NPR

Remembering The Soprano Who Sang Like A Laser Beam

With a voice of gleaming steel that soared effortlessly above 100-piece orchestras, Swedish dramatic soprano Birgit Nilsson, who was born 100 years ago, was force of nature.

The myriad stories about Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson usually fall into two groups: the ones about her enormous, laser-focused voice and those about her rapier-sharp wit.

Nilsson, born 100 years ago on May 17, 1918, was the reigning dramatic soprano of her generation and possessed one of the most thrilling voices of the 20th century. Her stock and trade was the punishing, psychologically

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