at the Met sold out weeks in advance and donations from her nationwide radio appeals during the intermission at Saturday matinees helped the Metropolitan Opera coffers from impending bankruptcy at this time. In 1935 she performed the three Br\u00fcnnhildes in the <em>Ring Cycle<\/em> for San Francisco Opera. In 1936 and 1937 she performed the Wagnerian roles of Senta, Isolde and Br\u00fcnnhilde at Covent Garden where she achieved the same fame and respect as she did in New York<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite advice from friends and colleagues and even pleas from former President Herbert Hoover she returned to German occupied Norway in 1941 before the United States entered World War Two. TShe took this step to be reunited with her husband. The decision was certainly made more difficult as her 20 year old daughter was married to an American and living in Montana.<a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftn2\"><sup>[2]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">During this time she only sang in the non-occupied countries of Switzerland and Sweden. But the tide of public opinion damaged her reputation and she fell out of favour with the public.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After it reopened in 1947, Covent Garden despite being in dire financial straits, hired Flagstad for four consecutive seasons from 1948 to 1952, where she performed her Wagnerian roles, including Kundry and Sieglinde.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Back in America, public sentiment had not changed towards her. The new director of the Met, Rudolf Bing was lambasted for his decision to re-hire Flagstad in for the 1950-1951 season: &#8220;The greatest soprano of this century must sing in the world&#8217;s greatest opera house&#8221;, he retorted.<a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftn3\"><sup>[3]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well into her fifties, and feeling that she no longer possessed her previous stamina or health for the arduous Wagnerian roles, these appearances at the Met were to be her last. She gave her farewell performance at the Met in April 1952, though not as a Wagnerian heroine, but in the title role of Gluck\u2019s <em>Alceste. <\/em>Her final public performance in the role of Purcell\u2019s Dido from <em>Dido and Aeneas<\/em> was in London on the 5 July 1953.<a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftn4\"><sup>[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She was a guest on the BBC\u2019s radio show<em> Desert Island Discs <\/em>in 1952 and chose knitting needles and wool as her luxury items. Not dissimilar to another grand voice prima donna, Joan Sutherland who occupied herself with embroidery backstage.<a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftn5\"><sup>[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kirsten Flagstad\u2019s vast recording catalogue and existing live recordings from the Metropolitan continue to be classic benchmarks and pay tribute to her greatest roles, even though some of her most enduring recordings were recorded after her prime. She immortalised Richard Strau\u00df\u2019 <em>Vier Letzte Lieder<\/em> <em>(Four Last Songs)<\/em> which Strau\u00df himself had intended her to premiere, although he did not live long enough to hear the performance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The recording label Decca had plans to record her singing the&nbsp; mezzo-soprano Wagnerian repertoire of both Fricka roles in <em>Das Rheingold<\/em> and <em>Die G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung<\/em>. Brahms <em>Alto Rhapsody<\/em> and <em>Vier Ernste Lieder (Four Serious Songs<\/em>) were also planned to be recorded, before she died in 1962, giving testament to her recording company\u2019s respect for her and quality of a still consistent and extraordinary voice.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his obituary, the New York Times opera critic, Harold C. Schonberg, wrote, \u201cThat voice! How can one describe it?