# Nilsson's Acting???????



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I am doing a speech on Nilsson and will focus in one part on her acting. I know she had incredible successes when she worked with Wieland Wagner later in her career and she wrote about it in her book. With his Elektra she had 77 curtain calls!!!!!!! Did any of you see her live and can comment on her acting. I think she was always good but got better after working with Wieland W.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Why would we need to have seen her live to be able to comment on her acting? Acting isn't only visual, it's vocal too even in spoken theatre.

However, I wonder if it's worth listening to some of her live recordings to see if the ones from Wieland Wagner productions feature better vocal acting from La Nilsson than her recordings under other directors.

N.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Nilsson is a very effective actress in the live _Tristan_ from Orange and in the Wieland Wagner _Tristan_ filmed in Osaka (both on YouTube).

I saw a _Tristan_ at the Met in 1972 in which she was not as good - not bad, just ordinary (for opera). It may have been because of uninspiring colleagues: Leinsdorf was nothing special in the pit, and Helge Brilioth nothing special as Tristan. I don't recall who directed, but he/she could definitely have done more to enliven the action. Wieland Wagner was a great director, apparently, and got the best from singers.

It was worth hearing Nilsson live anyway. I was especially amazed at the fact that her voice got better as the night wore on, sounding fresher in the "Liebestod" than at the beginning of the opera.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Woodduck said:


> Nilsson is a very effective actress in the live _Tristan_ from Orange and in the Wieland Wagner _Tristan_ filmed in Osaka (both on YouTube).
> 
> I saw a _Tristan_ at the Met in 1972 in which she was not as good - not bad, just ordinary (for opera). It may have been because of uninspiring colleagues: Leinsdorf was nothing special in the pit, and Helge Brilioth nothing special as Tristan. I don't recall who directed, but he/she could definitely have done more to enliven the action. Wieland Wagner was a great director, apparently, and got the best from singers.
> 
> It was worth hearing Nilsson live anyway. I was especially amazed at the fact that her voice got better as the night wore on, sounding fresher in the "Liebestod" than at the beginning of the opera.


I thought it would be so. She complained that at a lot of the gigs she would just show up and sing and not get a lot of stage direction. W. Wagner was for her what Zeffirelli was for Dame Joan I speculate. Thanks. So jealous you heard her live!!!!!!!!!!!!.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

I hope you have the DVD of Elektra she made with James Levine, Leonie Rysanek (Chrysothemis) and Mignon Dunn (Klytämnestra). Nilsson does obsessed-crazy in spades, and she doesn't seem to care that she screeches a few high notes (something she would not have done when younger--she was 62-ish when this made). 

Kind regards,

George


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Barelytenor said:


> I hope you have the DVD of Elektra she made with James Levine, Leonie Rysanek (Chrysothemis) and Mignon Dunn (Klytämnestra). Nilsson does obsessed-crazy in spades, and she doesn't seem to care that she screeches a few high notes (something she would not have done when younger--she was 62-ish when this made).
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> George


I got it especially for this speech and have included an excerpt from it to display her acting. I thought she was a really wonderful actress in this video. I imagine she carried over some of the direction she got from Wieland Wagner.You didn't mind that the voice was a bit past it's prime because she was so committed to the character.


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

I couldn't agree more!

Kind regards, :tiphat:

George


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

In Ethan Mordden's Demented, he was of the opinion that Nilsson was hit or miss as an actress till she worked with W. Wagner late in her career, after which she became a very incisive actress. This confirmed my personal take from reading elsewhere.


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