Movement As Expression Choreography by Kristy Nilsson Kristy Nilsson.
The Birgit Nilsson Prize
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Transcript of The Birgit Nilsson Prize
The Birgit Nilsson Prize Award Ceremony 200913 October 2009Royal Swedish Opera Stockholm
1
Your MajestiesDistiNGuisHeD Guests
on behalf of the Birgit Nilsson Foundation, welcome
to the first award Ceremony of the Birgit Nilsson Prize.
Here at the royal opera in stockholm, the legendary
Birgit Nilsson made her debut 63 years ago. this evening
the Foundation is awarding the first Birgit Nilsson Prize
for outstanding achievement in opera and Concert — to
honour those who, performance after performance, bring
the music to life, bridging the gap between composer
and audience.
Before her death in 2005 Birgit Nilsson chose Plácido
Domingo as the first recipient of the Prize. she held him
in high esteem as singer, conductor and humanitarian
and wanted to honour him as one of the greatest opera
singers of all time. the admiration was mutual: “she
personified musical excellence. and each time i was on
stage with her, i was so overwhelmed by her voice that
i almost forgot to sing,” says Plácido Domingo.
in the future, an appointed jury will recommend the
singer or conductor who has made an outstanding con-
tribution to the world of music, or select an exceptional
opera production which has been staged in the spirit
of the composer.
on behalf of the Birgit Nilsson Foundation, i trust this
evening will remain memorable, and i thank you for
taking part in this event.
Prof. Dr. rutbert reisch
President of the Birgit Nilsson Foundation
Welcome
Birgit Nilsson and Plácido Domingo in ‘turandot’, the Metropolitan opera 1970Photo: Louis Péres
Cover photo: sheila rock
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H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf and H.M. Queen Silvia
at the award Ceremony, H.M. King Carl XVi Gustaf
will present the Birgit Nilsson Prize to Plácido Domingo
in the presence of H.M. the Queen.
as an enthusiast of the arts and music, H.M. King
Carl XVi Gustaf attended many of Birgit Nilsson’s
performances at the royal swedish opera. in 1981,
Birgit Nilsson was decorated with the illis Quorum
Gold Medal, the highest award conferred upon a swedish
citizen by the Government of sweden, in recognition of
her outstanding cultural and artistic contribution.
upon being informed of her death in 2005, H.M. King
Carl XVi Gustaf said, “With Birgit Nilsson’s passing away,
sweden has lost one of its greatest artists.”
H.M. King Carl XVi Gustaf and H.M. Queen silvia of swedenPhoto: Hans Hammarskiöld
4
The Programme
the royal swedish opera will open its doors at 17.00 h.
all guests must be seated by 17.50 h at the latest.
the swedish television presenter Camilla Lundberg will
moderate the Ceremony.
the President of the Birgit Nilsson Foundation, Prof. Dr.
rutbert reisch, will open the Ceremony by welcoming the
guests. Hans-Peter Lehmann, former General Manager
of the state opera of Hanover and assistant Director
at the Bayreuth Festival, will then pay homage to
Birgit Nilsson. His laudatory speech will be followed by
a performance of the swedish soprano Nina stemme,
accompanied by the royal swedish orchestra conducted
by Gregor Bühl. they will perform the ‘Liebestod’ from
Wagner’s ‘tristan und isolde’. thereafter, the artistic
Director of the royal swedish opera, Birgitta svendén,
will give the laudatory speech for Plácido Domingo.
H.M. King Carl XVi Gustaf will then present the Birgit
Nilsson Prize to Plácido Domingo, who was chosen by
the late Birgit Nilsson to be the first Prize winner. to
conclude, the royal swedish orchestra will perform the
prelude to Wagner’s ‘Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’.
the award Ceremony will finish at approximately 19.15 h.
after the Ceremony, the audience will be invited to
a cocktail reception at the royal swedish opera by the
Birgit Nilsson Foundation.
Photo: alexander Kenney
5
The Royal Anthem
Birgit Nilsson in ‘Götterdämmerung’, the Metropolitan opera 1975Photo: Beth Bergman
Written around 1844, the royal anthem (‘ur svenska
hjärtans djup en gång’) pays homage to H.M. the King
as the symbol of the swedish nation. Lyrics by C.V. a.
strandberg, music by otto Lindblad.
to open the Ceremony,
the audience will stand and sing the royal anthem.
