# One for couchie and his legions



## NightHawk (Nov 3, 2011)

I hold that Jessye Norman's _Libestod_ with Von Karajan and the Vienna Philharmoniker (1988) has never been surpassed by anyone. Period. I have listened to countless recordings of famous singers, dead and living in this 'aria' and to my ears, none have the drama, the tone, the power, the pacing of the dynamics, the phrasing, the sensuality, the tenderness, or the ecstasy of JN. In fact I've never heard anyone even come close. Birgit 'laser beam' Nilsson least of all. Alright...let me get behind something now.


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Power and clarity, and aptness to the sense of the thing (provided that exists). That's Jessye.


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## NightHawk (Nov 3, 2011)

Yes! And, whew! Glad you checked in Hilltroll - I was expecting the first salvo to be a fusillade of silver bullets.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

NightHawk said:


> I hold that Jessye Norman's _Libestod_ with Von Karajan and the Vienna Philharmoniker (1988) has never been surpassed by anyone. Period. I have listened to countless recordings of famous singers, dead and living in this 'aria' and to my ears, none have the drama, the tone, the power, the pacing of the dynamics, the phrasing, the sensuality, the tenderness, or the ecstasy of JN. In fact I've never heard anyone even come close. Birgit 'laser beam' Nilsson least of all. Alright...let me get behind something now.


Hmm, that's interesting, I've listened a couple of time to Nilsson's Liebestod and it did nothing for me. I was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with me as she arouses so much admiration in others. Will definitely check out Norman's version.


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## Aksel (Dec 3, 2010)

Flagstad all the way!


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## NightHawk (Nov 3, 2011)

Renata Tebaldi does a great job, as well, but all the qualities I mentioned or raved about re JN PLUS her infallible pitch and superb rhythm make it (for me) just perfect. She never lets the forward energy go, even when she's not singing - her entrances continue to build and well, here I go again.



mamascarlatti said:


> Hmm, that's interesting, I've listened a couple of time to Nilsson's Liebestod and it did nothing for me. I was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with me as she arouses so much admiration in others. Will definitely check out Norman's version.


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## NightHawk (Nov 3, 2011)

Aksel said:


> Flagstad all the way!


Flagstad's version (to me) is one of fragility, which, is certainly a valid interpretation and it is affecting, but my second choice would be Tebaldi.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

No need to run, my favorite Liebestod is actually Dernesch on 1972 Karajan, over both Nilsson and Flagstad. I love Jessye Norman and have enjoyed her Liebestod on Youtube. It's a shame she never recorded the whole opera.


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## NightHawk (Nov 3, 2011)

I have that recording! In fact it's the only Tristan I own and Dernesch is wonderful throughout - the 2nd Act Duo is so memorable. I was surprised when I first listened to Tristan years ago to find that the Libestod melody is first sung by Tristan!
And, yes...it is too bad for us all that Jessye elected not to sing the entire role. I'm sure she made the right decision - taking care of those cords is a constant 24/365 I'd imagine. I think it is generally thought that Callas ruined her voice because she sang anything and everything, including the entire Tristan (in Italian), from a relatively early age. The CD that is all Wagner and ends with the Prelude to Act I then goes directly into the Norman/Karajan/Berlin Libestod is DG-423 613-2. Really glad to hear that you love JN's performance!



Couchie said:


> No need to run, my favorite Liebestod is actually Dernesch on 1972 Karajan, over both Nilsson and Flagstad. I love Jessye Norman and have enjoyed her Liebestod on Youtube. It's a shame she never recorded the whole opera.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I haven't heard Jesseye Norman's _Liebestod_ in quite some time, although I recently picked up a copy of her Four Last Songs (and other orchestral songs) by Strauss which I also last heard years ago and I was absolutely stunned. I would not be surprised if her Wagner was equally brilliant. Could her version be better than Nilsson's? Possible. But then my favorite Liebestod... my favorite Wagnerian singer has long been Kirsten Flagstad. I quite like this live performance by Nillson:






But Flagstad!! I especially like any number of earlier recordings... many live. This one from San Francisco with Lauritz Melchior in 1939 captures Flagstad in her prime:






Considering, however, that my favorite T&I is Karajan's with Dernesch, I'll have to agree that her Liebestod is among the greatest ever.


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## pollux (Nov 11, 2011)

In my opinion, there is no such thing as Flagstad's _Liebestod_, Nilsson's _Liebestod _or Norman's _Liebestod_. _Der Liebestod _is a piece of music that belongs to the conductor. The key thing here is to always keep the voice as one more undifferentiated instrument and to be able to maintain the tension from beginning to end. Remember, this is supposed to be a crazy run to emptiness. The whole thing is like organic material that must flow imperceptible but constant to the end. It is an error to put the climax of this piece in the final vocal expansions, the climax here is the final approach to silence. It must be like a volcano magma flowing with unstoppable energy until it finally stops, solidifying in contact with earth.

If you consider it in this way, you easily understand why most versions simply don't work. In Nilsson's example, the music tension falls constantly, but it is not Mrs. Nilsson's fault in any way. It is the conductor's fault. The problem with Nilsson is that when she developed his career the true wagnerian conductor tradition was ending.

In contrast, I think the Flagstad version is superb. She sounds ecstatic, majestic, her voice runs effortless, and the conducting is fully satisfying. Who is the conductor? I think there is a version with Beecham around that date. Is it perhaps this one?


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

I guess it should be Edwin McArthur.


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