Birgit Nilsson's Thunderous Voice

[@viktorlundberg3857]

A friend of mine once attended a churchconcert in Stockholm, where Birgit sang Silent night, in the mid 70's. He said her voice was so enveloping and huge, he actually couldn't hear what she was singing. He was drowning.

[@Flower-v8w]

Nilsson was not only a dramatic soprano, she was a heldensopran, heroic, sang Wagner, Verdi, Puccini and everything else to perfection.

[@deonvandorp2226]

The greatest!

[@DM-wj8br]

Could you imagine if Nilsson sang Lucia?

[@Operafreak9]

I just know that hearing her live was greatest experiences I ever had. Experiencing that unfolding all around you was aesthetic, spiritual, and definitely physical

[@WilsonWatt-q2e]

Hearing her live in the opera house [in several operas] was one of the great experiences of over 50 years of operagoing.

[@KajiVocals]

Her dynamics are equally good too. Well-controlled pianissimi even up to a high D♭.

[@mannail888]

She never sang a high D, either in forte or piano.

[@KajiVocals]

@@mannail888 Read. High D-flat. That’s a different note.

[@mannail888]

@@KajiVocals Cite me an example where she sang a high D-flat in pianissimi.

[@KajiVocals]

@@mannail888 Never heard her Lady Macbeth I presume.

[@KajiVocals]

@@mannail888 Just one example. She has many attempts of this aria kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6XFg6yNl5unkJYsi=eVFHMOZJsni1bp_5 Both as Lady Macbeth and several in recitals.

[@williamstadel6113]

Some people get a jealous, so they call her spinto to soften the blow. By the way, jealousy is the ugliest sin.

[@KajiVocals]

Love her

[@Xelth4]

how is this not a dramatic soprano voice but a spinto? are you all deaf? Her voice is mesmerizing, astonishing, fabulous and has much more power than all the sopranos you all call dramatic. I can't find enough adjectives to describe her untouchable instrument and technique

[@KajiVocals]

Jugendlich-dramatischer sopran.

[@draganvidic2039]

Her colour could be considered a spinto sometimes but still she had a steely strong top more powerful, rounded and focused than anybody else’s.

[@viktorlundberg3857]

@@KajiVocals rather hochdramatischer sopran but with a unique use of squillo to never appear heavy or low. Here is a good example where your hear how her voice is pouring out over the salon, drowning the audience in sound. And she's only opening up. The second version is even better. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rJvIeXWAiZWgmK8

[@KajiVocals]

@@viktorlundberg3857 Squillo is to do with voice acoustics, not timbre or voice weight. Your statement makes little sense.

[@viktorlundberg3857]

@@KajiVocals Squillo for me is when the voice rings, the trumpetsound ringing over an orcestra. My statment makes perfect sense, Birgit Nilsson combined a huge voice, that could have sounded heavy and low, with a brilliant use of squillo, to make it sound easy and light.