Ur svenska hjärtans djup en gång
en samfälld och en enkel sång,
som går till kungen fram!
Var honom trofast och hans ätt,
gör kronan på hans hjässa lätt,
och all din tro till honom sätt,
du folk av frejdad stam!
From the depth of Swedish hearts,a joint and simple song,which to the King reaches forth!Be faithful to him and his line,the crown upon his head, make light,and all your faith in him invest,you folk of high renown.(unofficial translation)
6
Birgit Nilsson
No one could have predicted that Birgit Nilsson would
one day become an icon among the interpreters of
Wagner, strauss, Puccini and Verdi, and perform at the
world’s leading opera houses. Born on 17 May 1918 in
Västra Karup, a town in the southern swedish province
of skåne, the young farmer’s daughter was at first simply
seen as an exceptional vocal talent who was welcome
to sing in the local church choir.
Birgit Nilsson completed her professional training as a
soprano at the stockholm opera school, and in 1946
made her debut as agathe in ‘Der Freischütz’ at the
royal swedish opera in stockholm. Her stage repertoire
quickly broke through the lyrical and youthful-dramatic
roles. soon she achieved great acclaim at international
level, both from her audiences and the critics.
Wagner’s isolde and Brünnhilde, Puccini’s tosca and
turandot, richard strauss’ elektra, salome and the
Dyer’s Wife in ‘Die Frau ohne schatten’ — these were
parts that became the core repertoire of Birgit Nilsson.
the opening of the La scala season 1958 as turandot,
her debut at the Metropolitan opera as isolde in Decem-
ber 1959, and her Brünnhilde and isolde in Wieland
Wagner’s productions in Bayreuth were considered
milestones in her career. a collegial recognition of Birgit
Nilsson’s artistry was evident during a television inter-
view several years ago when Plácido Domingo was asked
what musical recordings he cherished most — he
answered, “one of my all-time favorites is ‘in questa
reggia’ sung by Birgit Nilsson but the recording cannot
compare to the sound i heard when singing with her.”
after 36 years, Birgit Nilsson suddenly retired from the
opera stage in 1982, without giving a farewell perform-
ance, remarking in her typical style, “it’s better to be
retiring two years too early than two years too late!”
there followed a concert tour in 1984, after which she
devoted her time to sharing her experience with young
talented singers. Her life continued to be dedicated
to opera even after she left the stage. Birgit Nilsson
died on 25 December 2005, at the age of 87, in her
swedish homeland, where she was buried in a quiet
ceremony.
Birgit Nilsson in ‘turandot’,Vienna state opera 1961
Photo: Foto Fayer
Birgit Nilsson in ‘tristan und isolde’, Vienna state opera 1967Photo: Foto Fayer
Birgit Nilsson with Wieland Wagner in ‘tristan und isolde’, Bayreuth Festival 1965–1970Photo: siegfried Lauterwasser
7
Birgit Nilsson with Franco Corelli in ‘tosca’, the Metropolitan opera 1968Photo: Beth Bergman
Birgit Nilsson with james Levine in ‘elektra’, the Metropolitan opera 1980Photo: Beth Bergman
Birgit Nilsson with conductor Karl Böhm in ‘salome’, the Metropolitan opera 1965 Photo: Beth Bergman
8
9
Plácido Domingo Recipient of the first Birgit Nilsson Prize
Plácido Domingo’s worldwide career is legendary —
singing 130 different roles, more than any other tenor
in history. ten years ago, Plácido Domingo surpassed
enrico Caruso’s longstanding record of opening the
Metropolitan opera season, and in 2009, he celebrates
his 40th year of singing at the Metropolitan opera,
having opened the season 21 times. Plácido Domingo’s
musicality is confirmed by his extraordinary repertoire
and singing career, as well as his accomplishments as a
conductor, administrator, humanitarian, and creator of
young artist programmes and competitions.