&#8221; &#8220;It was enormous, but did not sound enormous because it was never pushed or out of placement. It had a rather cool silvery quality, and was handled instrumentally, almost as though a huge violin was emitting legato phrases.&#8221; <a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftn6\"><sup>[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incredibly, Flagstad sang the role of Isolde 70 times on the Met stage from 1935 to 1941, making <em>Tristan and Isolde<\/em> one of the greatest box office attractions in Metropolitan Opera history &nbsp;(Nine of those performances were Saturday matinee radio broadcasts.)&nbsp;<a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftn7\"><sup>[7]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Kirsten Flagstad Museum in Hamar, Norway <a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftn8\">[8]<\/a>), contains a private collection of opera artifacts. Her costumes draw special attention, and include several examples on loan from the Metropolitan Opera Archives. Her portrait appeared on the Norwegian 100 <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Norwegian_krone\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">kroner<\/a> bill<a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftn9\"><sup>[9]<\/sup><\/a> and on the tail section of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Norwegian_Air_Shuttle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Norwegian Air Shuttle<\/a> planes<a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftn10\"><sup>[10]<\/sup><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<\/p><p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kirsten Flagstad painted on a Norwegian Air Shuttle airliner&nbsp;<span style=\"font-size: 15px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; top: -0.5em;\"><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref10\">[10]<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<\/p><p><br><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-1b9197e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1b9197e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f17fe2a\" data-id=\"f17fe2a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ebe0966 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"ebe0966\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"386\" height=\"184\" src=\"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/100_front-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4718\" alt=\"100 Kroner Bank Note with Flagstad\" srcset=\"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/100_front-1.jpg 386w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/100_front-1-300x143.jpg 300w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/100_front-1-18x9.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 386px) 100vw, 386px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-584001c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"584001c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-b519498\" data-id=\"b519498\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c33f6ae elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c33f6ae\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref9\"><span style=\"font-size: 15px; line-height: 0; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; top: -0.5em;\">[9]<\/span><\/a><br><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-67814ef elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"67814ef\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-828ef33\" data-id=\"828ef33\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1673557 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1673557\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Norwegian_Kirsten_Flagstad_livery_LN-DYT_Boeing_737-8JP_1645489-1-768x512.