Comments on: Happy Birthday Dame Gwyneth Jones

By: CruzSF

CruzSF — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:22:08 +0000

Even 24 hours later, this still makes me laugh out loud.

By: Cocky Kurwenal

Cocky Kurwenal — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:23:47 +0000

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.

By: Yugiri

Yugiri — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 02:14:03 +0000

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..

By: Ruxton

Ruxton — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:38:30 +0000

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!

By: CruzSF

CruzSF — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:55:45 +0000

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.

By: richard

richard — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:32:34 +0000

Don’t you just LOVE the way Dorion offers her OPINIONS?

How creative that she makes them look like FACTS.

By: MontyNostry

MontyNostry — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 12:31:27 +0000

You’d better get prepared for bleeding ears, then. Gwyneth always gives her all, bless her.

By: dorion

dorion — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:55:05 +0000

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.

By: Baltsamic Vinaigrette

Baltsamic Vinaigrette — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:24:59 +0000

Surely to goodness Geneva is Genève rather than Genf – even if the work in question is sung auf Deutsch?

By: Baltsamic Vinaigrette

Baltsamic Vinaigrette — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:19:05 +0000

Er… Puccini, right?

By: Steven

Steven — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:58:46 +0000

You said it Ruxton, comparing Dame Joan to Dame Gwenneth is like comparing champagne to coca cola!

By: Cocky Kurwenal

Cocky Kurwenal — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:17:18 +0000

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…

By: Cocky Kurwenal

Cocky Kurwenal — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:15:21 +0000

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.

By: La marquise de Merteuil

La marquise de Merteuil — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 05:53:12 +0000

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

By: CruzSF

CruzSF — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:56:30 +0000

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?

By: La marquise de Merteuil

La marquise de Merteuil — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:49:51 +0000

Jones’ Norma is best described as demented filth.

By: SilvestriWoman

SilvestriWoman — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:47:18 +0000

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.

By: Yugiri

Yugiri — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 03:10:54 +0000

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.

By: Sanford

Sanford — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:32:42 +0000

Messa, that is hysterical.

By: Dubist Derlenz

Dubist Derlenz — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:07:13 +0000

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.

By: GayGiovanni

GayGiovanni — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:54:19 +0000

Darling Dame Gwyneth, a star ammong stars, and a lovely lady.

Many happy returns of the day.

By: manou

manou — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:29:16 +0000

There are indeed some very advanced squirrels – maybe some of them will start posting here…

By: Quanto Painy Fakor

Quanto Painy Fakor — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:58:22 +0000

No! Netrebko has become my obligatory Jill-in-the-box pop up birthday toy.

By: messa di voce

messa di voce — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:25:37 +0000

Ah yes, the marvelous attacca that Dame Eva gave to Gwyneth, along with a cup of tea and some boudoir biscuits.

By: MontyNostry

MontyNostry — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:14:49 +0000

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.

By: WindyCityOperaman

WindyCityOperaman — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 00:05:20 +0000

I like the Russoanimation with the Gaytor. Very cute!

By: messa di voce

messa di voce — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:57:23 +0000

Monty, many are those who have pulled me off (some of them being singers). But I’m a big fan of La Gwyneth.

By: richard

richard — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:52:34 +0000

I loved lots of these clips of both ladies. Both were wonderful at their best.

Happy birthday , girls!

By: Lindoro Almaviva

Lindoro Almaviva — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:49:31 +0000

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.

By: Lily Bart

Lily Bart — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:45:05 +0000

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!