Editing Birgit Nilsson (section)

=== Absence from New York and Salzburg ===
Though a frequent visitor to the [[Metropolitan Opera]], Nilsson did not always see eye to eye with its redoubtable general manager, Rudolf Bing (who was often said to dislike Wagner), nor with conductor Herbert von Karajan. Subsequently, she made fewer New York appearances than hoped in the early 1970s and was virtually excluded from the [[Salzburg Festival]]. Her American career was derailed in the mid-1970s by US [[Internal Revenue Service]] claims filed for back taxes. Several years later a schedule of payments was worked out, and Nilsson's hiatus from the United States ended. When she returned, [[Donal Henahan]] wrote in ''[[The New York Times]]'', "The famous shining trumpet of a voice is still far from sounding like a [[cornet]]."<ref>{{cite book |title=The New York Times Biographical Service|publisher=The New York Times & Arno Press|volume=12|year=1981 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jDwoAQAAIAAJ |access-date=29 April 2018 |page=1393 |quote=As recently as last season, Donal Henahan declared that 'the famous shining trumpet of a voice is still far from sounding like a cornet.' Miss Nilsson's longevity in this taxing profession is a marvel. She has outlasted even Kirsten Flagstad who left the operatic stage at 58.}}</ref>

Nilsson appeared at the Metropolitan Opera 223 times in 16 roles. She sang two complete ''Ring'' cycles in the 1961–62 season, and another in 1974–75. She was Isolde 33 times, and [[Turandot]] 52. She played most of the other major soprano parts: [[Aida]], [[Tosca]], the Dyer's Wife in Strauss's ''[[Die Frau ohne Schatten]]'', [[Salome (opera)|Salome]], [[Elektra (opera)|Elektra]], Verdi's [[Lady Macbeth]], and Leonore in Beethoven's ''[[Fidelio]]''. In 1966 she simultaneously performed the roles of Venus and Elisabeth (who never appear together) in Wagner's ''[[Tannhäuser (opera)|Tannhäuser]].''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://69.18.170.204/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=205800&limit=3000&xBranch=ALL&xsdate=&xedate=&theterm=1965-66&x=0&xhomepath=http://69.18.170.204/archives/&xhome=http://69.18.170.204/archives/bibpro.htm|title=BiblioTech PRO V3.2b|website=69.18.170.204|access-date=2019-10-31}}</ref> She memorably appeared as replacement Sieglinde to [[Rita Hunter]]'s Brünnhilde in the 1970s. She appeared 232 times at the [[Vienna State Opera]] from 1954 to 1982, and the [[Vienna Philharmonic]], the company's orchestra, made her an honorary member in 1999. "If there ever was someone that one can call a real star today and a world-famous opera singer during her time then that was Frau Nilsson", said [[Ioan Holender]], director of the Vienna State Opera.