Happy Birthday Dame Gwyneth Jones
The legendary dramatic soprano was born November 7, 1936.
Also on this date: the birthday of Dame Joan Sutherland (born 1926).
And the premiere of the operetta Naughty Marietta (1910).
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Happy Birthday Dame Gwyneth!!!!
Another one of those very variable divas, but at her best she was stupendous!
Oops!!!! Did I poach an adjective from another birthday girl??
Richard, you’ve gotta be kidding me. (Just testing out the reply function).
Ouch, Joan gets relegated to “also on this date” after the jumps.
I had no idea it was the other Dame’s (Gwyneth Jones) birthday today. Joan Sutherland is number one in my opinion…but I guess that depends on whether you like Wagner or flashy coloratura. But Dame Joan sang Wagner too.
i think that 1984 norma sucked though. i mean when i visualize it its actually rational/logical… pollione leaves norma coz she’s really fucking old. there’s a nobility to the age, but damn, the march of the priests was too fast, her sediziosi voci was too strained even.
Well, Norma is really fucking old, but Adalgisa is really fucking fat.
Anyway, this was my first Norma recording and I like it more than Sutherland’s first studio recording. Her voice had a lot of rougher nuances to it so you can really hear the drama.
Dame Gwyneth is my fave (and first) Desdemona on the recording with James McCracken. One of my favorite complete recordings
Do “rougher nuances” translate as “wide vibrato”? Caballe’s Norma with Fiorenza Cossotto is fairly horrible, but her L’Orange performance from 1974 is legendary.
Rough edge, wide vibrato, tremolo, old hag…I still like it.
Say what you want about La Stupenda, warts and all, mushy diction, memory lapses and catty asides, the lady could always deliver the goods vocally. Wish that Decca would reissue the “Command Performances” set complete, instead of in drips and drabs on various compilation CDs.
Dame Gwyneth, well, suffice it to say you had to be there. I never forgot when she was the REPLACEMENT Leonora in Fidelio at LOC. Tremendous, and those imperfect “vocal” things meant a lot less in the theatre. On records, I remember (I think it was) Jellineck lamenting her being cast in so many projects in a row (Octavian, Salome, Kundry, etc.).
You made me laugh. I’m seriously loving Vespri, though I don’t think Gedda is particularly idiomatic in the Verdi; I would have loved to have heard Domingo do this (if it didn’t go too high for him, not sure what the range is). And I forgot that “Arrigo, a parli a un core” is from this. It’s one of the most stunning things Caballe recorded. I saw Carol Vaness sing this with the Washington Opera Chorus in the 80s. Can’t remember how she actually sounded though she looked gorgeous.
Domingo did it (not that “it”…I’m talking about Vespri) with Caballe in Barcelona in 1974.
Carol Vaness sang a wonderful Elena with the Washington Opera Chorus. Her “Arrigo, ah parli a un core” was really good, marred only by a manic conductor who mistook the aria for a cabaletta. Ms. Vaness also sang a wonderful “Merci dilette amiche”, lacking only the final e natural. She also sang the role to great acclaim in San Francisco. Unfortunately, a performance of Vespri with Johan Botha in Vienna in the late 90’s found Ms. Vaness in poor voice, and her final aria was well below her normal standards. This was her last performance of Elena.
Saw this when ROH came to L.A. for “Olympic Arts Festival” in 1984 with Domingo. It was the best Turandot I have ever seen. She was a tiger for that, burning bright, in the forests of the night
It was awesome.
Ah yes, the marvelous attacca that Dame Eva gave to Gwyneth, along with a cup of tea and some boudoir biscuits.
La Cieca, you should have lead with this clip of Jones considering what’s happening at the Met today.
SOOOOO beautifully sung! Not particularly idiomatic, as far as vocal color in concerned (aka, no italianata), but the almost instrumental purity she brings to the music reminds one of how much Verdi was still heavily reliant on the belcanto tradition. And the way she turns the final trill just kills me…She might have made an astonishing Anna Bolena, or even Norma (did she ever sing it?). As much as I love the later Gwyneth, the voice was rarely as BEAUTIFUL as it is here. And for once, the aria doesn’t plod along. She hits all the vocal marks dead on, and so easily, that it really feels all of a piece and not a bunch of disjointed musical “moments”. LOVES IT!
