Birgit Nilsson was a one-of-a-kind singer, combining the vocal weight necessary for the very largest operatic roles with a seemingly impossible clarity of tone and focus. Those vocal attributes are captured nicely on Ritorna vincitor!, Decca's two-disc collection of arias and songs devoted to the great soprano. It contains everything you'd expect -- the big arias of Wagner,
Strauss, Verdi, and Puccini -- and a few things you might not, including songs of Ture Rangström and "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady; the latter is the only misfire on the album. In all, it gives an excellent picture of
Nilsson's voice and artistry. The Sibelius and Grieg songs are especially nice;
Nilsson's delivery of her native Swedish is wonderful, and they provide a richer perspective on her singing than can be had with a collection of arias alone.