You can convincingly argue that even in the heaviest Italian roles she wasn't quite right, but here "Ritorna vincitor" (from a 1963 recital) is thrilling and utterly believable--but then along comes an undercharacterized "O don fatale", with weakish low notes (but blazing high ones) and a "Pace, pace mio Dio" that while studious and intelligent contains not-quite-Italianate pianissimos and a tone quality that just seems wrong. The Wesendonk Lieder are better than I remembered, although they're slightly lacking in warmth, a "Liebestod" from 1959 under Hans Knappertsbusch is spectacular, and "Dich teure Halle" is exultant.

Songs by Sibelius, Grieg, and Rangström are idiomatic, well-thought out, and gripping, and a snippet from Die Frau ohne Schatten, recorded in 1985 (none of the other selections date from after 1972), shows some aging, but not much--Nilsson remained a phenomenon until the end. And speaking of the end, this collection closes with "I could have danced all night", with a high-C that can cause brain damage. If you don't own the complete recordings of Nilsson's major roles and don't plan to--and despite the fact that she never was a truly persuasive Italian soprano--make sure you buy this. [6/13/2003]