As Kirsten Flagstad was winding down her career, Alceste proved an excellent vehicle for her. In this performance, despite being in her 60s, her remarkably intact instrument is still able to convey all of the classical poise of the title character and the forgiving nature of the tessitura meant that it wasn’t necessary for Elisabeth Schwarzkopf to be on hand for the odd high C. As a bonus I have included a rare excerpt of Flagstad singing the end of Tristan und Isolde from London, 1951.