Didn’t she do a Norma late in her career in Zurich? Thrilling though she was as Elektra and Turandot, that must have been pretty horrible, frankly.
Jones’ Norma is best described as demented filth.
Er… Puccini, right?
brünnhilde’s awakening is one of my favorite moments in gwyneth’s chéreau ring. nice choice.
she is the artist (from a brief clip of her immolation scene) that convinced me wagner was worth a listen after all. my appreciation of her artistry deepens with time…she was much more flexible than most people give her credit for. she could have been one of the great verdi singers of her time — she really was, arguably, in the 60s and 70s — but thank gods for her salome, elektra, and brünnhilde, truly inspired and demented singing. as a young opera princess there are many things i feel i’ve missed out on, but feeling gwyneth shaking the rafters is at the top of the list. (i’d love to hear some of you venerable queens’ stories!)
dame gwyneth, happy birthday, and thank you.
As I’ve said before on here, the best thing I ever saw Gwyneth do was a Faerberin in Paris in 1980.
The sound really did shoot up to the gods and past your ears.
Mattila can only dream…
La Cieca, is that Dame Gwyneth as Katisha?
I was afraid we’d see these again.
I’m always happy to see this one. Rawr!
Can we please give this woman’s tits a fucking break? It was uninteresting the first 4 times we had to see it posted here.
No! Netrebko has become my obligatory Jill-in-the-box pop up birthday toy.
I like the Russoanimation with the Gaytor. Very cute!
Happiest of birthdays to all, but especially Dame Gwyneth!!! Yes, she most certainly is best experienced live. As one critic described her Elektra with SFO, the voice was like a “blast furnace.” When she’s on, look out! Yes, there were issues, but the power of her performance was undeniable. For all the raw power at full throttle, she commanded an astonishing, utterly feminine pianissimo.
I agree that, if she’d not moved into heldensopran roles, she’d be remembered as a great Verdiana, perhaps – yes – eclipsing Leontyne.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vvVrB8mTkk
ARGH!!!
Further, I’d dare say that others have sung Brunnhilde beautifully, but Wotan’s daughter has never been more movingly portrayed.
Oy, again with the birthday songs?
Sometimes I think Quanto Painy Fakor is transmitting counterintelligence codes via Youtube urls.
Or is he/she/it… perhaps… a droid?
Good one Squirrel.
‘Fess up, squirrel. You are also QPF. Great attempts at diversion. Very Roger Ackroyd.
It’s not true, I swear! (la cieca, tell them)
this video is great though! those are some very advanced squirrels
There are indeed some very advanced squirrels – maybe some of them will start posting here…
Someone had to say it. LOL
The Libra in me feels compelled to balance out the Gwyneth clips with a Joan clip, taken from the most interesting part of her career (the 60s).
Yea, we need more Sutherland. There is some obvious Jones bias at work here (La Cieca?):
Speaking for myself, it’s not so much bias, but a feeling that Gwyneth is less appreciated than La Stupenda. For the record, to me, this is the best thing she ever did -- and, yes, I saw her glorious Norma live in 1973. Still, this blows me out of the water.
Jones gave me some of my best nights at the opera including a stupendous Faerberin with the still good Studer as Kaiserin and Brigitte as Amme. Plus I still remember a Butterfly which was also beautifully sung if a bit loud. Elektra was amazing as well, both in Genf and later in the Nationaltheater. She had an off night in Wien when I heard her Isolde which didn’t fit her as well as other roles did. Happy Birthday!!!!
Surely to goodness Geneva is Genève rather than Genf – even if the work in question is sung auf Deutsch?
Sorry but to me, nothing is more ridiculous than comparing singers, particularly those at the top of the tree. If you don’t believe me- just take a peek at the innane commments on Youtube. Parterre more resembles youtube everytime contributors get into the inane arguments about “who was/is better than who.
How can one compare the sublime Joan’s early Lucia’s (and Art of the Prima Donna recordings) with the stunning and powerful Brunhilde’s of La Jones? I reckon thank God for the both of them…and I know why someone once said “comparisons are odious”.
