What a delight to hear the glorious voice of Traubel, one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos, along with Nilsson and Flagstad, And the great tenor Melchior. No such Wagnerian greats today.
Such beautiful clarity and strength. It's not as girlish as we might have as our ideal in this role, but this is world class singing, and absolutely compelling.
Traubel`s voice had a "velvet" timbre pretty similar to that of Kirsten Flagstad. When Flagstad returned to Norway during WW2 Traubel and Astrid Varnay took over her roles at the MET. Audiences in those days must have been very privileged to have such great dramatic voices.
What a voice! She doesn’t sound the least bit girlish, but she makes it absolutely true and honest. I read her book “Saint Louis Woman,” fascinating story. She was forthright about her short top, and simply left out any high-Cs that gave her trouble. Okay, I understand. But nobody could get away with that today.
Edmund What a beautiful even and large sound. She knew how to put this piece and others over. It was simply a GREAT VOICE. Her Wagner duets with Melchior conducted by Toscanini are landmarks of great music making by all. Many thanks for this gem-John
I absolutely agree with all you say, John. One of my all time favorite singers. And I will never forgive Bing for the way he treated her. I can't say which was his worst mistake, Traubel or Sills. Shame on him!
Ha oui! Une grande parmi les grandes. Le matériel vocal est immense, et elle en joue avec une grande sensibilité, comme une chanteuse de lieder. Le grand Bing avait tort: chanter dans les Night-clubs de NYC ne compromettait pas son talent de soprano, bien au contraire. Celà devait contribuer à assouplir la voix et enrichir la palette d'émotions à exprimer par le timbre lui-même. Enfin, je crois...
..... et je suis absolument d'accord! L'attitude de Bing sur la musique reflète une sorte d'arrogance infantile. À penser que le jazz, ou d'autres formes musicales, sont nécessairement inférieur à l'opéra, est tout simplement ridicule. Tous les gens qui aiment vraiment la musique peuvent voir à travers ce genre de pensée enfantine. Non, Bing n'aimait que l'opéra italien, et quelques étoiles personnelles.Il a été suggéré que, fondamentalement, il n'aimait pas les chanteurs en général, et il existe des preuves importantes pour soutenir ce point de vue. À cet égard, il était l'exact opposé de James Levine, qui adore absolument les chanteurs et qui a été, n'est pas un hasard, le plus grand directeur de musique dans l'histoire du Metropolitan Opera!
***** Il est d'ailleurs rare qu'un grand chef soir aussi un grand directeur! Vive Jimmy! Concerant Bing: j'ai lu son livre il y a longtemps, je n'ai trouvé aucune marque de mépris. Je crois surtout qu'il voulait être le maître, et que les caprices de diva, les légèretés de comportement professionnel (Steber arrivant ivre aux répétitions...di Stefano "malade" chantant en fait ailleurs...), tout ça devait cesser. Faut-il lui donner tort? Quant à Traubel chantant dans les clubs, je crois que c'était surtout une question de "prestige". C'était une autre époque! Mais par ailleurs, je partage votre opinion sur la non-supériorité de l'opéra. Car il y a un genre musical encore plus difficile, plus délicat: le lieder!
Très bien pensé, mon ami, et très convaincant. J'ai beaucoup de respect pour votre jugement, et je vais réfléchir sérieusement à l'ensemble de la question.
Einsam in trüben Tagen hab’ ich zu Gott gefleht, des Herzens tiefstes Klagen ergoß ich im Gebet. Da drang aus meinem Stöhnen ein Laut so klagevoll, der zu gewalt’gem Tönen weit in die Lüfte schwoll: Ich hört’ ihn fernhin hallen, bis kaum mein Ohr er traf; mein Aug’ ist zugefallen, ich sank in süßen Schlaf. In lichter Waffen Scheine ein Ritter nahte da, so tugendlicher Reine ich keinen noch ersah. Ein golden Horn zur Hüften, gelehnet auf sein Schwert, so trat er aus den Lüften zu mir, der Rechke wert; mit züchtigem Gebahren gab Tröstung er mir ein: des Ritters wil ich wahren, er soll mein Streiter sein! Hört, was dem Gottgesandten ich biete für Gewähr : in meines Vaters Landen die Frone trage er, mich glücklich soll ich preisen, nimmt er mein Gut dahin, will er Gemahl mich heissen, geb’ ich ihm, was ich bin!
+Arthur Diggs Yes I agree. Flagstad and Traubel are close by. With a difference of a few years. I assume that this is a number you can put Felia Litvinne.
