Gwyneth Jones Turandot In questa reggia

[@hermannmayer8343]

For me she is the best Turandot ever, Have seen her several times in Vienna in different roles as I was a student.

[@jackhamm1745]

Brava! The audiences response gives me goose pimples. This is a true dramatic soprano!

[@SymphonyBrahms]

Dame Gwyneth Jones is one of the great sopranos. She is a legend. I also love her Brunnhilde.

[@anne-louiseluccarini4530]

Her Brunnhilde was, to me, perfection, vocally and dramatically.

[@saleenapiano]

Gives me goosebumps! I had the privilege of seeing her both as Leonore in Fidelio and Salome at the met in the 1970s. She is a true dramatic soprano, with that steely edge, but not shrill, a wide open top! BRAVA DIVA! The last three phrases,"Gl'enigmi sono tre . . " are the best I've ever heard. and I've heard many!

[@laprimmadonna2341]

De las mejores cantantes anglo, MARAVILLOSA , superior a la Fleming, Radvanosky, etcètera. Vaya técnica! Sonidos vocales hermosos, un modelo ejemplar de cómo interpretar esta poderosa aria. Muchas gracias, excelente vídeo.

[@jonathanlinton6522]

Quite marvellous and extraordinary singing. The presence, the drive, the phrasing, the commitment and the glorious, thrilling TOP! Bravissima Dame Gwyneth

[@cimbassovr]

Incredibile!!!Ancora straordinaria❤❤❤❤Gwineth Jones con Jimmy Levine👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Altonahh10]

Wer Gwyneth Jones niemals live erlebt hat, kann gar nicht ermessen, wie laut diese Trompetentöne waren. An ihren guten Tagen war sie nicht zu schlagen und hat das Publikum zur Raserei gebracht. An weniger guten Tagen lagen wir ihr immer noch zu Füßen :-)

[@luizfernandg]

Aber die Stimme war nicht schön, laut, aber keine schöne Stimme...

[@Altonahh10]

@@luizfernandg Die Stimme der Callas war auch nicht schön. Darauf kommt es doch auch nicht an. Gestaltung, Technik, Timbre, all das bildet ja eine Einheit. Nach Jones gab es keine hochdramatische Sängerin mehr auf den Bühnen. Und heute singen die, die früher Chrysothemis nicht singen durften, Elektra oder Isolde.

[@JorgeAl]

Oh My God! Voice like thunder! Amazing!

[@stevehinnenkamp5625]

Brava, Miss Jones! Spectacular!

[@operamaniak81]

Omg. Stunning, breathtaking!

[@alexgomez2]

Elegant, beautiful and just AMAZING. Better Turandot at this age than ANYBODY younger in 2019.

[@williammorris584]

Imagine the trepidation of approaching singing this live. And she just gets bigger, steadier and more powerful the further she goes, right on to a stunning ending.

[@Hako2004]

Such grand voices are real rarities. She has always amazed me.

[@joshuamcpherson007]

That voice was a force of nature, and yes, voices of these size and power are very rare.

[@giuseppedimarco8358]

the best peformance in questa reggia!i got tears!

[@caninbar]

Her poise is simply astounding!

[@9na.D]

Maaaaaaa miiiii ta !!!!! QUÉ BESTIA ! ESPLÉNDIDA SOPRANO ☆☆☆☆☆

[@peterwylliejohnston]

Marvellous. With precisely the electric energy and vocal edge that is so rare and so lacking so often.

[@hangchau3216]

That project is out of this world

[@fredericjean7428]

Une des voix les plus puissante qu'il m'est été donné d'entendre !

[@rogojazzz]

Gracia, elegancia y una fuerza telúrica!❤ BRAVISIMA!

[@Altonahh10]

Saw Smirnova in Berlin as Turandot yesterday and was wistfully thinking about the times when Dimitrova and Jones sang.

[@CalifaJohn1]

The sheer volume of her voice in a live setting was astounding.

[@billcarr54]

Who could ask for more, and even more impressive considering her age here. Brava !

[@jasonhurd4379]

She was forty-nine years of age in this clip. Not exactly superannuated.

[@lugano1999]

@@jasonhurd4379 She became grey early on and chose not to dye it.

[@jasonhurd4379]

@@lugano1999 And quite right too. Her Isolde at San Francisco in 1980 was striking, not least for her long silvery hair.

[@harryroldie4698]

she seems like a really nice person... very gracious in her acceptance of the applause!

