GERTRUDE GROB PRANDL: Isolde's Narration and Curse

I have CreaturaDura to thank for making me aware of a complete Tristan from Vienna in 1956 which capture's the splendour of Grob Prandl's Isolde. It has to be said that Act 1 is "her" act, as she unleashes a torrent of scalding tone and thrilling top notes.

[@LLehmannfan]

The best Isolde I ever heard. It's a shame, that Grob-Prandl is nearly forgotten today. She possessed one of the biggest and most powerful voices, that were recorded.

[@Garwfechan-ry5lk]

She is NOT forgotten in Covent Garden.

[@tenorette2003]

Glorious, passionate singing!!! And you can understand every word!! Simply overwhelming...

[@30290Hagen]

J’ai entendu Grob-Prandl à l’Opéra Garnier en 63 dans Götterdämmerung : un gigantesque fleuve vocal emplissant tout le théâtre ! Une des plus grandes voix que j’ai entendue en direct : c’est FINI il n’y en a plus de la sorte !

[@bodiloto]

C’est vrai ! 👍

[@robertgrantham1023]

She had a sweetness to her voice that most Wagnerian sopranos sadly lack.

[@senafan]

I have yet to hear a Grob-Prandl performance that doesn't astonish me with its cleanliness, ease, and directness. There is no performance I have ever heard that exceeds, and probably equals, this one. How I would have loved to hear her live!

[@sevoflurane]

Personally I find her exceptional. And it's not just sound, there are tons of passion in her singing.

[@OLIVCHEN77]

Shes one of the greatest. Her voice was (sometimes) bigger than Nilsons- and with more colored tone. BRAVA. Why we havent singers like her today? Today they all barke

[@draganvidic2039]

OLIVCHEN77 There maybe were some bigger voices than Nilsson’s except for her penetration on the highest notes. Grob-Prandl, Flagstad and Varnay had darker and more volume but nobody comes near Nilsson on her highest notes. That’s why nobody could or ever will take the crown from her as Turandot.

[@alexanderzaphir721]

@@draganvidic2039 Prandl was more perfect in everything.Intonation , volume , phrasing.the best Isolde could sing even ..Robert le Diable.The biggest singer of the century. With her Turandot the walls shook.underrated & unhelped by the rec compani es

[@jasonhurd4379]

@@alexanderzaphir721 You are 100% correct. Grob-Prandl is my favorite hochdramatisch soprano of all time. Big, full, round, warm, rich, dark sound, with the steadiest of vocal emission, perfect intonation and fearless, huge top notes. Next to Grob-Prandl, Nilsson sounds like a shrieky, wobbly, thin-toned, out-of-tune mess.

[@alexanderzaphir721]

@@jasonhurd4379 hi! About the Bodazky comment! Some hours later i discovered a very melidious reading of Walkure....Shuard , Jones, with a Kojub out of this world(Solti

[@draganvidic2039]

@@jasonhurd4379 Bs

[@MrNeilsy]

Another wonderful recording of a forgotten voice from the Golden Age. I like her Brünhilde better but this is still amazing! The role of Brünhilde has more of a legato line and less declamatory singing which best suites her fine voice. Nilsson is perhaps the greatest when it comes to the high, declamatory singing of dramatic roles like this. However, Grob-Pradl's regal tone in Brünhilde is the greatest of all! If you haven't heard it, please find it and listen.

[@mannail888]

This set is a godsend, sonically superb, not to mention Grob Prandl seems to be in greater/better voice than ever. And the interpretation is really something to die for.

[@65attila]

This performance is an all- time great performance. Thank you for posting. John

[@starrman22]

Grig, it's on Walhall WLCD 0235. 3 CDs. Vienna 12 February 1956. Conductor Andre Cluytens. Cast: Rudolf Lustig (T), Georgine von Milinkovic (B), Toni Blankenheim (K) not to metnion the great Julius Patzak as the Steersman! Glad you enjoyed this scene.

[@65attila]

Starrman22 I have heard Grob- Prandl for about 1 year - she is tremendous. Thank you for making this relatively obscure artist knowable to a larger audience.. I have shared her videos with others who are amazed by her. What a pleasure knowing who loves and knows singers as well as you. Regards-John

[@petergiljum]

❤❤

[@starrman22]

Have just posted this stunning performance. Delighted that my G-P postings have generated a fair bit of interest in this rather neglected artist. Thank you for requesting Robert le Diable, John

[@bodiloto]

Dal vivo una voce Meravigliosa ! il vecchio

[@65attila]

If possibe would you be able to post her aria from Meyerbeer's "Robert Le dable". Thanks-John

[@grig035]

Very special upload. Thank you! I only know of her sonically challenged De Sabata set with the many cuts. This is much superior sound! Please, I'd very much like to know if this performance is more complete, who the Tristan is, and the identity of the conductor. Many thanks.

[@user-tv8zi4ie9t]

She sounds wonderful but the voice of Astrid Varnay is much bigger.

[@draganvidic2039]

Вектор Здравомыслия No this soprano was and is considered to have one of the biggest voices ever. And hers was a true soprano which Varnay never was.

[@alexanderzaphir721]

@@draganvidic2039 Varnay was a soprano ,otherwise a genius teacher as P.Althause(with no mistakes for the placement of a voice) ,would teach her as a mezzo.No mezzo can cope with Thais aria.But she had a very dark voice.No mezzo can sing Elektra for more than 20 years.After she became even darker.However Prandl had one of the most perfect techniques ever ,but the huge instrument was there from the very beginning.A sacred monster.Perhaps the hugest voice ever

[@draganvidic2039]

Pythia Delphi Varnay was a mezzo

[@alexanderzaphir721]

@@draganvidic2039 if it's so ,you know better than her mother prof.singer ,Althouse (also teacher of Tucker ,Steber), Leinsdorf & all the Met's stuff ,,who worked & supervised her for her debut as ...Sieglinde.Varnay's preparation has been one of the toughest ever ,& one of the rare persons that had no vocal loss from '44-66 , very rare after that kind of repertory.There's no mezzos with Ring,Macbeth,Salome,Elektra for such a long period..Others ,badly prepared or initially mezzos ,singing bottled & throaty returned to the mezzo repertory.((Modl). The register has nothing to do with the color

[@draganvidic2039]

Pythia Delphi Mezzo

[@alfredoloyola921]

Nowdays people are calling the greats dramatics Sopranos of the past!!mezzosopranos!! Why? Because in the present time,in.2019 we don't have one,only one decent dramatic.soprano? I saw one!!years ago!! The Bulgarian. Ghena Dimitrova!!nobody can say now than she was a Mezzoprano!!please!!give me a brake!!for. God Sake!! The problem is we don't.have dramatics Any longer!! The teachers in the conservatories Don't know what to.do with a dramatic voice!! That's the reality of today people!!and reality Bites!!!

[@operaforever8545]

You heard Dimitrova alive! Wow! What about her voice?

[@65attila]

I just purschsed this Walhall performance from Berkshire record Outlet for @12.00USD + Shipping. Can't wait to hear the whole thing. The earlier DeSabata has great singing but poorer sound. I will happily soon own bothe.