Plácido Domingo was born in the Barrio de salamanca
district of Madrid on 21 january 1941. after moving
to Mexico at the age of 8, he went to Mexico City’s
Conservatory of Music to study piano and conducting,
but then studied vocal training after his voice was
discovered.
in 1961, Plácido Domingo made his operatic debut in
a leading role as alfredo in ‘La traviata’ at Monterrey.
He has sung and continues to sing in every major opera
House in the world. Being constantly challenged by
new roles — in six different languages —, he has made
an unparalleled amount of recordings, of which 101 are
full-length operas. the range of his repertoire extends
from Mozart to Verdi, from Berlioz to Puccini, from
Wagner to Ginastera.
as a conductor in the classical field of opera and concerts,
he has led performances in all the important theatres.
Furthermore, Plácido Domingo’s interest in helping
young singers is emphasized by his yearly competition
‘operalia’, which has taken place all over the world.
BirGit NiLssoN aND PLáCiDo DoMiNGo
Birgit Nilsson and Plácido Domingo first sang together
in New York at the Metropolitan opera on 15 February
1969, in a matinee production of ‘tosca’. Birgit Nilsson
remarked that, “Plácido acquitted himself splendidly.
He was an incredibly good Cavaradossi, his acting was
superb — he was the part, he loved the part and on top,
there was gorgeous singing.”
Birgit Nilsson chose Plácido Domingo as the first
recipient of the Birgit Nilsson Prize before her death in
2005. the Prize honours Plácido Domingo for his singular
contribution to the performing arts, his outstanding
musicianship, glorious voice, dramatic expressiveness,
thorough professionalism, and his commitment to serve
the composer.
Birgit Nilsson with Plácido Domingo backstage after ‘La traviata’, the Metropolitan opera 1981Photo: Patrick Farrell, Linda Gale
Photo: sheila rock
10
Honouring Birgit Nilsson and Plácido Domingo
HaNs-Peter LeHMaNN
at the award Ceremony, the German Director Hans-Peter
Lehmann will reflect on his friendship with Birgit Nilsson
and the influence she had on the world of opera.
the stage Director and artistic Director, born in Kassel,
Germany in 1934, and married to the singer erika Maria
Lehmann, was assistant Director to Wieland and Wolfgang
Wagner in Bayreuth — and thus came to know Birgit
Nilsson in 1960. a close friendship developed as a result
of their long cooperation.
the long-time general manager of the Hanover state
opera has been an independent Director since 2001.
Wagner, strauss and Verdi are at the centre of his work
as stage Director at the leading musical institutions
around the world, including the Metropolitan opera and
La scala. Hans-Peter Lehmann also teaches at various
academies in Germany, and acts as a jury member at
international singing competitions.
BirGitta sVeNDéN
the artistic Director of the royal swedish opera,
Birgitta svendén, will give the laudatory speech on
Plácido Domingo.
Birgitta svendén is one of the most important swedish
opera singers and was appointed swedish royal Court
singer in 1995. she was a member of the royal opera
until 1994 and, during that time, in high demand world-
wide. For thirteen seasons at Bayreuth she sang in a
total of 157 performances. Birgitta svendén appeared as
erda in the ‘ring’, sang Waltraute in ‘Götterdämmerung’
and Magdalene in ‘Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’, to
mention just a few of her roles. she also sang at the Metro-
politan opera for ten seasons between 1986 and 1998.
Hans-Peter Lehmann and Birgit Nilsson at the Bayreuth Festival, rehearsal of ‘tristan und isolde’, 1967Photo: Bayreuther Festspiele
Photo: alexander Kenney
11
NiNa steMMe
the swedish soprano Nina stemme will perform the
‘Liebestod’ from ‘tristan und isolde’.
the opera world discovered Nina stemme in 1993,
when she was among the first outstanding young talents
at the operalia — the World opera Competition founded
by Plácido Domingo. in 1996, she won the scholarship of
the ‘stiftelsen Birgit Nilssons stipendiefond’.
since her first performance of isolde at the Glyndebourne
Festival, her interpretation of the ‘Liebestod’ has moved
countless opera lovers. she was also an acclaimed
success at the Bayreuth Festival. along with Plácido
Domingo, she made a now famous recording of ‘tristan
und isolde’ in 2005.