[@chemteacher6674]

Her two personas scared the hell out of me. Her singing was so cold, ruthless, a wave of unrelenting power dominating right to your inner core. Then she turns so gracious, warm, like everyone’s Mother/Grandmother (depending on one’s age).

[@MySensualWorld]

One of the top ten greatest Turandots ever! Brava!

[@mariofilippeschi4855]

and she's in the last

[@wuaaron6300]

@@mariofilippeschi4855 why so mean

[@mubaraksenju7521]

​@@mariofilippeschi4855 wtf? If you're not trolling, I demand your top 10 list. It better be a good one.

[@birdlover7776]

Okay wow. She is my new opera crush!!! The clarity and strength and technique-it’s all so healthy and moving ! Brava Dame Jones🍷🍸🍷🍸

[@stevenmathers6661]

* Dame Gwynneth.

[@maryvallettakeith6146]

@@stevenmathers6661 *Dame Gwyneth

[@terryhammond1253]

I have watched this amazing clip a dozen times. Dame Jones was the British Birgjt Nillson. I adore them both.

[@stevenmathers6661]

* Dame Gwynneth

[@pnocella]

Great performance! She even added in the tenor's solo part up to high A# before the final high C-Incredible!

[@davy91101]

As does Eva Turner--a voice far more secure than Dame Gwyneth

[@GordonLF]

But she repeated her lyrics, not the tenor's. BTW, isn't that the way is done in concerts without a Calaf on stage?

[@GitanAnimex]

Amazing voice!!!!

[@Tenortalker]

Stunning Turandot. As the aria progresses Gwyneth Jones gains more and more in vocal stability and roundness of tone. Eva Turner insisted that Turandot should be sung with the most beautiful, round tone quality possible.

[@rachelberrythegleequeen.3221]

This angel reminds me why I love opera so much, she’s glorious.

[@davidsongarrett8087]

One of the great artists of all time!

[@jonathanlinton6522]

Simply stunning

[@ferrisburgh802]

Absolutely amazing.

[@alfredoechevarrieta7512]

Fragmento glorioso en el universo de la Opera !! Gracias Jones, gracias Levine, gracias Richard Lynn y sobre todo: gracias Marstro Puccini. Y aplausos !!

[@stevenmathers58]

I first saw her in tannhauser and next in this role - you physically felt pinned to your seat in the theatre. a phenomenal voice.

[@phortion]

Holy shit! This woman sings her ass off! And Levine at 5:16 singing along with her--priceless!

[@marioj34]

Cette même année, elle fut une immense turandot aux arènes de Nîmes. Inoubliable tout comme la Liu de del grande ou le calaf de Lamberti.

[@timothybirkett255]

Kiri Te Kanawa chose Dame Gwyneth as one of her top 20 favourite voices on radio 4 - but the early Gwyneth. She had a beautiful golden sound when younger, but the heavier roles certainly changed her voice. It was a choice she made - and for me at least, it paid off. The sheer visceral power of her singing and acting (I was lucky enough to see her Salome at Covent Garden) were thrilling. A unique and wonderful talent!

[@barryfrazer4304]

The purest note I have hears in years!

[@operabilia]

Impressive: This is a real Turandot, you can hear that Gwyneth took great advantage of the previous advice given to her by another legendary Turandot (no: not Jeritza!), Turner! And there she is, the higher it goes, and the happier she is (look at her facial expression) in this gruelling role. What a responsibility it must be to tackle the aria in concert facing an audience. Those were lucky! Thanks Gwyneth: You're truly unique and irreplaceable!

[@yashin1669]

The look on her face at the end is priceless...she knew she nailed it. Levine is in his element. A voice to match any orchestra

[@nornsnornsnorns]

glorious Gwyneth!! Thank you

[@luvindaopera111]

Tears.........absolutely incredible! Such a huge, spinning voice. Gracious, beautiful and clearly a loving heart. Wow!

[@vickersman]

that gives one goosebumps. Dame G. had a huge mouth-a lot of room for all that incredible sound- Brava !

[@MichaelGoldenberg]

That is simply stunning. What a voice!

[@magdalenaduran243]

Maravillosa voz y fuerza interpretativa en una aria tan exigente como ésta.... Gran Turandot!!! Disfruten de Ghenna Dimitrova con Placido Domingo.... Una belleza!!

[@MrQbenDanny]

A gorgeous and elegant Turandot.

[@annealdridge5424]

Wonderful intensity from a real singer!!

