# Frida Leider's Isolde



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

We're lucky to have radio transcriptions of the Met's Flagstad-Melchior partnership, letting us hear what Met audiences were then treated to in performances of Wagner's monster roles. Sadly, Flagstad's predecessor in these roles, Frida Leider, was hardly captured at all. I'm delighted to have found this collection of snippets from Leider's highly esteemed Isolde, recorded (wretchedly) in 1933. Her Tristan is Melchior, and it's good that we have better recordings of him elsewhere since much of Act 3 has him rather far from the microphone (I'm guessing there was only one). Still, here and there we can hear his voice mounting the climaxes of Tristan's delirium with frightening intensity.

I've long known the "Liebestod" from this performance. It was available on YouTube for a while and then disappeared. But we can still hear it here, along with bits and pieces from elsewhere in the opera. Despite the poor sound, with voices muffled, coming and going in the distorted orchestral sound, there are moments when we can really tell what the fuss was about. At times I think we can get a better idea of her vocal timbre than we can from most of her commercial recordings - listen to the solidity and warmth of her lower register in the quiet moments of Act 1 - and her projection of the character comes through in a way that supports her reputation as a fine actress in the theater. Her "Liebestod" here may be my favorite performance of the piece, with its soaring top and delirious portamenti perfectly capturing Isolde's mounting ecstasy.

A frustrating but valuable document.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I have her Isolde's Curse for a contest down the road. You guys impressed me with her. Thanks. She is very impressive. I wonder how big the voice was??
I am generally a big fan of Jessye Norman but just heard her Act 2 of Tristan with Vickers. She excells in some Wagner, but the voice was way to dark and mezzo-ish for Isolde in my opinion. I couldn't listen to it all the way through.


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## Music Snob (Nov 14, 2018)

Thank you Wooduck... I am much obliged for you posting this. I think it is important to not only hear the voices but to understand ones stage presence and acting abilities. Walter Legge certainly thought Frida Leider was the best Isolde of his lifetime.

However, my allegiance is still with Flagstad. This is only taking into consideration the sound of the voice without concern for stage presence. Frida Leider’s timbre is just a little too shrill for me. 

As for the example linked I should mention that I only test- drove the Liebestod. This being said, how about a little love for Arthur Bodanzky? That dude could sure conduct Wagner!! His other readings which I am yet to review of the 35 and 37 Tristan’s are conducted extremely well.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Music Snob said:


> Thank you Wooduck... I am much obliged for you posting this. I think it is important to not only hear the voices but to understand ones stage presence and acting abilities. Walter Legge certainly thought Frida Leider was the best Isolde of his lifetime.
> 
> However, my allegiance is still with Flagstad. This is only taking into consideration the sound of the voice without concern for stage presence. Frida Leider's timbre is just a little too shrill for me.
> 
> As for the example linked I should mention that I only test- drove the Liebestod. This being said, how about a little love for Arthur Bodanzky? That dude could sure conduct Wagner!! His other readings which I am yet to review of the 35 and 37 Tristan's are conducted extremely well.


Bodanzky knew his Wagner, without question. I was very impressed by that 1937 _Tristan_ you mention.

I'm sure there were plenty of debates about the Isoldes of Leider and Flagstad back in the day. The sumptuousness and uniqueness of Flagstad's voice is unquestionable. I don't hear shrillness in Leider's voice, but I wouldn't argue with you if you do. I'd only remark that even the best sound reproduction from that era couldn't capture a soprano's timbre with complete accuracy, and even in modern sound some singers don't record well. Birgit Nilsson is a good example; having heard her live at the Met, I can report that along with her voice's obvious brilliance there was a slightly darker tint that recordings never conveyed.

I don't want this to be merely a debate about Leider's voice, which was a major one that many enjoy, but one that was, importantly, at the service of a fine musician and actress. You can hear in these excerpts what she herself called the "Italian manner" of singing, with a rock solid legato such as Wagner himself pleaded for from the singers confronting his new style of music for the first time. "There are no recitatives in my music!" he snapped (at least I presume he snapped); "It's all arias!"


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## Shaafee Shameem (Aug 4, 2021)

What can I say!!! Simply magnificent! One of my favourite singers! A dramatic but limpid, Italianate voice wedded to sensitive musical and dramatic instincts! Leider’s singing makes me love Wagner more than he deserves.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Shaafee Shameem said:


> Leider's singing makes me love Wagner more than he deserves.


