Starke Scheite (Wagner- Götterdämmerung)- Jane Eaglen

27. 04. 1996 Metropolitan

[@gregberg5559]

it is so interesting to read the comments here- which are all over the map. For me, this is a stupendous and moving performance. I love how the voice has a combination of brilliance and warmth - womanly and heroic. And she sings with impressive sensitivity to the lyrics - She is not just pouring out meaningless tone. By the way, I saw both her Brunnhilde and Isolde in person. She was the real deal. One can talk all day about how she lacked the brilliance of Nilsson or the warmth of Flagstad or the dramatic acuity of Varnay - but I would rather think about the considerable merits she brings to this fiendishly difficult music.

[@greatmomentsofopera7170]

Was she audible in Brunhilde and Isolde?

[@gregberg5559]

@@greatmomentsofopera7170 Absolutely - and at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, which is a large and somewhat unforgiving house in which to sing. I can't compare her audibility with Birgit (who was before my time)- but from my seat in the top balcony, I had no problem hearing Eaglen.

[@jmahlon]

@@greatmomentsofopera7170 Hers, Grimsley, and Blythe's voices filled Seattle Opera's McCaw Hall more than any other voices I've heard there. Particularly Eaglen and Blythe's voices wrapped the opera house in a warm beautiful wall of sound. Eaglen's career was cut short by a triumphant battle with a brain tumor.

[@joshuavandyne7334]

I was a huge fan of her Isolde and her Norma, both of which I saw at the Met. I wished I had seen her Brünhilde

[@deev3282]

What a wonderful treat. Such glorious music! Splendid rendition with text and notes well executed by the soprano and the orchestra transporting us to great heights. In the last five minutes we hear what is in my opinion the greatest ending music in all opera.

[@mysterycheez]

My voice teacher is a friend of Jane's and we had the pleasure of a concert and a masterclass by Jane Eaglen last year. It was wonderful!

[@gnw1944]

I well remember Eaglen's Brunnhilde in Seattle. She was FANTASTIC !

[@daisydaisy1034]

There aren't many singers who have this kind of control of their voices. Such great diction and unobstructed tones! Right on target too!

[@mtrav95]

The only singer I've heard live that made my sternum vibrate while I was sitting in the balcony at the War Memorial Opera House during a "Turandot". The BALCONY. And I didn't even catch her in her prime. A reminder to some less-than-informed commenters: Wagner was a great admirer of Vincenzo Bellini and Giacomo Meyerbeer (whom Wagner would later renounce due to anti-Semitism). So he appreciated a lyric approach. Most Brunnhildes are vocally too heavy and woolly. Ms. Eaglen is a quintessential Brunnhilde given the lyricism and flexibility of her voice.

[@brickhouse7401]

Matthew Travisano did you mean that Wagner denouced Meyerbeer and Bellini because.. were they Jews? Or because they were antisemitic? Either way, interesting. All I know is that Adolf Hitler was Wagner's big fan, and that Wagner promulgated the Blood Libel. Or even maybe wrote it..?

[@williamgoforth3572]

@@brickhouse7401 Wagner renounced them because Wagner was an antisemite

[@SymphonyBrahms]

This is heavy music, and requires a huge voice, like Flagstad, Traubel, and Nilsson. Eaglen just doesn't have enough power in her voice to sing this role. Very disappointing. However, I enjoyed her performance as Isolde. But she really didn't have a big enough voice for that role either. She really should have stuck to Verdi.

[@timkeller1510]

Saw her at Seattle Opera in Dutchman. It was like a sweet-voiced, light soprano singing directly in my ear, but she was like 400 feet away. Such a shame that recordings can't capture the speechless beauty of truly masterful singers. Would've loved to hear Björling in his prime. Apparently it was a similar experience.