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-4722\" alt=\"Norwegian Air Shuttle with Kirsten Flagstad on the Aircraft Tail\" srcset=\"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Norwegian_Kirsten_Flagstad_livery_LN-DYT_Boeing_737-8JP_1645489-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Norwegian_Kirsten_Flagstad_livery_LN-DYT_Boeing_737-8JP_1645489-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Norwegian_Kirsten_Flagstad_livery_LN-DYT_Boeing_737-8JP_1645489-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Norwegian_Kirsten_Flagstad_livery_LN-DYT_Boeing_737-8JP_1645489-1-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Norwegian_Kirsten_Flagstad_livery_LN-DYT_Boeing_737-8JP_1645489-1-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Norwegian_Kirsten_Flagstad_livery_LN-DYT_Boeing_737-8JP_1645489-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a2a0e9a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a2a0e9a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-7800f53\" data-id=\"7800f53\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4a1c225 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4a1c225\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref9\">[10]<\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ea87749 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ea87749\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-006942e\" data-id=\"006942e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-300c9f8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"300c9f8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>ENDNOTES<\/b><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref1\"><sup>[1]<\/sup><\/a> VOGT, HOWARD. <em>FLAGSTAD: SINGER OF THE CENTURY<\/em> LONDON: SPECKER AND WARBURG, 1987<\/p><p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref2\"><sup>[2]<\/sup><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20090403200305\/http:\/www.time.com\/time\/magazine\/article\/0,9171,802358,00.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;FLAGSTAD SINGS&#8221;<\/a>. <i><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Time_(magazine)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TIME<\/a><\/i>. 27 JULY 1942. ARCHIVED FROM <a href=\"http:\/\/www.time.com\/time\/magazine\/article\/0,9171,802358,00.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">THE ORIGINAL<\/a> ON APRIL 3, 2009. RETRIEVED 18 JANUARY 2009.<\/p><p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref3\"><sup>[3]<\/sup><\/a> CITED BYRUDOLF\u00a0 BING IN HIS FIRST AUTOBIOGRAPHY, <em>5,000 NIGHTS AT THE MET (NY DOUBLEDAY\u00a0\u00a0 1972)<\/em><\/p><p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref4\"><sup>[4]<\/sup><\/a> DESMOND SHAWE-TAYLOR AND ALAN BLYTH, ARTICLE IN THE GROVE BOOK OF OPERA SINGERS, OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, OXFORD (2008), PP. 163-4<\/p><p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref5\"><sup>[5]<\/sup><\/a> <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/programmes\/p009ycbc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><u>BBC DESERT ISLAND, KIRSTEN FLAGSTAG<\/u><\/a><\/b><\/p><p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref6\"><sup>[6]<\/sup><\/a>\u2019<b><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1962\/12\/18\/archives\/indestructible-flagstad-durability-of-her-voice-said-fantastic.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> NEW ORK TIMES, HAROLD C. SCHONERG,\u00a0 \u2018INDUSTRUCTIBLE FLAGSTAD\u2019, DECEMBER 18, 1962\u00a0<\/a><\/u><\/b><\/p><p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref7\"><sup>[7]<\/sup><\/a> <b><u><a href=\"https:\/\/operawire.com\/artist-profile-kirsten-flagstad-the-greatest-singer-of-the-20th-century\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">OPERA WIRE, DAVID SALAZAR, \u2018ARTIST PROFILE, KIRSTEN FLAGSTAD, THE GREATEST SOPRANO OF THE 20TH CENTURY\u2019, JULY 12, 2018.\u00a0<\/a><\/u><\/b><\/p><p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref8\">[8]<\/a><b><u><a href=\"https:\/\/kirsten-flagstad.no\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">THE KIRSTEN FLAGSTAD MUSEUM IN HAMAR, NORWAY<\/a><\/u><\/b><\/p><p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref9\"><sup>[9]<\/sup><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.norges-bank.no\/en\/topics\/notes-and-coins\/withdrawn-notes-coins\/banknote-series-VII\/100-krone-note\/description-100\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b><u> NORGES BANK, 100-KRONE NOTE- &#8211; MOTIFS<\/u><\/b><\/a><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><a href=\"applewebdata:\/\/E655FB01-123C-404B-BF1C-D72F8BBBCF74#_ftnref10\"><sup>[10]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0<b><a href=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/a\/a9\/Norwegian_%28Kirsten_Flagstad_livery%29%2C_LN-DYT%2C_Boeing_737-8JP_%2816454890721%29.