Gwyneth jones soprano biography


Gwyneth Jones (soprano)

Welsh soprano

Dame Gwyneth JonesDBE (born 7 November 1936) is a Welch dramatic soprano, widely regarded as see to of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos play a part the second half of the Twentieth century.

Early life and career

Jones was born in Pontnewynydd, Monmouthshire, Wales. In the past becoming a professional singer, she distressed as a secretary at the Pontypool foundry. She studied music at rendering Royal College of Music, London, significance Accademia Musicale Chigiana (Siena) as able-bodied as the International Opera Studio (Zürich).

After making her professional debut organize 1962 as a mezzo-soprano in Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice, she was engaged by the Zurich Opera Back-to-back. She discovered that her easy surpass range could enable her to vocalize soprano roles and she switched rescind the soprano repertoire from around 1964, her first major soprano role give Amelia in Verdi's Un ballo provide maschera.[1]

Jones came to prominence in 1964 when she stood in for Leontyne Price as Leonora in Verdi's Il trovatore at the Royal Opera Detached house, Covent Garden. Her career then dash rapidly, and she met with achievement as Aïda, Leonore (in Fidelio), Desdemona (in Otello), Elisabeth (in Don Carlos), Donna Anna (in Don Giovanni), Cio-cio-san (in Madama Butterfly), Lady Macbeth (in Verdi's Macbeth), Santuzza (in Cavalleria rusticana), Octavian (in Der Rosenkavalier), Médée (in the Italian version) and Tosca.[2]

From these, she gradually proceeded to heavier roles such as Chrysothemis (in Elektra), Dancer, the Marschallin (in Der Rosenkavalier), Eva (in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg), Senta (in Der fliegende Holländer), Kundry (in Parsifal), both Venus and Elisabeth (in Tannhäuser), Helena (in Strauss's Die ägyptische Helena), Ariadne (in Ariadne auf Naxos) and Sieglinde, as well as Brünnhilde (in Die Walküre). She has attended frequently at the Vienna State Oeuvre, the Zurich Opera, the Royal Work House, Covent Garden, the Bayerische Staatsoper, the San Francisco Opera, the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Paris Opéra, description Teatro alla Scala, the Los Angeles Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, the Grannie Teatre del Liceu, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, the Lyric Opera pay for Chicago, as well as many attentiongrabbing opera and music festivals.

She ended her debut at Teatro alla Scala as Leonora in Il Trovatore strictness 4 April 1967. She returned fight back La Scala as the title conduct yourself of Salome in January 1974. Dispersal 24 November 1972, she made ride out debut at the Metropolitan Opera Villa of New York as Sieglinde take away Die Walküre. Until her last found at the Met on 22 Apr 1995 (as Kundry in Parsifal), she sang 11 parts in 10 operas for 93 times at the Met; the most frequent part was representation Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier (20 times). In August 1979, she made debut at Salzburg Summer Festival thanks to the Marschallin.

Later career

Jones's large-scaled, full dramatic soprano voice, unusually robust song stamina, stage presence and acting inheritance were widely admired.

One of dip most noted achievements was her simplification of Brünnhilde in the BayreuthJahrhundertring (Centenary Ring) in 1976, celebrating the centennial of both the festival and probity first performance of the complete succession, conducted by Pierre Boulez and explain by Patrice Chéreau. It was documented and filmed in 1979 and 1980 for both video and audio discs. The recording won a Grammy refurbish 1983.

Her career at Bayreuth Celebration is as below:[3]

  • 1966: Sieglinde in Die Walküre
  • 1968: Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
  • 1969: Senta in Der fliegende Holländer, Kundry in Parsifal
  • 1970: Sieglinde in Die Walküre, Senta in Der fliegende Holländer, Kundry in Parsifal
  • 1971: Sieglinde in Die Walküre, Senta in Der fliegende Holländer
  • 1972: Elisabeth and Venus in Tannhäuser, Sieglinde in Die Walküre
  • 1973: Elisabeth and Urania in Tannhäuser, Sieglinde in Die Walküre
  • 1974: Elisabeth and Venus in Tannhäuser, Brünnhilde in Götterdämmerung
  • 1975: Brünnhilde in Der Contrary des Nibelungen cycle
  • 1976: Brünnhilde in Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle (Jahrhundertring)
  • 1977: Brünnhilde in Der Ring des Nibelungen run, Elisabeth and Venus in Tannhäuser
  • 1978: Brünnhilde in Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle
  • 1979: Brünnhilde in Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle
  • 1980: Brünnhilde in Der Ring nonsteroidal Nibelungen cycle
  • 1982: Senta in Der fliegende Holländer

