Flagstad and Melchior - Tristan and Isolde "Love Duet", 1/2

"O sink hernieder" - The Love Duet from Act II of Tristan and Isolde - part 1 of 2
One interesting note on this recording - not only is Flagstad Isolde, but from 5:18 to 7:40 she is also singing the offstage part of Brangaene (this is a studio recording rather than a live performance). So this document is unique. It is the only recording of Flagstad as Brangaene.
To hear this duet's conclusion, click the response video.

[@phoenixnyc]

Arturo Toscanini was reputed to have turned to a friend during this piece and said, "If they were Italians, they would already have had seven children. But see, they're Germans; they're still talking it over."

[@grayson1934]

The likes of this will never be heard again. It's been 70 years and still unequaled. Sublime!

[@gringewilp]

Notice how Melchior is holding back his colossal voice. He's really wooing her, isn't he!

[@babydrane]

Her singing of Brangane is haunting. These two always make me feel like singing Wagner is the only option. Such rich, full, unproblematic voices that perfectly complement each other. Melchior's voice is without explanation - I kinda wish all tenors sounded this good.

[@mmarky26]

Best opera recording ever. With the two best singers ever heard. The climax of the duet is unsurpassed.

[@punainenpaholainen]

Why don't people sing like this anymore? Natural, unforced voices, therefore beautiful vibrato and no doubt of pitch. No competing in who's loudest (like today), singers understand they are part of the music. Here I hear what was written in the score! Younger, I used to dislike Wagner, but listening to this I get the point. Thank you!

[@FirstActuality]

Its impossible to listen to any other recording after hearing these two magnificent singers' rendition.

[@petrof4056]

The best performance of this duet! It seems impossible to do better than this

[@Silverhalide60]

I am so moved as closer to union without love I know my heart will be one with nature as I listen to this music.

[@billjhyt]

Most gratifying to the ears but more especially gratifying to one's heart.

[@unforgivenguy9831]

HOW COULD 8 PEOPLE DISLIKE THIS??

[@CoolJay77]

Wagner+Melchior+Flagstad = One of the seven musical wonders.

[@Rapicienta]

Maravillosos, todo la duración de este dueto del Acto II, es una maravilla, si Wagner quería expresar el amor, lo logró. Fuera de eso, las voces están magnificas, lastima las grabaciones son viejas, como me gustaría apreciar dos voces así en la actualidad.

[@azyuwish99]

I have now listened to Liebestod by Flagstod about a dozen times and while there is no melody one could hum to as in other perhaps Bel Canto operas, it is affecting me so deeply. The music and her singing is getting into my soul and it is my own soul which supplies the harmony, it draws me in becomes a transcendent experience. It is difficult to put into words, but this person helmdalhinfrode is correct about listening more until it "registers".

[@averygordon5334]

The best. No question.

[@federricoilgrande]

Meraviglia assoluta, musica ipnotica, interpreti da leggenda

[@scargo1013]

Thank you so much. These two are sublime.

[@davidsmejkal5341]

Who says German is not good for singing I would love to hear them in a modern recording studio. even still there is none better.

[@gundhari]

I can hear this duett with L.M and K.F. again and again. It is the top of the culture of singing never heard again since yet. It seems unrepeatable. How this two voices tie in together (with excellent orchester at that time) with beautyful and technical perfect and intelligent voices. Wagner would have been mostly content with this performance!!

[@twmurphy7448]

Hard to beat. Certainly not in our present time.

[@aptcore59]

Wow, this is GLORIOUS!

[@vocalpianist]

Beautiful!! I am only just now discovering Wagner, thank you for this post!

[@luisademar8986]

Wundervoll, unglaublich. Unter der Direktion von Furtwängler wäre die Musik wohl noch wahrer (vergeliche Furtwänglers Gesamtaufnahme).

[@angryjalapeno]

This is amazing!

[@violinthief]

This is one of many videos I have uploaded that has been subjected to a phony copyright claim by "Rebeat Digital GmbH". This is a public domain recording. Please do not click on any links below the video. This criminal conduct by Rebeat Digital should not be rewarded.

[@Rephrat]

the best one !!!!!!!!

[@dcmelos71]

you should listen to this again today, see if you hear it any differently than you did back then. :D

[@TexasClarinet]

@richard63545 This is the 1939 version with Edwin MacArthur conducting the San Francisco Opera. It's the only time that I know of that Flagstad and Melchior recorded duets in a recording studio. They also did duets from Parsifal, Lohengrin, and Gotterdammerung during that session.

[@MusicMyInspiration]

So naive, so sincere...and thus, so convincing.

[@smokinbill]

Some, some peace in this world of torment.

[@1z1zz1z1zz]

Love into Music ... ...

[@jordipanadesribera6890]

Dues forces de la natura !

[@Silverhalide60]

BEST!!!!!

[@sfkcbf]

If only we always could hear Wagner is this way!

[@LauritzMelchior]

Una de las grabaciones que yo me llevaría a una isla desierta.

[@hbpe5]

Same situation. Mine was an Angel's record: Voices of the Century.

[@VivaRenata]

@heimdallhinfrode Thank you for this wise comment!

[@darkprose]

Yes, sublime. Thank you! I've shared this on Facebook.

[@henrywebb9320]

This is really great singing. They almost persuade me to like Wagner. Almost! Henry Webb

[@RogerOThornhill]

This is great but how is this public domain if it's from 1939? I thought the cutoff in America is 1921.

[@antoniosergiocunha]

These two are true wagnerian singers. That is why they sing without any effort. It is very difficult to find truly wagnerian singers nowadays. Waltraud Meier is one of the few. A pity.

[@BritinIsrael]

There are just no Wagnerian singers like these any more. SAD!

[@Aaron.vandenbosch]

Melchior is a tenor? or Dramatic Tenor? he sound like a baryton

[@hiram242]

For my money, Flagstad is one of two "perfect" singers I've ever heard (Ponselle is the other), and Melchior is darned close. God knows that Flagstad was no "diva", and in many ways just didn't fit in . A lot of the guff she caught was politics. But, what a voice...

[@TheTristan1954]

Baritone vs. heldentenor I am also (started as baritone and now heldentenor, where is the barriere? I'm very comfy with my voice, Tristan and Parsifal goes very good but also Marouf or Pelleas

[@jeanfrancoisl8296]

pas mieux....

[@radubradu]

this is so difficult to understand i cant get any harmony i have to keep listening i guess

[@stefanonuvolari2249]

Ewig, ewig ein...

[@ludwigna78]

...infatti Toscanini è morto ben 51 anni fa...ed incise opere anche con Herva Nelli, Licia Albanese, cantanti che oggi difficilmente sarebbero applauditi. Il problema non concerne la bravura del cantante, ma lo stile, la sua vocalità. Non tutto ciò che è antico, che è stato grande deve essere perfetto per l'oggi:il gusto, in tutte le manifestazioni dello spirito, muta costantemente. Pensa alle nterpretazioni mozartiane:oggi nessun grande direttore dirigerebbe Mozart come Furtwangler.

[@ludwigna78]

Melchior sarà anche stato il più grande Tristan della sua epoca, ma per il gusto di oggi lo trovo del tutto improponibile, inaccettabile, impreciso, calante...