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Example of a Norwegian Air Shuttle with a Kisten Flagstad on the tail\u00a0<\/a><\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kirsten Flagstad wurde in Hamar, Norwegen geboren. Wie so viele herausragende S\u00e4nger wuchs sie in einer musikalisch begabten Familie auf und diese Sopranistin wurde tats\u00e4chlich als \u201eStimme des Jahrhunderts\u201c gefeiert. Sie wurde in Oslo von ihrem Vater Michael, einem Dirigenten, ihrer Mutter Maja, einer Pianistin, gro\u00dfgezogen und gef\u00f6rdert. Ihre Geschwister, die sp\u00e4ter Musiker wurden, waren ihre Br\u00fcder Ole, ein Dirigent, und Lasse, ein Pianist, und ihre Schwester Karen-Marie, ebenfalls eine Wagner-Sopranistin.<br \/>\nFlagstad deb\u00fctierte 1913 als Nuri in Eugen d&#039;Alberts Tiefland am Nationaltheater in Oslo. Fr\u00fche Aufnahmen ihrer Stimme wurden in diesem jungen Alter zwischen 1913 und 1915 gemacht.<br \/>\nNachdem sie \u00fcber ein Jahrzehnt lang Oper und Operette an der Op\u00e9ra Comique gesungen hatte, die interessanterweise von Alexander Varnay, dem Vater einer anderen Wagner-Sopranistin, Astrid Varnay, mitgeleitet wurde, ist es auch erw\u00e4hnenswert, dass Flagstad zu dieser Zeit Desdemona in Leo Slezaks Otello sang. Im Laufe ihrer Karriere tendierte sie zu den schwereren, dramatischeren Sopranrollen. Anscheinend war es die Rolle der A\u00efda, die das Potenzial freisetzte, letztendlich ihre wahre Berufung zu finden, als sie 1932 die Rolle der Isolde in Wagners Tristan und Isolde \u00fcbernahm.<br \/>\nDie aus Skandinavien stammende Sopranistin Ellen Gulbranson machte Winifred Wagner auf Flagstads Stimme aufmerksam und engagierte Flagstad 1933 zun\u00e4chst f\u00fcr kleinere Rollen in Bayreuth. In der folgenden Saison sang sie die Sieglinde in der Walk\u00fcre und die Gutrune in der G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung neben Frida Leider als Br\u00fcnnhilde.<br \/>\nEin Jahr sp\u00e4ter wurde sie bei einem Vorsingen sofort von der Metropolitan Opera in New York engagiert, die nach einem Ersatz f\u00fcr das gleiche Repertoire wie Frida Leider suchte. Ihr schlankes, jugendliches Aussehen war ein zus\u00e4tzlicher Bonus zu ihren offensichtlichen stimmlichen F\u00e4higkeiten und ihrem Talent.<br \/>\nIhr Deb\u00fct an der Metropolitan war eine Sensation und fast \u00fcber Nacht hatte sie sich als die herausragende Wagner-Sopranistin der \u00c4ra etabliert. Ihre manchmal drei oder vier Auff\u00fchrungen pro Woche in der Anfangszeit an der Met waren Wochen im Voraus ausverkauft und Spenden aus ihren landesweiten Radioaufrufen w\u00e4hrend der Pause bei den Samstagsmatineen halfen der Metropolitan Opera, zu diesem Zeitpunkt vor dem drohenden Bankrott zu bewahren. 1935 sang sie die drei Br\u00fcnnhilden im Ring-Zyklus f\u00fcr die San Francisco Opera. 1936 und 1937 sang sie die Wagner-Rollen Senta, Isolde und Br\u00fcnnhilde in Covent Garden, wo sie den gleichen Ruhm und Respekt erlangte wie in New York<br \/>\nTrotz Ratschl\u00e4gen von Freunden und Kollegen und sogar Bitten des ehemaligen Pr\u00e4sidenten Herbert Hoover kehrte sie 1941 in das von Deutschland besetzte Norwegen zur\u00fcck, bevor die Vereinigten Staaten in den Zweiten Weltkrieg eintraten. Sie unternahm diesen Schritt, um wieder mit ihrem Ehemann vereint zu sein. Die Entscheidung wurde sicherlich dadurch erschwert, dass ihre 20-j\u00e4hrige Tochter mit einem Amerikaner verheiratet war und in Montana lebte.<br \/>\nW\u00e4hrend dieser Zeit sang sie nur in den nicht besetzten L\u00e4ndern Schweiz und Schweden. Doch die \u00f6ffentliche Meinung schadete ihrem Ruf und sie fiel in Ungnade beim Publikum.