Der LieBestoD
Mild und leise.
isolde’s transfiguration — the ‘Liebestod’ — requires
a strong dramatic voice capable of soaring over the
full orchestra as well as floating a subtle pianissimo.
isolde was one of the roles Birgit Nilsson performed
most frequently over the course of her career. “one
never finishes with isolde, even if one has sung her
more than two hundred times, as i have,” she once
said. of the ‘Liebestod’ she remarked, “However
fantastic the performance of isolde is in the first
two acts, if it fails during the ‘Liebestod’, it is not a
good isolde.”
Nina Stemme performs the ‘Liebestod’
Nina stemme in ‘tristan und isolde’, royal swedish opera 2004Photo: Mats Bäcker
the famous soprano has sung at all the leading opera
houses, concert halls and festivals throughout the world.
Nina stemme, who was appointed swedish royal Court
singer in 2006, is a member of the royal swedish
academy of Music.
Nina stemme’s performance of the ‘Liebestod’ will be
accompanied by the royal swedish orchestra under
the baton of Gregor Bühl.
12
The Royal Swedish Orchestra plays the prelude to ‘Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’
Die MeistersiNGer VoN NürNBerG
Wagner experienced unforeseen popularity
following the premiere of ‘Die Meistersinger von
Nürnberg’ in 1868. it became a veritable success
and ensured a wide audience for Wagner’s
musical cosmos.
unlike Wagner’s other works, it is not based on
mythology but on the German history of music.
Wagner began to compose ‘Meistersinger’ as early
as 1845 and finished it 22 years later.
in the ‘Meistersinger’, Wagner focuses on people,
social structures and the arts establishment with
great humour and originality — all without fore-
going a few serious and melancholy undertones.
the setting is 16th century Nuremberg where
the winner of a singing contest wins the hand in
marriage of the cobbler’s daughter.
GreGor BüHL, CoNDuCtor
the German conductor Gregor Bühl has strong ties to
the royal swedish opera, where he not only conducted
their critically acclaimed new ‘ring’ Cycle but also
productions of ‘tristan und isolde’, ‘samson et Dalila’,
‘Werther’ and ‘Le Nozze di Figaro’.
He has also worked extensively in european opera
houses such as Dresden, the Deutsche oper Berlin and
Leipzig and made his North american debut in toronto,
with Fidelio. He has worked with orchestras in Hamburg,
Hanover, Munich, Weimar, the Gewandhaus orchester
Leipzig and the israel Philharmonic.
Gregor Bühl studied conducting with Wolfgang trommer
in Düsseldorf and started his career as Gerd albrecht’s
assistant at the Hamburg opera, before acting as
1st Kapellmeister at the staatstheater Hanover from
1995 to 2001.
tHe roYaL sWeDisH orCHestra
the royal swedish orchestra currently comprises
107 members. the orcherstra traces its origins back
to the Court Chapel of the 16th century and is one of
the world’s oldest orchestras. as the only professional
orchestra in 19th century sweden, it also regularly
gave concerts with symphonic and vocal works.
Many of the world’s most distinguished conduc-
tors have worked with the orchestra. the list of
noted 20th century conductors includes Leo Blech,
Fritz Busch, sixten ehrling, Lamberto Gardelli,
Michael Gielen, Nils Grevillius, armas jarnefelt,
Berislav Klobucar, siegfried Köhler, Leif segerstam
and silvio Varviso.
the Ceremony will be concluded with the prelude to
‘Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg’, performed by the
royal swedish orchestra, conducted by Gregor Bühl.
Photo: Mats Bäcker
13
Photo: alexander Kenney
14
The Royal Swedish Opera
Kungliga operan or the royal swedish opera is the venue
of the Birgit Nilsson Prize award Ceremony 2009. it lies
in the centre of stockholm, opposite the royal Palace.
it was designed by axel johan anderberg and opened in
september 1898. it is a majestic neo-classical building
with a magnificent gold foyer and an elegant grand
marble staircase leading to a three-tiered auditorium.
over the years, the royal opera has introduced many
outstanding opera singers to the world of opera. jenny
Lind, Kerstin thorborg, jussi Björling, set svanholm,
Birgit Nilsson and Nicolai Gedda are but a few of the
legendary swedish singers who once made their debut at
the royal opera. and the tradition continues with singers
like Nina stemme, Katarina Dalayman, Peter Mattei and
many more.