[@lugano1999]

She was 49 at this point, fearless in a series of "hochdramatisch" roles. In this clips she nails it. But she was also the most inconsistent singer in the world's top opera houses. I heard her live in a lieder concert at Carnegie Hall in 1982. The reviewer in the NYTimes described her recital as "perfect." It really was. I also heard her in an almost unlistenable performance at the MET as Isolde: She widened and heavied up her voice with resulting pitch problems and wobbling. Then an Elektra that was excellent. I also met and spoke with her at an evening event sponsored by the MET Opera Guild in the 1980s. She was gracious, lovely, with the speaking voice of a 25 year old.

[@wotan10950]

That was my experience with her too. She could be absolutely thrilling one night, and then appalling a few nights later. I saw her onstage in many of her famous roles - some were great (Fidelio, Marschallin, Elektra, Salome, Tosca), mediocre (Turandot, Brunnhilde), terrible (Isolde). But she always gave 200%, and her voice was inherently beautiful when she wasn’t in overdrive.

[@Altonahh10]

I know exactly what you mean. Her Isolde was horrible. I heard it in the late 80`s. Two days later her Marschallin was phantastic, then her Senta tore the house down, while her Brünnhilde was very shaky. Then Elektra was like the must stunning performances I´ve ever seen and Ortrud again was weak. So you really never knew what you got but when Dame Gwyneth was good, she was extremely fierce. And that happened in a lot of cases.

[@surtr9728]

@@wotan10950 I think you mean this Isolde? Really terrible. I just found out about it as I was born a decade later. Who would have thought. It even hurts my ears. Not even Waltraud Meier sang it so badly. I love her Brünnhilde from Bayreuth from 1980. It is stunning, but this... kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3XSZoisds57ibc

[@wotan10950]

@@surtr9728 No, I think this Tristan from Paris 1985 is outstanding in every way. To each his own. If it hurts your ears, don’t listen. There, that was easy!

[@jamesmorris1657]

I also heard an awful Isolde at the Met. It was a very long night!

[@wotan10950]

My wife and I met her twice backstage at the Met. She was so lovely and soft-spoken (yes, her speaking voice was quite light), and also rather petite. My wife said, “Is that the same woman who just obliterated the entire orchestra and chorus?!”

[@birdlover7776]

I love this anecdote! Would like to have seen Dame Jones live

[@meltzerboy]

Jones' voice is bigger than Nilsson's, perhaps the size of Flagstad's. But the question remains: can she sing a lullaby?

[@wotan10950]

@@meltzerboy I’d say she comes close enough in this rendition: kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5bTg59nhMmkabc

[@wotan10950]

@@meltzerboy I never saw Flagstad onstage, way before my time. But I did see Nilsson on a few occasions, including her Met Comeback. She and Jones had a similar vocal effects; that is, their voices were very tightly focused. The tone pierced right through the orchestra. The loudest voice I ever heard was Eva Marton, a tidal wave of sound. But it quickly became relentless and tedious. I’ve never been particularly thrilled by loudness for the sake of loudness.

[@minkoss]

@@meltzerboy Hahaha 🤣😂😂 I agree 100% and I want to know the answer to that question!!!

[@MrStpendouslvforjo]

INCREDIBLE!!

[@Altonahh10]

A voice like a foghorn. It still rings in my ears and whenever I attend performances of Elektra, Turandot and such, I am sad that voices like Gwyneth´s don´t exist any more - putting all her problems aside

[@doradealbuquerque9188]

Divine !!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@LewisHamsterHammond]

Outrageously good.

[@alixvhessen]

You hardly see her breathing in before these stupendous phrases..... I never knew who Gweneth Jones really was before I listened to this!

[@Altonahh10]

When she did Elektra in the 90´s, she sounded fresh even in the last minutes. And whatever you read about the problems she had, which in most cases is quite true, she never cancelled a performance and could kill you by the sheer force of her voice which pierced marrow and bone

[@wotan10950]

If you never really knew of her, can I suggest watching her clip of The Coronation of Poppea with Jon Vickers? You won't believe it's the same person! She sings baroque music with absolutely steady line and perfect pitch. Of course, she could unleash a hurricane too, which is what you've got here with Turandot!

[@davidmckee9676]

Almost 30 years later and I still get gooseflesh listening to this phenomenon. Levine was so sold on Gwyneth after this that they did a RING Cycle in '89 with no rehearsal whatsoever. Nerves of steel!

