A star is born
In 1932, Flagstad made her début at the Bayreuth Festival to raving reviews. Two years later she was offered a contract at the Metropolitan Opera. Totally unknown in the United States, Flagstad became a star overnight when she first sang the role of Sieglinde on 2 February 1935. The performance was broadcast on the radio to ten million listeners. The Metropolitan Opera was a dire financial situation, but after this performance 80 000 tickets were sold in a short time so that she was credited for saving the Met from bankruptcy.
Success followed success. Flagstad attracted audiences of 20 000 in New York and an astounding 250 000 in Chicago, toured extensively in the US, Europe, Australia and South America and made countless recordings.
'Flagstad, go home!’
But the tide turned for Flagstad when in 1941 she made the controversial decision to leave the US and return to Nazi-occupied Norway to be with her husband. Although she was not personally interested in politics and did not perform in either Norway or Germany throughout the war, Flagstad reputation was deeply tarnished by her decision. Her husband was a longstanding member of the Nasjonal Samling, which upon the occupation of Norway became the Nazi party. While he conducted business with the Germans, selling them lumber, he retracted his party membership after his wife return to Norway. Arrested after the war, he died before the trial.
Flagstad herself was never charged for any offence. Yet, when she finally returned to the US after the war she was subjected to a genuine witch hunt. The demonstrations at the Metropolitan Opera upon in January 1951 where particularly humiliating to Flagstad. Two of the opera’s stars had left in protest of her invitation and demonstrators gathered both inside and outside the auditorium. However, Flagstad did not budge and managed to win them over. There were nineteen curtain calls after the concert and critics wrote that she had once again confirmed that she was the world’s greatest Wagner singer.
To her own mind, her reputation was only fully cleared when in February 1959 King Olav V attended the inauguration of the Norwegian National Opera. She held the position of the first director of the institution until her death. It is only fitting that it now celebrates her life, 125 years after her birth.