Birgit Nilsson, the Swedish farmer’s daughter who became renowned in the world’s great opera houses for her dazzling voice and among colleagues for her playful sense of humor, has died at age 87.
She died on Christmas Day, the Stockholm daily Svenska Dagbladet reported.
As word spread of her death two decades after she retired, the Swedish singer was remembered as one of the world’s top Wagnerian sopranos.
“She was one of the greatest singers of the 20th century,” said Menno Feenstra, artistic director at Stockholm’s Royal Opera, who developed a close friendship with Nilsson after her retirement.
A funeral was held Wednesday at a church in her native town of Vastra Karup in southern Sweden, with only her closest relatives attending, said Fredrik Westerlund, the church’s vicar.
Born on a farm, Nilsson reigned supreme at the world’s opera houses during her career, which began in 1946 at the Stockholm Royal Opera as Agathe in Weber’s “Der Freischutz” and continued until 1984.
She sang a wide variety of dramatic roles, but her reputation was based especially on her mastery of the most punishing in the repertory. Chief among these was Isolde in Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde,” which she sang for her sensational debut at New York’s Metropolitan Opera on Dec. 18, 1959.
Other parts Nilsson made her own included Bruennhilde, the warrior maiden of Wagner’s “Ring” cycle, the title role of Elektra in Richard Strauss’ opera, and the heroine of Puccini’s “Turandot.”
At her peak, Nilsson astounded audiences in live performance with the unforced power of her voice, which easily cut through the thickest orchestrations, and with her remarkable breath control, which allowed her to hold onto the highest note for seemingly endless amounts of time.
From Herald news services
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