<br \/>\nNach der Wiederer\u00f6ffnung im Jahr 1947 engagierte Covent Garden trotz finanzieller Schwierigkeiten Flagstad f\u00fcr vier aufeinanderfolgende Spielzeiten von 1948 bis 1952, wo sie ihre Wagner-Rollen, darunter Kundry und Sieglinde, sang.<br \/>\nIn Amerika hatte sich die \u00f6ffentliche Meinung ihr gegen\u00fcber nicht ge\u00e4ndert. Der neue Direktor der Met, Rudolf Bing, wurde f\u00fcr seine Entscheidung, Flagstad f\u00fcr die Saison 1950-1951 erneut zu engagieren, scharf kritisiert: \u201eDie gr\u00f6\u00dfte Sopranistin dieses Jahrhunderts muss im gr\u00f6\u00dften Opernhaus der Welt singen\u201c, entgegnete er.<br \/>\nDa sie bereits \u00fcber f\u00fcnfzig war und das Gef\u00fchl hatte, dass sie f\u00fcr die anspruchsvollen Wagner-Rollen nicht mehr die Ausdauer und Gesundheit von fr\u00fcher besa\u00df, sollten diese Auftritte an der Met ihre letzten sein. Ihre Abschiedsvorstellung an der Met gab sie im April 1952, allerdings nicht als Wagner-Heldin, sondern in der Titelrolle von Glucks Alceste. Ihren letzten \u00f6ffentlichen Auftritt in der Rolle von Purcells Dido aus Dido und Aeneas gab sie am 5. Juli 1953 in London.<br \/>\nSie war 1952 Gast in der BBC-Radiosendung Desert Island Discs und erw\u00e4hlte Stricknadeln und Wolle zu ihren Luxusartikeln. Nicht un\u00e4hnlich einer anderen Primadonna mit gro\u00dfartiger Stimme, Joan Sutherland, die sich hinter der B\u00fchne mit Stickarbeiten besch\u00e4ftigte.<br \/>\nKirsten Flagstads umfangreicher Plattenkatalog und die bestehenden Live-Mitschnitte aus der Metropolitan gelten weiterhin als klassische Ma\u00dfst\u00e4be und zollen ihren gr\u00f6\u00dften Rollen Tribut, auch wenn einige ihrer best\u00e4ndigsten Aufnahmen erst nach ihrer Bl\u00fctezeit aufgenommen wurden. Sie verewigte Richard Strau\u00df&#039; Vier Letzte Lieder, die Strau\u00df selbst f\u00fcr ihre Urauff\u00fchrung vorgesehen hatte, obwohl er nicht lange genug lebte, um die Auff\u00fchrung zu erleben.<br \/>\nDas Plattenlabel Decca hatte vor, sie mit dem Mezzosopran-Repertoire Wagners aufzunehmen, mit beiden Fricka-Rollen in Das Rheingold und Die G\u00f6tterd\u00e4mmerung. Auch Brahms\u2018 Alt-Rhapsodie und Vier Ernste Lieder sollten aufgenommen werden, bevor sie 1962 starb, was den Respekt ihrer Plattenfirma f\u00fcr sie und die Qualit\u00e4t ihrer noch immer gleichbleibenden und au\u00dfergew\u00f6hnlichen Stimme bezeugt.<br \/>\nIn seinem Nachruf schrieb der Opernkritiker der New York Times, Harold C. Schonberg: \u201eDiese Stimme! Wie soll man sie beschreiben?\u201c \u201eSie war gewaltig, klang aber nicht gewaltig, denn sie wirkte nie \u00fcbertrieben oder fehl am Platz. Sie hatte eine ziemlich k\u00fchle, silbrige Qualit\u00e4t und wurde instrumental behandelt, fast so, als w\u00fcrde eine riesige Geige legato Phrasen von sich geben.\u201c<br \/>\nUnglaublich, aber wahr: Flagstad sang die Rolle der Isolde von 1935 bis 1941 70 Mal auf der B\u00fchne der Met und machte damit \u201eTristan und Isolde\u201c zu einem der gr\u00f6\u00dften Kassenschlager in der Geschichte der Metropolitan Opera.<br \/>\n(Neun dieser Auff\u00fchrungen waren Samstagnachmittags-Radio\u00fcbertragungen, nicht zitiert)<\/p>\n<p>Das Kirsten Flagstad Museum in Hamar, Norwegen (https:\/\/kirsten-flagstad.no\/en), beherbergt eine private Sammlung von Opernartefakten. Ihre Kost\u00fcme ziehen besondere Aufmerksamkeit auf sich und umfassen mehrere Beispiele, die aus den Archiven der Metropolitan Opera ausgeliehen wurden. Ihr Portr\u00e4t erschien auf der norwegischen 100-Kronen-Note und auf dem Heckteil von Flugzeugen der Norwegian Air Shuttle.<\/p>\n<p>Kirsten Flagstad malte ein Verkehrsflugzeug der Norwegian Air Shuttle.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4717,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[74],"class_list":["post-4715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-legendary-singers","tag-legendary-singers"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4715"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4715\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voicedetective.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}