[@smurf902]

I have to say, after hearing such criticism of Eaglen, and having listened to good, mediocre, bad, everything in between, Eaglen has something many don't - a CLEAR and a voice with true instantaneous BEAUTY. And nuance. For a voice of this size, dynamics make it so interesting. She's a musician. Plain and simple.

[@cathydombrovske9235]

Spot-on performance! Saw her in Seattle in 2005 and at one of the seminars, I remember Speight Jenkins commenting on how that night she had totally "gotten" the role. Yes, Jane totally got it, and expressed it so well. Love the pathos, sensitivity and irony in her "Ruhe, ruhe, du Gott."

[@pilouetmissiou]

Che bella voce ! Stupendo davvero.... Negli acuti e nel grave...intensa voce ben bilanciata...creato pleasure !

[@Tenortalker]

There is so much beauty here. A lovely timbre and genuine feeling. Why shouldn't she decide on a different life now? - i bet she will do a lot of good for her students. It is a sad fact that the larger ladies seem to be under attack in the operatic world at the moment. Opera is expressed through the voice and body, but if there is no voice then the body alone will not suffice. That is why the current trend for super thin sopranos may not be such a good thing for the dramatic future of opera - Opera Producers take note please! Jane Eaglen distinguished herself among the best!

[@Tenortalker]

+Pe Callahan Hi It's good to share with you on this. I don't understand your point about an influx of overweight singers - I certainly wasn't suggesting all singers should be overweight, but that those who have a are under attack at the moment and while there are examples of slim singers producing the big sound needed for this repertoire, many of the most famous exponents have been solidly built to say the least . Grob Prandl , Leider, Hunter - the list is extensive. Jane Eaglen was finishing her RNCM training when I was just beginning mine, but I know that voice was firmly built on a solid technique by Joseph Ward and the opera department staff which can be enjoyed in this excerpt. I am surprised about your view that her post 2000 performances were precarious and even if , as you seem suggest, the Met no longer wanted her there would still have been many opera houses around the world trying to cast this repertoire who would have taken her if she wanted to continue. Ultimately big repertoire needs big voices to make its full communicative impact . Let's enjoy a vintage Eaglen performance here

[@eiffeltower4008]

@@Tenortalker thank you for your intelligent remarks, it is indeed a shame how superficial everything is becoming. I believe it is the voice and the interpretation that matters and not what size the singer is. I have only just discovered Jane Eaglen (shame on me), I have only known her from recordings without knowing what she looks like. Her voice moved me to tears - that goes to show that the appearance almost plays no role at all when it comes to the appreciation of music. Probably the thinner sopranos have to deal with their own share of prejudice ("she only got the role because she is pretty"), which is also not okay of course. Hope you are well and healthy wherever you are.

[@brickhouse7401]

@@eiffeltower4008 yes who gives a darn what size any singer is. I'm really sick of listeners dissing her because of size. If she were a pianist, a painter, a conductor, a vioinist, a rock singer, a sculptor, whatever size she is would be irrelevant. Seeing Eaglen and Heppner do Tristan and Isolde was one of the greatest moments of my life

[@brickhouse7401]

@@Tenortalker 'Fabulous bodies'. Who gives a darn if Ms. Eaglen's weight fits the 'fabulous body' stereotype. It's not a Paris fashion week runway. I know that you were not critiquing La Eaglen when you mentioned 'fabulous bodies'. Nevertheless. Inappropriate/sexist reference, because were you speaking of a tenor or baritone of size, 'fabulous bodies' referring to male singers..? Uuhh..no.

[@Tenortalker]

@@brickhouse7401 The comment was in reply to someone else ( whose comment is no longer there) and therefore was quoting back . Perhaps I should have made that clear at the time with quote marks, but I wasn't to know that they would remove their original comment to which I was replying and it was a genuine omission when typing quickly. I have amended the comment. I feel that I have written robustly in defence of singers. Please note that for me singers refers to all voice categories and however they express their gender. There is a strong reason why that is very important to me in particular. I have Tenor in my name but ...... I am so glad that you had a great moment at that Tristan performance and please enjoy the rest of your day.