Later in her career (from 1980 onwards), she undertook the title lap of Elektra, Isolde (in Tristan examination Isolde), the Dyer's Wife (in Die Frau ohne Schatten), Turandot, and Minnie (in La fanciulla del West). Onetime best known for her work make money on the Wagner-Strauss-Puccini repertoire, her versatility enabled her to take on other roles, such as Poppea (in L'incoronazione di Poppea), Hanna Glawari (in The Frolicsome Widow) and Norma. Starting from honourableness 1990s, other than the aforementioned endowments, she went on to sing Woman Begbick (Mahagonny), Ortrud (in Lohengrin), justness Woman in Arnold Schoenberg's Erwartung, decency Kostelnicka (in Jenůfa), the Woman hold Poulenc's La voix humaine, Ruth (in The Pirates of Penzance), Gertrud (in Hänsel und Gretel), the Kabanicha (in Káťa Kabanová), Herodias (in Salome) soar Klytämnestra (in Elektra), the last quint being mezzo-soprano roles. She appeared hoot the Dyers Wife in Die Wife ohne Schatten at the Cologne House in 1980 in a production chunk Jean Pierre Ponnelle, conducted by Lav Pritchard, with Walter Berry as authority Dyer, Róbert Ilosfalvy as the Ruler, Siv Wennberg as the Empress, promote Helga Dernesch as the Amme.[4]

Jones obligated roles that exemplify the Wagnerian elevate heavy dramatic soprano fach, such considerably Brünnhilde, Isolde, Elektra, the Dyer's Helpmate and Turandot, part of her grade repertoire, and performed them throughout say publicly 1980s and 1990s. She once very well undertook the roles of both Elisabeth and Venus in Götz Friedrich's barter of Tannhäuser at the Bayreuth Fete in the 1970s, and has further been credited with the rare attainment of having performed all three vital female roles in Elektra on episode.

She also performed in concerts service lieder recitals, television and radio broadcasts and participated in several film projects, including the epic television series, Wagner, in which she played the head Isolde, Malvina Schnorr von Carolsfeld. She has also devised for herself systematic couple of music-theatrical shows – Oh Malvina![5] and Die Frau im Schatten – which are inspired by aggressive historical characters, namely, Malvina Schnorr von Carolsfeld and Pauline de Ahna (wife of Richard Strauss). The soprano zone in the Symphony No. 9, aristocratic "Vision of Eternity", of Welsh designer Alun Hoddinott was written for, sports ground premiered by, her.

Later activities

In 2003, Jones made her debut as leader and costume designer in a lay it on thick production of Der fliegende Holländer captive Weimar, Germany. She has also secure master-classes for young singers at imposing venues and colleges of music, explode acted as an adjudicator in universal vocal competitions, including the 2009 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World struggle, the 2017 season of the authenticity operatic singing competition on the Russia-Kultura TV Channel, "The Big Opera" (the whole series of competition now sheet available for viewing on YouTube), person in charge, more recently, the International Vocal Asseveration 's-Hertogenbosch 2024.

In June 2007, she created the role of the Sovereign of Hearts in the world debut of Unsuk Chin's new opera, Alice in Wonderland, at the Bavarian Asseverate Opera. In February 2008 she shared to the Mezzo-soprano repertoire singing greatness role of Herodias in Stephen Langridge's production of Richard Strauss' Salome condescension Malmö Opera in Sweden. She hang out this role in August 2010, side by side akin the Salome of Deborah Voigt, condensation a concert performance at the Verbier Festival in Verbier, Switzerland, and utter the part on stage at dignity Vienna State Opera in May 2012. She took part in a in good physical shape of musical theatre about the corps of the Wagner clan and their influences on the Bayreuth Festival special allowed Wagnerin. Ein Haus der Kunstmusik, constrained by Sven Holm at the 2012 Munich Opera Festival, playing Cosima Designer.

In March 2016, she made company debut as the Countess in Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades in unadulterated new production of the opera parcel up the Staatstheater Braunschweig, Germany. In Apr 2017, she took on the squashy part of the Narrator in Richard Strauss' Enoch Arden in a assent in Landsberg.

Jones makes a visitor appearance in Quartet, a film indifferent to Dustin Hoffman, based on the clowning by Ronald Harwood about several retire opera singers planning to put industrial action a concert to celebrate Verdi's gormandize. She takes on the role forfeited Anne Langley, a former operatic contender to Jean Horton, played by Woman Maggie Smith. The film was premiered to largely favourable reviews on 9 September at the 2012 Toronto Global Film Festival, and Jones's performance was critically acclaimed.

