Last Turandot of Gwyneth Jones: In questa reggia - Met - 1996 (HD)

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[@hermannmayer8343]

Habe sie öfters an der Wiener Staatsoper gehört. Als Student ging ich auf Restplätze. Ich bin ein großer Fan dieser Sopranistin.

[@Sir.Larselot]

We all know about her lacks in the late years but believe me: i heard her often in the 90´s and iz was always a force of nature and eruption on stage with her stage presence and acting and the laser bombs of her top notes. I was every time impressed. And i had a conversation with her in the break of an opera when she was also in the audience: a very lovely Lady.

[@wotan10950]

I met her too, and I couldn’t believe that the tremendous sound came from such a petite soft-spoken lady. She was very gracious. My wife was confused and whispered to me, “was that the same lady who just obliterated the entire orchestra and chorus?”

[@Sir.Larselot]

@@wotan10950 , thanks for the lovely anecdote. Here on KZbin are lots of the famous "Da Capo" Interviews between August Everding and a famous singer. Also this one with Dame Gwyneth. The interviews are in my mother tongue German but you can hear her soft speaking.

[@TheVaughan5]

I heard Gwyneth Jones live at the ROH/London in one of the best opera performances I have ever attended. This was way back in the late 60’s, I was only in my teens but the memories live on. ‘Don Carlos” (Verdi) Jones/Verrett/Cossuta/Ward/cond Abbado. Producer Visconti. Opera performances don’t get any better than that, any subsequent ones of this opera, though good, have paled by comparison.

[@ahogbin2644]

Jones was a phenomenon. I think the loudest voice I ever heard live. I heard her Turandot with Domingo as well as Salome and Elizabeth. The voice pinned one to one’s seat. It was an incredible sound!

[@aaronmalone7065]

🤣 I have friends that saw her live- they told they’d been to rock concerts that weren’t as loud as she was. Their ears were literally sore. She excites me even here, past her prime.

[@Tenortalker]

@@aaronmalone7065 Gwyneth Jones' voice had cutting edge , but could also have darker tones. It was a thrilling sound and she had such a sense of drama. I also admired Ghena Dimitrova very much, another absolutely huge voice

[@wotan10950]

She could certainly make quite a noise, but her pianissimo was really exquisite. Since I saw both of them onstage, I’d say Jones’s technique was similar to Nilsson’s - very focused, like a laser beam. The loudest voice I ever heard onstage was Eva Marton, just a tidal wave of sound, but it ultimately cost her.

[@wotan10950]

@@WotanKlingsor Yes, I did in fact see them all in the same theater, the Met. How else would I make a fair comparison. What an odd comment.

[@jefolson6989]

Definately the biggest voice I ever heard. In person, the thrill of the sound obliterated her faults.

[@eliseofumaroni4210]

Bravaaaaaaa!

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

A force of nature!! 💪😍💪 Incredible!

[@Wolfcrag85]

She nails it with aplomb at 60! Even somewhat wobbly, the tone production is simultaneously round and piercing. A true marvel of singing!

[@nunovilallonga9958]

Divinal. wonderful and powerful voice.unique.For me Turandot Jones and Nilssen.

[@virginiakramer9055]

It was my privilege to see Dame Gwyneth many times. I'd like to see any soprano in the prime of their career match her vocal power and passion even in the twilight of hers. Brava Gwyneth!

[@ericd2215]

astonishing singer!

[@operaloversabater3690]

Never had the pleasure of listening to her live, but have seen her plenty on video and have a couple of her recordings. Even here, the way she attacks these high notes.. 😮 love it. Thanks for posting!!

[@omarsomehow69]

It's a little bit too late for Dame Gwyneth, but you can forgive her everything considered her age and fierce attack on upper range. Now, that's what you call a singing with temperament!

[@Tenortalker]

She even sings the tenor's phrase as well as her own which makes that ending even harder. Amazing at this stage in her career.

[@stevenmathers6661]

* dame Gwynneth

[@omarsomehow69]

@@stevenmathers6661 correct. Also, Gwyneth* With one "n".

[@rachelberrythegleequeen.3221]

I no, I no, I’ll be completely on my own here but I personally think she sounds lovely.

[@SilfredoSerrano]

I certainly like her!

[@parsifalpopp]

Elle a encore chanté Turandot en 2002 à 66 ans ! Oui, oui...

[@jameslevister153]

I was at the Met for her last run of Turandot's and Electra performances- out of this world. UNFORGETABLE!!!

[@wotan10950]

We attended those performances too. My wife was very impressed with the Zeffirelli production. She was not a great opera lover, but even she was stunned by the vocal power and characterization of Jones’s Elektra. The public was so stunned, they couldn’t even begin the ovation without a moment to collect themselves.

[@andrewmcphail9634]

Superb..even aged 60

[@revmiguel2000]

The high notes are still there, despite the wobble!

[@draganvidic2039]

She always had them. Her middle became more problematic during her career but actually not so much the top.

[@jeffreyhunter7635]

Better than most of the younger singers today 😅

[@wotan10950]

James Levine originally disliked her because she was going through a rough patch when she sang Isolde for him. But she saved his bacon when she stepped into his Ring at a moment’s notice. After that, he became a fan, and spoke highly of their collaborations in Rosenkavalier and Parsifal.

[@laprimmadonna2341]

Belleza de interpretación, gracias

[@1pureboy1]

I saw Dame Gwyneth at the ROH in Turandot, when I was a student. Her stage presence was phenomenal, she was the one you watched, even when others were singing. As for her voice…a tsunami 🌊

[@BrianJosephMorgan]

Brava!

[@jancedricmicheler6122]

Braaavaa she was a wonderful Sopran

[@paoladatodi8626]

buon compleanno! happy birthday!