That’s silly, Ruxton. Gwinny’s Brunnhilde WHUPS Sutherland’s Lucia. EVERY TIME!!
- Doberdawg. Captain, Team Gwyneth
You said it Ruxton, comparing Dame Joan to Dame Gwenneth is like comparing champagne to coca cola!
In honor of her unique singing style, Jones’s birthday celebration will be spread out from the usual clearly limited 24 hours to encompass a vaguely defined 72 hours.
Excellent. I knew there was a reason I liked her! More party time!
harsh, messa di voce. But she probably couldn’t have pulled you off, it must be said.
Monty, many are those who have pulled me off (some of them being singers). But I’m a big fan of La Gwyneth.
Me too, with the realistic reservations, of course. Someone once described her to me as an extraordinarily generous singer — always ready to give three notes rather than just the one written pitch.
Donning my sailor’s cap and grass skirt, I sing:
“There is nothin’ like a dame,
Nothin’ in the world,
There is nothin’ you can name
That is anythin’ like a dame!”
Happy happy Gwyneth & Joan!
I loved lots of these clips of both ladies. Both were wonderful at their best.
Happy birthday , girls!
Darling Dame Gwyneth, a star ammong stars, and a lovely lady.
Many happy returns of the day.
Messa, that is hysterical.
Happy Birthday, Dame Gwyneth!
Her Turandot is simply magnificent. That Covent Garden performance in the late 1980s appears to be rather well-captured on film, as judged from those Youtube videos. Why doesn’t the ROH or Opus Arte bring it out on DVD?
Btw, anyone knows if Dame Gwyneth has any stage performance plans? As far as I can gather, the last time she appeared in staged opera was as Herodias in Malmo last year.
It doesn’t look like she has any plans, although never say never. There is a Wagner Society President’s Day in London on 5th December at which she’ll be doing masterclasses and the like. She has been known to sing at these events too…
You’d better get prepared for bleeding ears, then. Gwyneth always gives her all, bless her.
Thanks. Well, I hope she’ll still be gracing the stages once in a while. After all, she appears to be in robust health, and that her most recent assumptions, including Klytemnestra (Hong Kong), La Voix Humaine (Verona), The Queen of Hearts (Munich) and Herodias (Malmo) have all received much acclaim from critics and audiences alike..
Has anyone here listened to the “Dame Gwyneth Jones Sings Wagner” disc featured in the ferris wheel widget on this page? I’m entranced by the album cover, but of course won’t purchase it based on the jacket. Is it good Jones or bad Jones?
It’s quite late. It’s good Jones if you’re a devotee, but every single mannerism is magnified 100 times and the vibrato is wide. I love it, apart from the Liebestod which I don’t think is worth hearing, but I have higher than average tollerance for Gwyneth’s foibles.
Thanks, CK. I’ll see if I can get hear the disc before buying.
Dame Gwyneth’s Brunnhilde was the first I’d ever heard, on a DVD of the Boulez/Chereau “Walkure.” I was very impressed and now — for good or ill — hers is the Brunnhilde I imagine first when I think of this role. Maybe Stemme will replace her in my mind when I see her next June. I’d like to get the Solti Ring but damn, it’s so expensive.
OT.
Tried to send this to LC via send tips but my mail programme opened without an address.
The anti-E flat?:
http://www.tubechop.com/watch/33657
G. Jones whoever she is will always be a footnote compared to Joan Sutherland, who La Cieca hates for upstaging and completely obliterating another footnote during the 60s 70s and even 80s, Renata Scotto.
Doesn’t it depend what you’re considering? Sutherland’s Overseer in Elektra looks like a footnote next to Jones’s work in Strauss, just as Jones’s Norma is a footnote compared to Sutherland’s mark on that role. And while I’m aware of certain biases for or against certain singers on the part of La Cieca, I don’t think she’s ever been less than fair to Dame Joan.
Don’t you just LOVE the way Dorion offers her OPINIONS?
How creative that she makes them look like FACTS.
SilvestriWoman- “I agree that, if she’d not moved into heldensopran roles, she’d be remembered as a great Verdiana, perhaps – yes – eclipsing Leontyne”.
….yes, if only we had some ham we could have some ham and eggs if we had the eggs!
Even 24 hours later, this still makes me laugh out loud.