[@Altonahh10]

because Dame Gwyneth was very flexible with different conductors. She wasn´t like Gruberova or Sutherland in their later careers who always needed the one and only

[@wotan10950]

The scoop is that Levine absolutely hated her Isolde when he conducted her in 1981. He vowed never to work with her again. But this Turandot excerpt, as well as a series of Rosenkavaliers at the Met, changed his mind. And he sought her out for other roles.

[@wotan10950]

Oh, I wouldn't completely agree. I only saw Gruberova once, so I really can't say anything. But Sutherland sang under Solti, Mehta, and Hogwood in her mid-to-late career. Of course, 99% of her work was with Bonynge, but she did step out now and then.

[@Altonahh10]

Well, finally the Dame and the Queen became friends again ;-)

[@hada9568]

She pours out all the energy, wow! I saw her Isolde (on KZbin) and also amazing.

[@shaun20483]

Magnificent!

[@francoisduchamp570]

extraordinaire!!!.... ouahhh

[@lisolisao]

Um espetáculo de mulher!!!! É uma beleza ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@antoniorosajunios8513]

realmente

[@crisha721]

She's marvelous

[@arno7179]

Che grande artista... in un corpo esile esce tutta quella forza

[@passedtime1]

BRAVAAA! I heard her in L.A. I can't decide between the other two best Turandot the best...of best

[@LohengrinO]

amazing how the natural tremolo / wobble of her middle voice disappears in her extreme top register that shines radiant... if only I could stand the tremolo when she sings lower

[@Amahl1971]

The same was true for Leonie Rysanek.

[@jjh2456]

In her prime though there was no horrible wobble.

[@jmiller05]

Jose Hill But her healthy vocal prime lasted what? A decade? Jones had pulsating top notes rivalling Nilsson, but her middle voice started eroding so quickly that she couldn't sing a single straight line without a terrible wobble appearing.

[@jjh2456]

jmiller05 most vocal primes last about that long, especially in that repertoire. Some can be longer if they take care of their voices, a la Renee Fleming.

[@jmiller05]

Jose Hill But that middle voice fell apart so quickly... which to me suggests something fallible technically in that area rather than just natural vocal wear and tear.

[@magdalenaduran243]

Maravillosa realmente!!!!

[@ВекторЗдравомыслия]

I like this singer.

[@arthurfilemon6038]

At 3:39 you can hear the reverb of her voice. Then frames after they show the HUGE theater. You can only have these kind of references as to how big her voice probably was. It's a pity I dont get to listen to her live in my days. And when I say her I also mean Dimitrova, and other huge voices from the past. Nowadays whenever I listen to a dramatic soprano I already gasp from the power of their voices... A voice like this is probably a phenomenon.

[@Altonahh10]

Arthur, even in larger houses it was like you were sitting next to a foghorn. If you compare the easiness with which she was able to sing the highest notes in Elektra or Turandot, how full her sound was, then it´s just breaking my heart what we have to listen to nowadays.

[@arthurfilemon6038]

@@Altonahh10 I can only imagine how disappointing it might be to have to listen to the "dramatic" sopranos of today... Thank you for your input!

[@williammaddox3339]

This is a small theater. It seats 1709.

[@Altonahh10]

Her live Turandots made the chandeliers crash. I loved those stupendous notes she was able to sing (some might say belch). Audiences went crazy about her Sentas, Turandots and Elektras. And so did I.

[@jonathanlinton6522]

Belch? What a trumpery comment.

[@nohaylamujer]

@@jonathanlinton6522 I'm sure the poster meant "belt"

[@birdlover7776]

Lol

[@andreagazza7611]

Meravigliosa

[@brunopicaude3092]

She is so expressive !

[@RBP1963]

Brava Gwyneth!!!!❤

[@luisalbertovega7518]

GWYNETH I DO LOVE YOU

[@inglescomivan]

So powerful!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@gwirgalon3758]

...and I am honoured to say, we share the same birthday (though not date!) along with another architect, though of buildings not sound, Thomas Jefferson...Those top notes still change the energy of the entire planet when she sings them strong and clear as here in this concert...Canu meur, iawn iawn...

[@nohaylamujer]

And Joni Mitchell

[@daniel_5606]

Esas notas son súper altas.. que valiente..

[@tizianapicchio9658]

Meravigliosa.....

[@wTrevorh]

Brava!

[@bernardnice]

Géniale!!

[@aksdjfhalskdjfhadfhj]

A classy dame.

[@berdiddyberdisberbaboint2763]

What a gorgeous woman

[@scottjohnson9873]

Gwyneth Jones is without a doubt one of the best interpreters of Turandot. There are 3 top interpreters of this Puccini opera.