I think the old devil would enjoy that remark.

Maybe it's other sopranos who make you love him less than he deserves.

I'm reminded of a statement by Alberta Masiello, long-time vocal coach at the old Met, who said that she didn't appreciate Wagner until she heard Flagstad. It can take the right performance to open our ears.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

For ancient live recordings this has it all over DeReszke's Siegfied...most of the time! For displaying a goddess voice, what better way to show it? I just went for the Liebestod for now and I obviously don't know the fine points to look for like you but, that easy, even, big, beautiful, impassioned voice soaring through that music is stunningly satisfying coming out of such a primitive recording. 
Great addition, Thanks!!!


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

PS wanted to say that trolling around on old threads I found your Hans Reinmar- think I got the name right - and OMG what a voice there?? How about these two singing the last act of Walkure??


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

ScottK said:


> ...that easy, even, big, beautiful, impassioned voice soaring through that music is stunningly satisfying coming out of such a primitive recording.


Nicely and truly said.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

ScottK said:


> PS wanted to say that trolling around on old threads I found your Hans Reinmar- think I got the name right - and OMG what a voice there?? How about these two singing the last act of Walkure??


I wouldn't be surprised if they actually did.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Woodduck said:


> I wouldn't be surprised if they actually did.


That could knock Caruso and Gigli off of my "if I could only go back" pedestal!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

ScottK said:


> That could knock Caruso and Gigli off of my "if I could only go back" pedestal!


Good grief! There are countless incredible singers to "go back" for. Some we have on faithful recordings. Others we have to hear through pinched, tinny, muffled sonics and use a bit - or a lot - of imagination. I don't know about you, but I was born about three generations too late.


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Woodduck said:


> Good grief! There are countless incredible singers to "go back" for. Some we have on faithful recordings. Others we have to hear through pinched, tinny, muffled sonics and use a bit - or a lot - of imagination. I don't know about you, but I was born about three generations too late.


I guess I'm both! I'm with you all the way on your version of if only but I also do believe that I started listening at the tale end of the second golden age. Right next to my yearning to hear Gigli's mezza voce in an opera house is the "SO ALMOST I can taste it" of Dad choosing for us to go hear Faust when my vote was Cav/Pag and what would have been my one chance to hear Franco Corelli!


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## OffPitchNeb (Jun 6, 2016)

Amazing singing. Before Nilsson there was Flagstad and before Flagstad there was Leider.

Her voice could be better heard in better sound in these excerpts; fortunately, the vengeance trio in Gotterdammerung was reserved:


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

OffPitchNeb said:


> Amazing singing. Before Nilsson there was Flagstad and before Flagstad there was Leider.
> 
> Her voice could be better heard in better sound in these excerpts; fortunately, the vengeance trio in Gotterdammerung was reserved:


That second is amazing!!! Really good quality. So exiting.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

^^^It's so unfortunate that microphones couldn't have been placed to keep the singers consistently in the sound picture. The orchestra is loud and clear throughout, but the voices come and go depending on where the singers are onstage and, I assume, in what direction they're aiming their voices. It has the effect of a camera going in and out of focus.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Flagstad is still number one for me in Wagner, but as of this past year Leider is number two.


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## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

ScottK said:


> PS wanted to say that trolling around on old threads I found your Hans Reinmar- think I got the name right - and OMG what a voice there?? How about these two singing the last act of Walkure??


Can't find Reinmar in Walkure but I did find his wonderful Tanhausser on Youtube:





Many years ago I was very lucky to obtain a vinyl pressing of various recordings by Reinmar. I'll dig it out and see if I can upload some of it


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## Kundry0013 (9 mo ago)

Leider's voice is beautiful and you can understand the words she sings. Top tier Wagner singer in my book. I bet she could act on stage too. My dream Die Walkure would have her as Brunhilde and Lotte Lehmann as Sieglinde.


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## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

ScottK said:


> PS wanted to say that trolling around on old threads I found your Hans Reinmar- think I got the name right - and OMG what a voice there?? How about these two singing the last act of Walkure??


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## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

You did indeed get the name right! Reinmar was exceptionally good and I'm delighted to have acquired a recording some years ago at a clearance sale. Amongst other items, this one is sublime:
:


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## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

Sorry about the duplicated posts and/or how my avatar was added to the post of others - no idea how that happened. However, must say I preferred the old format


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