Gertrude Grob Prandl as Elektra 1

The phenomenal Gertrude Grob Prandl showing in Elektra's Monologue that she had much more to offer than a thrilling voice and is up there with the greatest Elektras.

[@franzitaduz1864]

Not only does she completely encompass the vocal breadth of tone and beauty required by Strauss, but the dramatic intensity of the character is conveyed in every tone. Another of the greats who gave their all. I salute you Gertrude! Thank you for posting starrman22!

[@dgbx6]

What a thrilling, thrilling performance. Tremendous voice, fabulously singing. Thank you for posting. I had never heard of her before.

[@SINGINGOPERAFAN]

this is excellent! I wish someone would put Gladys Kuchta's Elektra's monologue on youtube as well.

[@shaun20483]

You should read "The last Prima Donnas" by Lanfranco Rasponi!

[@65attila]

IMO Prandl's voice is fuller at the bottom and middle than Rysanek's. This oerformance is magnificent.

[@wolfgangzorner8092]

Liebe Freunde, es macht nicht viel Sinn, hier die Vorüge und Nachteile der Hochdramatischen gegeneinander zu stellen. Alle hatten ihre ganz besonderen Momente, die sie berühmt gemacht haben. Ich durfte sie alle (Borkh, Nilsson, Varnay, Mödl und natürlich Grob-Prandl) in verschiedenen Rollen auf der Bühne erleben. Jede hatte ihre herausragenden Qualitäten, die bei Grob-Prandl in erster Linie stimmlicher Art waren -- ja, und es ist wirklich bedauerlich, dass die ganz grosse Karriere ausblieb. Sie war stimmlich eine hervorragende Brünnhilde, Isolde, Elektra, Turandot und Fidelio-Leonore.

[@gerhardrohne2261]

get real wolfgang, with whom would you go to bed?

[@starrman22]

I read recently that, when Regine Crespin withdrew from the second cycle of Karajan's Salzburg Ring, Grob Prandl was her cover and sang in her place. Considered only as a substitue then, I reckon she'd be a superstar now.

[@meyerbeer13]

Regine Crespin is 10 years younger than Grob Prandl

[@83mogreen]

Absolutely fantastic. But the Greatest Elektra, is imho, B. Nilsson in 1965 live recording with Bohm. Just incredible!

[@starrman22]

"The Last Prima Donnas" is a wonderful book, respectful of these ladies but loving too. Grob Prandl emerges as a Viennese lady with exquisite manners and perfect English - her second husband was from England. There's a nice story in james Johnston's biog when they were singing Turandot (In English) at Covent Garden. After rehearsing all day, she said, "Now we can go and put our feet up, Jimmee" and couldn't believe that he had to go straight to Sadlers Wells to sing Turiddu!

[@eduardomedrano1972]

Gigantic!

[@MrNeilsy]

While this is a world class performance of this incredibly challenging role which GERTRUDE GROB PRANDL sings extremely well, there is no denying that Nilsson and Varnay are the greatest Elektras ever. Their overall command of the voice in this role is greater than any I've heard. However, I still think that in some ways that Pradl is perhaps the greatest Brunhilde. But that's just my opinion.

[@jasonhurd4379]

Actually, I will deny that. IMO, the greatest Elektra was Inge Borkh. Neither Varnay nor Nilsson managed to reach the psychotic heights of Borkh in this role, and I could never quite believe that those big, healthy, Swedish farmgirl voices could emanate from a character who had been starved and beaten for twenty years. Borkh captured every aspect of Elektra: her introversion, her quasi-incestuous relationship with her sister, her tortured, love-hate relationship with her mother, her hero-worship of and obsession with her brother, her manic-depressive quality and her ultimate suicidal madness. Borkh channeled these traits as if to the manner born, and her slim, tremulous voice was far more suited to the emaciated, hallucinating Elektra than those (to use Karajan's term) 'vociones'.

[@alexanderzaphir721]

@@jasonhurd4379 comparing the interpretations ,yes, Borkh was the best ever. Borkh for Elektra & L.Macbeth was ,what Welitsch was for Salome. But vocally i think that Prandl was the n.1 of all the dram.sopranos in, voice-volume-technical facility . No other...Was bluten muss....sounds so....😁easy.(Synek had a similar technique approach ,but not the same voice). Exactly what ,in another fach ,Nemeth was for the sfoggato sopranos during the 30's.Absolutely secure, Fearless,sure about what she was doing.( In an Arena ,Borkh & Varnay had the same size)

[@jasonhurd4379]

@@alexanderzaphir721 Believe me, I agree with you about Grob-Prandl. Definitely the biggest and most secure hochdramatisch. If you do an A-B comparison of GGP and Nilsson in the same passage, the latter sounds like a wobbly, out-of-tune mess.

[@alexanderzaphir721]

@@jasonhurd4379 yes ,i agree with you ,we have more less the same taste.Traditionalists. Nillson was lucky ,having recorded much more(Decca was very powerfull).But Prandl remains the no1.

[@jasonhurd4379]

@@alexanderzaphir721 I have a feeling that intrigues and cabals were responsible for the ascendancy of Nilsson over Grob Prandl. Ask any operagoer their opinion of GGP, and you will likely be met with a blank stare. I myself had never heard of her until I stumbled over her complete Idomeneo in my conservatory library, thirty-eight years ago. Been an adorer ever since.

[@felipedelmar3553]

She's better than Nilsson in this role!!! unbeliveable!

[@jasonhurd4379]

Felipe Del Mar She was better than Nilsson all round, IMO. Grob-Prandl's Turandot is absolutely unparalleled, and her Brünnhilde in the Moralt Ring is fabulous. She also recorded an excellent Donna Anna. Nilsson sounds like Emma Kirkby compared to Grob-Prandl.

[@chrisjames789]

@@jasonhurd4379 If she had been better then Nilsson all round she'd have had a more successful career than Nilsson - she didn't because she wasn't. Fine performance all the same.

[@jasonhurd4379]

@@chrisjames789 A glib and ignorant remark. Success and renown have far more to do with a willingness to play the game of backstage politics than with any inherent talent. Grob-Prandl was superior to Nilsson in every way. Nilsson's fame in latter days is due in large part to her casting as Brünnhilde in the Solti Ring, an assignment she would never have received had it not been for John Culshaw's marked antipathy to the singing of Astrid Varnay.

[@chrisjames789]

@@jasonhurd4379 By your own assessment Culshaw should (and could) have chosen GGP as Bruennhilde instead of Nilsson. One wonders then why he didn't. She must also have been known to Solti. I don't doubt GGP's talent and achievements as a singer but I simply don't hear her as you obviously do.

[@BaroneVitellioScarpia1]

I think Grob Prandl is overrated, her vibrato is very strange and her voice is throaty. Varnay, Borkh and Nilsson are much better.

[@operaforever8545]

Her voice was much bigger and people who heard her alive remembered how easily she coped with high tessiture