[@WelahHomo87]

Nilsson, Sutherland and jones

[@cwstars]

Sutherland only recorded it but was fabuco. Marton. Dimitrova weren't bad either

[@Altonahh10]

@@cwstars Marton was a 2nd class Turandot to me.

[@johnpickford4222]

@@Altonahh10 Well she confided that she thought you were pretty mediocre in your opinions. Unfounded accusations meant only to show how uninformed you are.

[@Altonahh10]

@@johnpickford4222 What are you referring to?

[@stevenmathers6661]

I saw her twice as Turandot at Covent Garden (And as Elisabeth, Elektra and Barak's wife). That voice was astonishingly loud!

[@luizfernandg]

But ugly, I'm afraid...grainy almost...better for screaming Wagner and Strauss...

[@JJoeisCooking]

I heard her several times as Turandot in Munich. It was incredible. She made the theater vibrate on her high C in the Riddle Scene.

[@Altonahh10]

@@luizfernandg If a singer screams, then the singer is bad.

[@DLJ2890]

oh my amazing! Gwyneth Jones amazing, Levine usurping the spotlight as if he had anything to do with this majesty when he had not.

[@eduardomedrano1972]

A VERY TRUE DRAMATIC SOPRANO. WITH A VOICE BIGGER THAN NILSSON EVEN!

[@operabilia]

Grazie a Lei per il magnifico commento che fa piacere! Distinti saluti.

[@keithhulks7049]

Listening to this I am reminded of the famous version by Dame Eva Turner

[@WelahHomo87]

I just usually listen to Nilsson after listening to this

[@AdamMoscoe]

Holy moses...

[@shawnhampton8503]

Almost inhuman. Fabulous.

[@trschaefer]

What a workout! And at age 50!

[@ngatihine6072]

Thought she was 60

[@MySensualWorld]

@@ngatihine6072 She looks 60.

[@SpecialUniverse]

She is really good in this performance. I heard a lot of recordings with her where she had a horrible wobble in her voice (even as early as in the 1980 ring) but here it doesn't seem to have been such an issue for her.

[@djan959]

Such a handsome woman. The gown is is not dated. What year?

[@HansJosefKasper]

Ganz toll!!!

[@wotan10950]

All guns blazing! As everyone knows, Gwyneth could be fantastic one night and dreadful the next. But in this scene she is truly great.

[@Altonahh10]

She was never dreadful. She was...uhm...different ;-) But honestly - I never liked her Isolde and tried to avoid it whenever I could

[@wotan10950]

You should check out her Isolde from Paris 1985. It is brilliant! Her 1992 DVD is pretty awful. One critic once referred to her as a gourmet cook who only burns part of the meal; the rest is delicious.

[@Altonahh10]

That´s exactly what describes her voice best. Nowadays we only get blend fast food served from so-called dramatic sopranos :-(

[@photo161]

I heard her at this time at the Met in this her Turando...the voice was immense, to a degree impossible to convey in any electronic means. I believe I heard her three times...dreadful?! NEVER,!!!

[@shadboltbill]

I stood 20 feet from her on the San Francisco Opera stage in this opera. The loudest voice God ever made, and often the ugliest. She could shout the Devil out of Hell. Next year she sang a Lady MacBeth and sounded like a 30 year old.

[@wotan10950]

shadboltbill And yet her soft lyric singing in operas like Rosenkavalier were meltingly beautiful. Gwyneth may be singing about enigmas here, but SHE was the real enigma - spectacular one night, appalling the next!

[@cwstars]

Saw her sfo salome. Wow!

[@Altonahh10]

@@wotan10950 She tore the house down in Berlin with a Senta she did in the early 90´s. Same with Elektra. Her Isolde on the other hand - with Kollo - was the worst I ever heard. She could send you to heaven and sometimes hell. But she never cancelled, was reliable most of the time and yes, we all knew that she had that wobble and problems with her intonation. But where is such a singer nowadays? An empty field of nothing. And nobody in sight.

[@Alexmeister25]

Gena Dimitrova, Eva Marton, Birgit Nilsson and Gwyneth Jones are the best Turandot in the world... 🙏🏻

[@stevenmathers6661]

I saw 3 of those in the role. Gwyneth was my favourite.

[@Altonahh10]

Yes, no, yes and yes.

[@rogalesi58]

brava

[@davidvscalvim2836]

Being in the age of mosquitoes, can you imagine hearing this kind of gargantuan voice live?