Though arguably the last of the “true” Wagnerians, Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson (1918–2005) was by no means limited to Wagner in her repertoire. Her roles as Isolde, Brünnhilde, Salome, Elektra, Dyer’s Wife and Turandot were often collectively referred to as the “Nilsson repertoire.” Nilsson’s voice was capable of flooding an opera house with oceans of sound, which no commercial recording has ever been able to capture; recordings of live opera broadcasts however come much closer to the real Nilsson voice. This book celebrates the centennial of Nilsson’s birth, with texts from prominent members of the music world and photographs of the singer’s greatest roles.
