The great Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad officially retired from the concert stage in New York in 1955, after which she intended to keep to making occasional recordings in her retirement years.
However the 50th anniversary of the death of Norway's foremost composer, Grieg, in September 1957 proved sufficient for Flagstad to return to the stage for one final appearance, at a Proms concert in London conducted by Sir Malcolm Sargent.
The concert was an all-Grieg affair, with orchestral pieces in both halves serving as introductory material to the main act - Flagstad herself, singing a selection of some ten songs by the composer. Captured by the BBC in fine sound and remastered here by Andrew Rose, the result is a superb souvenir of a truly historic concert performance.