[@edronax1]

Really wonderful singing. Clear voice and great power.

[@gunnisonguy]

Eaglen had to be experienced live. Those of you who only know her on recording have no idea of the power and versatility of her voice. Microphones just couldn't pick up her voice in all its fullness. I saw her as Brunnhilde, Isolde, Turandot ....heaven every time!

[@ford9125]

Precisely! I saw her as Brunhilde in Die Walkure in the 2005 ring at Seattle. Her power was simply unmatched.

[@Prickler32]

There is a lot more to an international singing career than just singing. There is the constant travel and health issues. I can imagine that she is happy to stay at home, cook and teach a few lessons per week after 20 years of all that

[@user-ru8vy1uz7c]

Bravo bravo bravo fantastic brilliance vocal super

[@wotan10950]

I recently heard a bit of trivia about this performance. It was a gala with many of the great stars. As Eaglen sang this great scene, both Birgit Nilsson and Gwyneth Jones watched her silently from backstage. It must’ve been a poignant moment for two of the great Brunnhildes to watch another singer pick up the mantle.

[@miuzefreak]

thank you for that. : ) was it confirmed, though?

[@aaronmalone7065]

I mean…there was NEVER a better Brünnhilde than Gwyneth Jones. The 1976 Boulez is my desert island pick. Just insanely good.

[@greatmomentsofopera7170]

Interesting story!

[@suzannestearns6279]

James Levine, The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Jane Eaglen = perfection.

[@abirdthatflew]

Bravo, Jane Eaglen! A wonderfully accurate performance, and sung just the way I like it: stand there and do the aria without all the dramatics. Jane Eaglen is maybe not the greatest Brünnhilde of all time, but who cares when she's sung so well.

[@operassassinOperaAssassin]

Strange - because Birgit Nilsson was in the audience (and gala) and greeted JE afterward, praising her interpretation.

[@AP-dd3xp]

operassassin I’m sure Nilsson was just being nice.

[@AP-dd3xp]

Bravo Luca lol, dumbest comment ever, so we can go through you to find about how her felt? Pathetic met troll.

[@BigBrotherBoohooTube]

​@@AP-dd3xpLOL

[@maurizio888]

Amazing voice!!!! ThankU to share. Its a wonderfull diamont

[@greatmomentsofopera7170]

I really like this performance - sensitivity and power. And she does have chest voice. More than Nilsson used in this scene.

[@ahava77]

YES JANE!!!

[@miuzefreak]

JANE EAGLEN WAS A FORCE OF NATURE! OMG!

[@jpryan31]

good god...she's so clear! this is fabulous!

[@nwdixieboy]

Whoever said Eaglen had a small voice never heard her here in Seattle. She could give you thrills with her big, beautiful sound. She may not have been in the league of Flagstad, Traubel, Nilsson and Varnay, but for those of us who heard her during her peak in the 90's are most likely grateful for having heard Wagner sung so well. I contend that she was the greatest Wagnerian soprano of our generation, with Voigt being her only real contender.

[@LordMgls]

Voigt?? seriously??? 😂😂😂 for some reason some people thought that she was up to sing Brünnhilde and Minnie (Fanciulla de West) at the Met in a 1 year time span. for some other reason, I have barely heard of her since that.

[@nwdixieboy]

+LordMgls Before she lost weight Debbie had a really wonderful voice. listen to her duets with Domingo

[@LordMgls]

John Roberts Yeah, I know, she may have had the voice for early Wagner or late Richard Strauss but I doubt whether she would have been a good Bhünnhilde - even before surgery.

[@nwdixieboy]

+LordMgls You are actually correct

[@palermofirenze]

Jane was fabulous in her day. She "coulda been a contenda" for the crown as Birgit II, but lacked Birgit's staying power. She did blow me away at the Lyric as Brunhilde back in her prime.