+Arthur Diggs My opinion is that Nilsson is below the level and Flagstad and Traubel. The voice and technique and the depth of the Nilsson how it is considered is the top of the silver period,and Flagstad and Traubel are the Golden age of Wagnerian performance. Kirsten and Helen - they are unattainable.
@@Serhii_Uk My opinion is that Nilsson was the greatest, then Traubel, then Flagstad. But all three of them were brilliant. The greatest Wagnerian sopranos who ever lived.
The best Wagnerian soprano EVER!!! Her "Starke Scheite Schuster Mir dorta" is beyond words. The only recording that comes close to matching hers is by Christa Ludwig (!)
You are quite right in saying Rudolph Bing treated Helen Traubel shamefully. He did the same to Robert Merrill. In fact, if you've read his autobiography "1000 Nights" it seems quite clear to me that he regarded most, if not all singers with great disdain and as a means to an end in supporting his career as "The Boss". Sadly, the current Met regime is no better, if not worse. At least Bing had some great singers working for him. Today, they are the most mediocre ever. Just my opinion.
amazing singer, thank you!! but the conductor... it conducts it too light and fast, that's not Wagner! but I'm so impressed by the singer, she's one of my favorites 👌
helen Traubel besaß eine der schönsten wagnerstimmenihier ist es hörbar.ein einzigartiger hörgenuß.
What a simply magnificent voice and interpretation. The kind of security and opulence that is now, sadly, the stuff of dreams.
What a delight to hear the glorious voice of Traubel, one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos, along with Nilsson and Flagstad, And the great tenor Melchior. No such Wagnerian greats today.
VARNAY.
Varnay better singer than Traubel?
Mmmm...I don't know.
@@ManuelGonzalez-fi1ki Traubel was better than Varnay.
Such beautiful clarity and strength. It's not as girlish as we might have as our ideal in this role, but this is world class singing, and absolutely compelling.
Fantastic. She was America's greatest Wagner soprano.
Since the recording era: we have no way of knowing what exactly Lillian Nordica sounded like.
@@JLFAN2009 true enough -- the few existing recordings are poor quality. Nordica had a much broader repertoire than Traubel, too.
Traubel`s voice had a "velvet" timbre pretty similar to that of Kirsten Flagstad. When Flagstad returned to Norway during WW2 Traubel and Astrid Varnay took over her roles at the MET. Audiences in those days must have been very privileged to have such great dramatic voices.
Une immensité sonore. Stupéfiant de sensibilité et de noblesse.
Traubel is my favorite Wagnerian soprano.
What a voice! She doesn’t sound the least bit girlish, but she makes it absolutely true and honest. I read her book “Saint Louis Woman,” fascinating story. She was forthright about her short top, and simply left out any high-Cs that gave her trouble. Okay, I understand. But nobody could get away with that today.
Beautiful. As she began I thought for a moment it was Kirsten Flagstad :)
Melchior likened Flagstad and Traubel unto a bright blue sapphire and a rich red ruby, respectively, when comparing their voices.
Edmund
What a beautiful even and large sound. She knew how to put this piece
and others over. It was simply a GREAT VOICE.
Her Wagner duets with Melchior conducted by Toscanini are landmarks
of great music making by all.
Many thanks for this gem-John
I absolutely agree with all you say, John. One of my all time favorite singers. And I will never forgive Bing for the way he treated her. I can't say which was his worst mistake, Traubel or Sills. Shame on him!
Edmund StAustell Bing treated Eileen Farrell pretty badly too.
@@EdmundStAustell He fired Melchior. He fired Traubel. And he fired Callas. And he refused to hire Sills. He was a nasty little man.
Beautiful!
Thank you very much!
Ha oui! Une grande parmi les grandes. Le matériel vocal est immense, et elle en joue avec une grande sensibilité, comme une chanteuse de lieder.
Le grand Bing avait tort: chanter dans les Night-clubs de NYC ne compromettait pas son talent de soprano, bien au contraire. Celà devait contribuer à assouplir la voix et enrichir la palette d'émotions à exprimer par le timbre lui-même. Enfin, je crois...
..... et je suis absolument d'accord! L'attitude de Bing sur la musique reflète une sorte d'arrogance infantile. À penser que le jazz, ou d'autres formes musicales, sont nécessairement inférieur à l'opéra, est tout simplement ridicule. Tous les gens qui aiment vraiment la musique peuvent voir à travers ce genre de pensée enfantine. Non, Bing n'aimait que l'opéra italien, et quelques étoiles personnelles.Il a été suggéré que, fondamentalement, il n'aimait pas les chanteurs en général, et il existe des preuves importantes pour soutenir ce point de vue. À cet égard, il était l'exact opposé de James Levine, qui adore absolument les chanteurs et qui a été, n'est pas un hasard, le plus grand directeur de musique dans l'histoire du Metropolitan Opera!
