Christine Nilson | |
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![]() Nilsson in 1870 | |
Born | Christina Jonasdotter 20 August 1843 near Växjö, Småland, Sweden |
Died | 22 November 1921 | (aged 78)
Occupation | opera singer |
Christina Nilsson, Countess de Casa Miranda, also called Christine Nilsson[1] (20 August 1843 – 22 November 1921)[2] was a Swedish operatic dramatic coloratura soprano. Possessed of a pure and brilliant voice (B3-F6), first three then two and a half octaves trained in the bel canto technique, and noted for her graceful appearance and stage presence,[3][4][5] she enjoyed a twenty-year career as a top-rank international singer before her 1888 retirement.[3] A contemporary of one of the Victorian era's most famous divas, Adelina Patti,[6] the two were often compared by reviewers and audiences, and were sometimes believed to be rivals.[4][7] Nilsson became a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 1869.