[@jelenabodrazic522]

FANTASTIC!!!!!!!💫

[@numipieta5761]

Simply outstanding, exceptional singing! And the conducting is to match, top-notch. It's funny how Wagner winks to Beethoven at 4:56... While Jane Eaglen is sensational, she has an outstanding CD with Wagner and Bellini arias. She is far superior to any other Wagner soprano I have heard live in recent years - Irene Theorin, Catherine Foster, Christiane Libor, even Nina Stemme. She is a true Diva! Bravissima e Maestro Levin too, bravi tutti!

[@em468]

Extraordinaria voz 😢 asombrosa

[@jmahlon]

@jamesbond100001 It was released on the DVD though... I own the Double DVD re release... Heard her last year, she still has it!

[@robertknapp7612]

Fiendishly difficult music to bring to its full impact. Ms. Eaglen brings (dare I say) a majestic bearing to the character. Everything's in her voice (just like everything dramatic is in the music). Visuals on stage are almost distracting--just listen to the totality of how the orchestra melds with Ms. Eaglen's magnificent instrument.

[@mrboombasticx]

I haven't seen this is so many years...

[@gamalielruizmeza3180]

Glorious....

[@lisahirsch7800]

Are you sure that Eaglen "burned out"? She started singing in the early/mid-1980s at ENO (I've seen a photo of her from about 1984) and she was singing the big Wagner roles and other repertory until 2005 at least. Her last Met performances were in 2004; she sang in the new opera "Amelia" two or three years ago in Seattle. Twenty years makes a decent career for lots of singers.

[@robertdonkers]

20 years at the top yes, but she only performed for some 8 years at the top!

[@jmahlon]

a battle with a brain tumor cut her career shorter than it could've been.

[@crixusandreatos7059]

Wow

[@joeulloa7304]

I think she sounds really good.

[@dbyers3897]

Opera has a way of bringing out rather severe & wide-ranging criticism however, as with all music, does this speak to your heart & mind? If you enjoy it, it doesn't matter what others say. As a native NYer, I'm especially deaf to the myopic opinion of others.

[@ransomcoates546]

It is strange. They always savaged her in NY and I always found her wonderful in Chicago. Hard to know why her top voice just suddenly disintegrated mid-career.

[@aaronmalone7065]

Because the music she took on was too big for her voice. Wagner demands a huge middle to carry the orchestration. She probably had to push too much for enough volume and it destroyed her top. Voigt did the same thing and compounded it with far too drastic weight loss the compromised her support.

[@draganvidic2039]

Not a favourite of mine but her steely voice sounds better here than most recordings I've heard with her.

[@Sir.Larselot]

Jane Eaglen and Deborah Voigt sang the highly dramatic Wagner parts at the Met, instead the fact that both singers had the voices of a fine youthful dramatic soprano. Yes, a highly dramatic soprano is a rare thing. Deborah Polaski should have done this job better.

[@aaronmalone7065]

Polaski ruined her voice too. 😂🤷

[@Sir.Larselot]

@@aaronmalone7065 . Absolutely not. She sang the heavy stuff for more than 25 years, especially Elektra. This is a remarkable long career with those roles and just a true highly dramatic soprano with rock secure technique can do this. All the professors at the music university said this also, where i have studied opera singing.

[@lotoffortune]

I'm sorry folks, but as lovely as the voice is here (and I heard and enjoyed her live in SF as Brunnhilde), this performance is the equivalent of musical wallpaper. It made no impression on me at all.

[@benaissamohamed5498]

Good music

[@crixusandreatos7059]

Sublime, grande e sincera voce

[@angryjalapeno]

Thrilling big voice.

