Una macchia e qui tuttora

Birgit Nilsson (17 May 1918 - 25 December 2005) was a celebrated Swedish dramatic soprano who specialized in operatic and symphonic works. Her voice was noted for its overwhelming force, bountiful reserves of power and the gleaming brilliance and clarity in the upper register. Nilsson made such strong imprints on many roles that they came to be known as the "Nilsson repertory". She sang the operas of Richard Strauss and made a specialty of Puccini's Turandot, but it was the music of Wagner that made her career; her command of his music was comparable to that of Kirsten Flagstad, who owned the Wagner repertory at the Metropolitan Opera during the years before World War II. Nilsson recorded all of her major roles. Partly because of her availability to play Brünnhilde, Decca Records undertook the expensive project of making the first studio recording of Wagner's four-opera Ring cycle, conducted by Solti and produced by John Culshaw. The effort took seven years, from 1958 to 1965. A film of the proceedings made her a familiar image for arts-conscious television viewers...

Lyrics & English Translation

There's still a spot here.
Away, I tell you, curse you!
One, two, it is time!
Are you shaking? Don't you dare go in?
A soldier and so cowardly?
Shame! Come on, hurry!
Who would have thought that there would be
So much blood in that old man?
The Thane of Fife
Was he not recently a husband and father?
What happened?
(looking at her hands)
Shall I never be able
To clean these hands?
There's still human blood here.
The perfumes
Of all Arabia could not clean
This little hand.
Alas!
Put on your nightgown.
Come on, wash yourself!
Banquo is dead and no-one
Has ever come back from the grave.
To bed, to bed ...
What's done cannot be undone.
Someone is knocking! Come on, Macbeth,
Do not let your pallor accuse you.


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I send my kind and warm regards,