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Description
Finally, an opera about the world-famous soprano Kirsten Flagstad!
In this opera, we meet Kirsten Flagstad at Rikshospitalet in the last hours of her life. Here she looks back on her life, her triumphs, and her most painful defeats. A young nurse becomes a confidential conversation partner and friend. Now she can speak freely.
In terms of genre, the opera can be described as melodic with lyrical and dramatic features.
The libretto is based on the critically acclaimed play Flagstad - Triumph and Tragedy by Einar Bjørge which was very well received in New York in 2014. Both the opera and the play are based on unique source material about Flagstad's life and career from the archives at Kirsten Flagstad Museum at Hamar.
Kirsten Flagstad (1895 - 1962) is often simply referred to as "the voice" - and is still considered the world's foremost Wagner soprano. Her voice has been described as "melting gold on black velvet". Flagstad already had an established career in Norway and Scandinavia with a varied repertoire, but when she debuted as Sieglinde in Wagner's Valkyrie in 1935, she was quickly proclaimed a star. The audience in the hall and radio listeners from all over New York flocked around the stage entrance to get a glimpse of this new phenomenal singer from Norway. Flagstad's international career began immediately, and she toured all over the world with an extensive concert repertoire in addition to leading roles at most leading opera houses.
Privately, Kirsten Flagstad was a very shy person. When World War II broke out, she just wanted to go home to her husband and family in Norway. But as the dutiful and professional artist, she was, she first wanted to finish the season for which she had signed a contract with the Metropolitan in New York. In the meantime, the United States joined the war and it became almost impossible to return home.
When the war was over, her husband died in captivity. Life was never the same for Kirsten Flagstad, and she retired to the country house Amalienborg near Kristiansand even though she continued to sing. Being appointed the first director of the Norwegian Opera in 1958 was a great reparation for her, but by then she was already seriously ill with cancer.
In the main role as Kirsten Flagstad, we meet the internationally renowned Norwegian soprano, Birgitte Christensen. The music is composed by Ketil Bjørnstad with libretto by Einar Bjørge who is also the director. This new opera has been commissioned and produced by the Oslo Opera Festival by Gjøril Songvoll and the musical arrangement and orchestration have been done by pianist Stefan Ibsen Zlatanos.
FLAGSTAD - THE OPERA will have its world premiere at Hamar, Kirsten Flagstad's birthplace, on 11 June 2021, and the same day the release will be released on CD (incl. DVD). The recording is from the dress rehearsal on stage 2 at the Norwegian Opera in November 2020. (The day before the opera house and the rest of the cultural life in Oslo again had to be shut down due to the corona pandemic).
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Tracklisting
- 1. Did he call?
- 2. Are you in pain?
- 3. Some more letters
- 4. But you are so young
- 5. Now I will give you the injection
- 6. Flagstad, all that is gone
- 7. Henry!, Henry!
- 8. Und die Seel unbewacht
- 9. Else?
- 10. Bellini-fragment
- 11. You know music is a language
- 12. When she got married, Else
- 13. Bring me a glass of water, will you?
- 14. Did he call, did Bernhard call?
- 15. How do we know what fate has kept in store for us?
- 16. Before the curtain fell
- 17. The war. Felt like it would never end
- 18. He was he kindest man there is
- 19. They kept us separated
- 20. You know, they didn't let me sing in Norway
- 21. Benard, you came
- 22. Send them my love
- 23. I gave her more than usual this time
- 24. When I have sung my songs to you
- 25. Applause
Disc 1
Side 1
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Hjalmar Borgstrom: Fiskeren (The Fisherman)
The Norwegian National Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Terje Boye Hansen
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Klang(!) - Orjan Matre, Knut Nystedt, Olav Anton Tho...
Bjorn Sagstad & Ila Brass Band
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Deja vu, 5 Studier, Sed Spes (Nanset Youth Brass Orch.)
Yngve Slettholm
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Definitely Pling-Plong (Bit20, Stav So, Opheim)
Various Composers
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Chamber Works (Ter Jung Sextet)
Vaage/Stalheim/Am/Rebne
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Sketches of Norway (Staff Band of Norwegian Armed Fo...
Trygve Madsen
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Piano Works (Bratlie)
Trygve Madsen
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Songs By Stenhammar/Rangstrom/Heise (Morkve)
Stenhammar/Rangstrom/Heise
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Weinberg: The Idiot
Thomas Sanderling, Orchester des Nationaltheaters Mannheim
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RaLPh Vaughan Williams: Hugh the Drover
Malcolm Sargent, Mary Lewis, Tudor Davies, Maggie Teyte, Clive Carey, Marie Howes, Harry Plunket Greene, James Johnstone
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Essential Maria Callas
Maria Callas
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Rossini: L'Italiana in Algeri
Soloists; Eroica Berlin; Jakob Lehmann
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Polifemo: Arias by Handel, Bononcini, Alberti
Luigi De Donato; Collegium 1704; Vaclav Luks
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Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Anna Moffo; Cesare Valletti; Fernando Corena; Erich Leinsdorf
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David Bontemps: La Flambeau
Soloists; Orchestre classique de Montreal; Alain Trudel
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Moniuszko: Widma (Apparitions)
Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi, Natalia Rubis, Pawel Konik, Krzysztof Baczyk, Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic Choir
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