BirGit NiLssoN at tHe roYaL sWeDisH oPera
Birgit Nilsson made her first appearance at the royal
opera on 9 october 1946 in the role of agathe in
Carl Maria von Weber’s ‘Der Freischütz’, and won great
acclaim as Lady Macbeth the following year. For a
decade, Birgit Nilsson was a permanent member of
the royal opera. she performed regularly at the opera
house as a guest singer until 1981 when she gave her
last performance there as Brünnhilde in ‘Die Walküre’.
“the evening of october 9, 1946 was windy
and overcast. the young girl from skane was
on her way to the royal opera for her first-ever
performance as a professional opera singer.
just five days earlier, she had been told that
she was to replace the scheduled agathe in
Weber’s ‘Der Freischütz’. the choice of taking
over the role fell on the young singer, who had
never previously sung at the opera.”
Birgit Nilsson, autobiography ‘La Nilsson’
15
CaMiLLa LuNDBerG is GuiDiNG tHrouGH tHe eVeNiNG
Camilla Lundberg will act as moderator at the
award Ceremony. she is one of the best known
television personalities in sweden.
Camilla Lundberg joined the swedish national
television sVt as Head of Music in 1999, where
her first major production was ‘ingmar Bergman
on Music’. she is executive producer of the award
winning documentary ‘La Nilsson’ (2005).
For more than twenty years, Camilla Lundberg was
a senior music critic for the newspaper ‘expressen’.
she is also a well-known radio personality, having
hosted a morning show on classical music since the
1970s. in the year 2000, she published her essays
on music, politics and the arts, which were nomi-
nated for the swedish Booker Prize, ‘august’.
the royal swedish operaPhoto: Mats Bäcker
16
towards the end of her long and distinguished career,
Birgit Nilsson decided to establish a foundation for a
prize, worth one million dollars, to be awarded every
second or third year for outstanding achievement by
a singer in the field of opera or concert or oratorio, or
a conductor in the classical field of opera or concert, or
a specific production by an opera company, as long
as this production is outstandingly cast and conducted
and, most importantly, staged in the spirit of the
composer.
according to the provisions of the Birgit Nilsson Foun-
dation, the decision on the recipients is made by the
Foundation Board, based on the recommendation of an
international jury. it may be split between two artists;
it may not be awarded to the same person twice. the
Birgit Nilsson Prize is the biggest prize in the history of
classical music.
The Birgit Nilsson Prizefor Outstanding Achievement in Opera and Concert
Birgit Nilsson in ‘tristan und isolde’, Vienna state opera 1967Photo: Foto Fayer
Project Management by Farner Consulting Ltd., Zurichalexander roosdorp, Project ManagerPatrik rosenberg, Head of event Managementjun sarbach, Head of Press officeBarbara Koster, Press officer internationalHannes Hultcrantz, Prat Pr, Press officer swedenDunja tonnemacher, stage DirectorNina Bunschi, Guest relations Managertsunshan samson Ng, Design Director
© 2009 the Birgit Nilsson Prize. all rights reserved.
the Birgit Nilsson Foundation expresses its deepest gratitude
to their Majesties for honouring the Foundation with their
presence at the award Ceremony and for presenting the Birgit
Nilsson Prize to its recipient Plácido Domingo.
tHe FouNDatioN WouLD LiKe to eXPress its DeeP aPPreCiatioN to
Lars-Hjalmar Wide, First Marshal of the Court
Hans Norlén, surveyor of the Court
annika sönnerberg, information officer of the royal Court
anders Franzén, Managing Director of the royal swedish opera
Birgitta svendén, artistic Director of the royal swedish opera
Kurt Blomquist, technical Director of the royal swedish opera
the royal swedish opera and orchestra
Nina stemme
Gregor Bühl
Hans-Peter Lehmann
Camilla Lundberg
Margareta Dellefors
Bengt Hall
04
The Birgit Nilsson Prize
c/o Farner Consulting Ltd.
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www.birgitnilssonprize.org