[@Altonahh10]

It´s obvious that she is jugendlich-dramatisch but noch hochdramatisch. A great Elisabeth, Senta or Sieglinde but not Brünnhilde, Isolde or Elektra

[@robertdonkers]

Agreeeeeeeeee

[@tlampful]

@@robertdonkers “Anyone with half a mind could see that," said Tiffany. Miss Tick sighed. "Yes. But sometimes it's so hard to find half a mind when you need one.” ― Terry Pratchett

[@greatmomentsofopera7170]

@@tlampful It's a gorgeous sound and jugentlich dramatisch you are right. There's not enough core. I read once someone's opinion that she was pushed into heavier roles because of her weight... this could well be true.

[@schneisi]

Her voice is huge !!

[@brickhouse7401]

@Asjop Wefjop were she a painter, an author, a rock singer, an orchestra player, any other art form, size wouldn't matter. I'm gaurdian of my little sister, about La Eaglen's size, and everywhere we go, discrimination, intolerance, mockery, judgment. Rejection. It's pretty heartbreaking.

[@aaronmalone7065]

Big, but not huge.

[@gerardmignon700]

Qu'est-ce qu'elle vient faire Là? Rien d'héroïque dans cette gentille voix, ni timbre (banal) ni puissance. Une fille de dieu çà?

[@Dadacomero]

:/

[@birgitnilsson]

I couldn´t agree more. No interest at all.

[@silversingingmethod5483]

ROFL! Is this a spoof? A lyric voice with no middle or chest singing Wagner...wow. smh She is a lesser Caballe voice who was a lyric with chest and a solid middle.

[@Bumblebeebeebee]

You better go and torture your highly untalented students with your questionable teaching methods

[@chatbud]

I thought she sounded decent here. My first encounter of her was the "live" EMI Norma with the mousey Eva Mei of Adalgisa. Probably cos she was closed miked and one tends to be more critical with just the audio vs the live audience who gets to SEE and hear the performer. Anyway, my point being she's horrid in that Norma. The high notes were pinched and she was very breathy. Her voice was just unpleasant and one tires hearing her struggling to race up and down the scale.

[@alexthomas1750]

This is still relatively early on. She made her US debut in 1994.

[@AP-dd3xp]

Yeh that Norma was horrid. The worst Norma I ve ever heard on an official recording.

[@Neoboethius]

Really, for a short while she was THE most exciting Wagnerian soprano since Birgit Nilsson. I got to see her twice in Chicago, and she blew me totally away. But like a meteor, she burned out--and nobody but she knows exactly why. And, let's be honest--in today's visual operatic world, she's too darned fat to be convincing as a warrior maiden. The voice simply isn't enough.

[@robertdonkers]

I do not find seize that of a problem, for me it is when they are unhealthy with it and Jane was said to get Winded walking onto stage.

[@nwdixieboy]

You know you can support the voice being big as a house in your thirties, but as you get up into your forties it gets harder to breathe I suspect, and Jane got bigger. She had great technique, but I think her body failed her. Her US debut in Norma in Seattle she wasn't so large and she was truly stunning with really good coloratura and D6 and everything.Her voice was really really huge!!!!! By far her best recording was Medea in Corento, which was a Norma type of role. She was really good for about 10 years I think. The Ring,Isolde, Ariadne and Fidelio in Seattle were awesome. I spoke with Jane and some things she didn't like about singing opera was always wearing such heavy costumes and wigs and being so hot. She loves people and I think teaching students in a school will be welcome relief.

[@SilverSingingMethod]

ROFL! Lyric soprano singing Wagner. lol

[@PrevitaliA]

Another Wagner singer with nothing in the low register, like an iceberg, you only see the part above the water... Dalayman is another of the type...

[@draganvidic2039]

Vladik Polionov No no, Dalayman has a huge chestvoice of a contralto. Listen to her "Es gibt ein Reich" in the beginning...

[@CarlosGomes-wi2ti]

Dalayman has no chest voice?! Hahahaha we can see that you understand voice really well hahaha

[@HoWaAl1949]

Great voice, but some pounds too heavy‼️