***** Il est d'ailleurs rare qu'un grand chef soir aussi un grand directeur! Vive Jimmy!
Concerant Bing: j'ai lu son livre il y a longtemps, je n'ai trouvé aucune marque de mépris. Je crois surtout qu'il voulait être le maître, et que les caprices de diva, les légèretés de comportement professionnel (Steber arrivant ivre aux répétitions...di Stefano "malade" chantant en fait ailleurs...), tout ça devait cesser. Faut-il lui donner tort? Quant à Traubel chantant dans les clubs, je crois que c'était surtout une question de "prestige". C'était une autre époque!
Mais par ailleurs, je partage votre opinion sur la non-supériorité de l'opéra. Car il y a un genre musical encore plus difficile, plus délicat: le lieder!
Très bien pensé, mon ami, et très convaincant. J'ai beaucoup de respect pour votre jugement, et je vais réfléchir sérieusement à l'ensemble de la question.
Einsam in trüben Tagen
hab’ ich zu Gott gefleht,
des Herzens tiefstes Klagen
ergoß ich im Gebet.
Da drang aus meinem Stöhnen
ein Laut so klagevoll,
der zu gewalt’gem Tönen
weit in die Lüfte schwoll:
Ich hört’ ihn fernhin hallen,
bis kaum mein Ohr er traf;
mein Aug’ ist zugefallen,
ich sank in süßen Schlaf.
In lichter Waffen Scheine
ein Ritter nahte da,
so tugendlicher Reine
ich keinen noch ersah.
Ein golden Horn zur Hüften,
gelehnet auf sein Schwert,
so trat er aus den Lüften
zu mir, der Rechke wert;
mit züchtigem Gebahren
gab Tröstung er mir ein:
des Ritters wil ich wahren,
er soll mein Streiter sein!
Hört, was dem Gottgesandten
ich biete für Gewähr :
in meines Vaters Landen
die Frone trage er,
mich glücklich soll ich preisen,
nimmt er mein Gut dahin,
will er Gemahl mich heissen,
geb’ ich ihm, was ich bin!
She is the great.
+Arthur Diggs Yes I agree. Flagstad and Traubel are close by. With a difference of a few years. I assume that this is a number you can put Felia Litvinne.
+Arthur Diggs My opinion is that Nilsson is below the level and Flagstad and Traubel. The voice and technique and the depth of the Nilsson how it is considered is the top of the silver period,and Flagstad and Traubel are the Golden age of Wagnerian performance. Kirsten and Helen - they are unattainable.
@@Serhii_Uk My opinion is that Nilsson was the greatest, then Traubel, then Flagstad. But all three of them were brilliant. The greatest Wagnerian sopranos who ever lived.
The best Wagnerian soprano EVER!!! Her "Starke Scheite Schuster Mir dorta" is beyond words. The only recording that comes close to matching hers is by Christa Ludwig (!)
wow what a full voice!!! I bet she could sing Isolde amazingly too! I hope I could sing Wagner as well as she did!!!
I have a recording of her singing Isolde. Her Isolde was fantastic.
@@SymphonyBrahms I would love to hear that. Is it available anywhere to listen to?
SENSACIONAL
💓💓💓💓
You are quite right in saying Rudolph Bing treated Helen Traubel shamefully. He did the same to Robert Merrill. In fact, if you've read his autobiography "1000 Nights" it seems quite clear to me that he regarded most, if not all singers with great disdain and as a means to an end in supporting his career as "The Boss". Sadly, the current Met regime is no better, if not worse. At least Bing had some great singers working for him. Today, they are the most mediocre ever. Just my opinion.
Good comment! Thank you!
If Rudolf Bing and Kathleen Battle had been at the Met simultaneously, who would have murdered whom?
Bing fired Traubel, Melchior, and Callas. And he refused to hire Beverly Sills. He was a nasty little dictator.
dont even get me started about the met productions, and that includes even 8 years ago when you first made this post
amazing singer, thank you!! but the conductor... it conducts it too light and fast, that's not Wagner! but I'm so impressed by the singer, she's one of my favorites 👌
Lucky us, Wagner wrote better melodies ! However this one is beautiful.
Einmalig und unerreichbar!
la voix revee ideale pour Wagner, quelle splendeur naturelle, une immense voix wagnerienne mille mercis MADAME TRAUBEL !!!
la splendissima wagneriana UNIQUE !!!!