[@jancedricmicheler6122]

Braaavaa

[@christiaandhooghe]

She sings this aria with such presence and glory, vocaly maybe a little bit late in the career. On the other hand she dares and the flaming high notes for Turandot, are still there. That one boo is so rude and painful for a musician.

[@terryhammond1253]

Glorious Gwynneth

[@mikaelb7735]

It is a time for everything and a time to ...........

[@SilfredoSerrano]

60 years old!!!

[@davidvscalvim2836]

O dear, that wobble! She was good singing this 10 years earlier though.

[@jancedricmicheler6122]

Braaavoo 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏 👏

[@ThisisColoratura]

Probably this is the last booed Turandot of Gwyneth

[@jenspflug7473]

A single boer? There is always idiots around to be ignored....

[@Tenortalker]

There was nothing to boo in this particular performance , even though it was in later career. I suspect the person who booed went to the theatre with the intention of doing so no matter how Dame Gwyneth sang. Opera can be so political. In any case the applause was tumultuous.

[@wotan10950]

At the Met in the 1980-90s, it became very fashionable with some groups to boo the artists. Scotto was booed all the time, same as Levine, Pav was booed because he missed a single note. It was unbelievable.

[@Yves_Ka]

Yes one single frustrated opera queen booing (he was ready to go and got in quickly before the rest of the audience were in full applause). She is admittedly past her best and the wobble and scoops are (to put it diplomatically) noticeable and not always pleasant to listen to. But the top is phenomenal! And yes it was the biggest voice I ever heard. And yes her stamina was unparalleled - she really was a force of nature!

[@Yves_Ka]

@@wotan10950 Situations like that are really ridiculous. I can understand that people may not have liked Scotto but then just stay home. Anything else is just terribly humiliating and mean

[@kimmillard9445]

The perceived wobble definitely isn't the worst I've heard. Still better control over it than a lot of sopranos in the "prime" I've heard in recent years. Some loss of chest voice evident here, but that's why all singers hang it up

[@marcostavares4223]

😍

[@ohmy5650]

💎💐

[@ev4875]

Who wrote that ridiculous headline?

[@OGrauMusic]

Excellent torrent of voice, good actress, but no chest voice, why? she sings pretty here, although her vibrato is dangerous...

[@WotanKlingsor]

Her high register was always amazing, even at this age... but I prefer a dramatic soprano to be more chesty, which DGJ never was...

[@wotan10950]

That’s true. Jones has gone on to say that misuse of the chest register causes early vocal decline. She had a very long and distinguished career, despite some rough outings.

[@phedrob3735]

Was it a Boo or was it a Bis?

[@Yves_Ka]

Yes one single frustrated opera queen booing (he was ready to go and got in quickly before the rest of the audience were in full applause)

[@wotan10950]

I saw Dame Gwyneth so many times onstage, as she is one of my very favorite singers. Always exciting, even if the voice was occasionally out of control. Fidelio, Marschallin, Isolde, Brunnhilde, Turandot, Elektra, Salome -- I saw her onstage in all of these. But I recall this concert for Levine, and the role of Turandot was a bit beyond her reach at this point. Oh yes, she reaches all the notes, but it's not beautiful at all.

[@roberthorn1838]

Im sorry, but I find this painful. I first heard her in 1966 in Don Carlos. It was such a beautiful voice, big then too but lovely quality. That awful scooping could be heard occasionally but in this there's hardly a phrase sung cleanly. You have only to listen to the pinpoint accuracy of Birgit Nilsson to hear how it should be done.

[@Altonahh10]

What a terrible conducting. It is also conductors like this who take the tension out of the music and think that the longer they wave the baton, the more important they become. No, it's about the music and what it expresses. And this aria is not one in which one may savour the lyricism, but that must be realised with an appropriate drama - by orchestra and singers. Of course, Dame Gwyneth is no longer in full possession of her faculties here, but that is precisely what should have been coordinated accordingly with the conductor. This way, however, her deficits are made more audible than necessary.

[@Altonahh10]

@さまよえる日本人 No. But I have an understanding of music.

[@cgavin9532]

Couldn’t agree more re the conductor who shall not be named. DGJ is not to be classed with others. Brava!

[@MrMin316]

I don’t think this qualifies as Coloratura

[@ThisisColoratura]

It's only a channel watermark

[@MrMin316]

@@ThisisColoratura If you say so. lol

[@manolis.799]

So what!

[@johnrondeau9222]

Wobble wobble wobble

[@andrewwilliams2353]

I think she was appalling. Loud yes but a vibrato like a loose diving board. Disgraceful. Give me Nilsson every time

[@javieralejandrogutierrezfa8882]

She is scremimg in this vídeo ....If You are to old ti sing beautifuly then don't sing

[@Wotan123456789]

If you are too bad writing in english, they don't write.

[@javieralejandrogutierrezfa8882]

@@Wotan123456789 Ok ...But ay least Im not ridiculouse ....wait do I write it wellll?

[@Wotan123456789]

@@javieralejandrogutierrezfa8882 No, buddy. Apparently there is nothing you do well, besides being a great ignorant troll.

[@Yves_Ka]

I suspect you know what screaming means and probably "singing beautifully" is not an essential attribute I would primarily associate with the music or the role of Turandot

[@Jjjjjjjm]

Having seen her since 1962 when she had a lovely quality to the voice,this is truly sad. She was a wonderful Elisabeth in Don Carlo,Santuzza,Salome,Desdemona and a stunning Leonora in Trovatore with Prevedi then Bergonzi at ROH London and again with Bergonzi at La Scala.

[@jordipanadesribera6890]

Brava!