La Nilsson: My Life in Opera

A charming and candid memoir by one of the great voices of the past century

First published to wide acclaim in Sweden (1995) and Germany (1997), the autobiography of opera legend Birgit Nilsson (1918–2005) is finally available in an English translation (itself first published by Northeastern University Press in 2007). From her humble roots in rural Sweden to her artistic triumphs in Stockholm, Bayreuth, Milan and the Metropolitan Opera House, this candid and utterly charming memoir reveals the personality behind one of the great voices of the past century. Gracefully weaving together the private and professional, Nilsson chronicles her idyllic childhood in Vastra Karup, the early recognition of her abilities and her first tentative steps into a wider artistic world. After achieving national acclaim in Verdi's Lady Macbeth, Nilsson went on to establish herself as the dominant Wagnerian soprano of her generation. The book details her rise to international stardom with behind-the-scenes recollections, photographs and a discography.