TIME Goes to the Opera

1935: Kirsten Flagstad
"As Sieglinde in Die Walkure, Flagstad exhibited a voice so clear and powerful, so even throughout its range, so flawless in its phrasing that most critics went ecstatic. Four days later came Tristan und Isolde and all hats were in the air. Flagstad could sing. Though she indulged in no pyrotechnics, she was quietly effective as she raised the cup, offered the love potion to Tristan. Again at the end she reached rare heights when, with her voice still fresh and sure, she kneeled beside Tristan's body and sang the demanding Liebestod. Thereafter whenever Flagstad sang, the house was crowded to the doors."
From: New Era, Dec. 23, 1935

• Lincoln Center's New Design