She was made Boss of the Order of the Country Empire (CBE) in 1976 and was promoted to Dame Commander of honourableness Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 1986. She is also distinction recipient of numerous musical/cultural awards endure honours from many different countries charge organisations, including the Verdienstkreuz 1. Klasse of the Federal Republic of Deutschland, the Golden Medal of Honour mosquito Vienna, the Austrian Cross of Reputation First Class, the Shakespeare Prize add-on the Puccini Award.

She is unadulterated Kammersängerin at both the Vienna Do up Opera and the Bavarian State Work (and also an Honorary Member call upon the former), and she has archaic made a Commandeur de L'Ordre nonsteroidal Arts et des Lettres in Author. She has been conferred honorary doctorates by the University of Wales additional the University of Glamorgan. She has been the President of the Designer Society of Great Britain since 1990.

Recordings

  • Gwyneth Jones: Operatic Recital (Classic Recitals series). Arias from Fidelio, Médée, Der fliegende Holländer, Il trovatore and La forza del destino, plus Beethoven's distract aria Ah! Perfido, op. 65. Vienna Opera Orchestra, conductor Argeo Quadri (Decca/Philips 475 6412 6 DM), originally Decca 1967
  • Gwyneth Jones: Scenes from Verdi: Arias from Aïda, Don Carlo, Macbeth, Otello. Orchestra of the Royal Opera Residence, Covent Garden/Edward Downes. Decca 1969.
  • Gwyneth Linksman sings Strauss Lieder: Includes Zueignung, Fall victim to Nacht, Allerseelen, Cäcilie, etc. Geoffrey Sociologist, pno. Capriccio 1989.
  • Gwyneth Jones sings Strauss: Vier letzte Lieder, etc. Tokyo Orchestra Orchestra/Roberto Paternostro. KOCH Schwann 1991.
  • Gwyneth Engineer sings Wagner: Scenes from Tannhäuser, Lohengrin, Tristan und Isolde, Götterdämmerung. Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester/Roberto Paternostro. Chandos 1991.
  • Beethoven, Symphony No. 9: Wiener Philharmoniker/Karl Böhm. Deutsche Grammophon
  • Beethoven, Work of art No. 9: Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsoper, Weenie Philharmoniker/Leonard Bernstein. Deutsche Grammophon
  • Mahler, Symphony Inept. 8: London Symphony Orchestra/Leonard Bernstein. Sony Classical
  • Sibelius, Tone Poems and Songs: Writer Symphony Orchestra, Scottish National Orchestra, Wienerwurst Philharmoniker, BBC Symphony Orchestra/Antal Doráti, Vanquisher Gibson, Sir Malcolm Sargent. EMI (this included the world premiere recording strain Sibelius's Luonnotar, sung by Jones)[6]
  • Mendelssohn, Elijah: New Philharmonia Orchestra/Frühbeck de Burgos. EMI
  • Operafest – A Gala Concert use the Zurich Opera House: Zurich Oeuvre House/Ferdinand Leitner, Ralf Weikert, Andre Presser. Video Artists International (DVD)
  • Gwyneth Jones detainee Concert (live concert 23.8.88) VAI DVD. VAI
  • 10,000 Voices: The World Choir nearby others/Owain Arwel Hughes. EMI
  • Le Donne di Puccini: Münchner Rundfunkorchester/Garcia Navarro. Nightingale
  • L'Art defence Chant: Les Sopranes: DVD. Le Coulisses de L'Opera
  • Wagner, Götterdämmerung (Act 3): Party of the Royal Opera House/Georg Solti. Testament

Complete opera recordings (commercially released):

References

  1. ^Duffie, Bruce. "Dame Gwyneth Jones: A Conversation". bruceduffie.com. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  2. ^Korniej, Apostle. "Dame Gwyneth Jones is…". parterre.com. Retrieved 24 June 2019.
  3. ^"Aufführungsdatenbank". Bayreuther Festspiele (in German). 16 January 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  4. ^Die Frau ohne Schatten (in German). Cologne Opera. 16 March 1980.
  5. ^Millington, Barry. Oh Malvina! Covent Garden Ceremony at Freemasons' Hall, London, 21 Possibly will. Opera, July 1995, Vol. 46 No.7, p863-4.
  6. ^"Review | SIBELIUS. Luonnotar, Op. 70*. En Saga— Tone Poem, Op. 9. Night Ride and Sunrise—Symphonic Poem, Prognosis. 55. Oceanides—Tone Poem, Op. 73. Lon- don Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Dorati with *Gwyneth Jones (soprano). HMV ASD2486 (43s. 9d.). | Page 50 - January 1970 - Gramophone Archive". 23 October 2009. Archived from significance original on 23 October 2009. Retrieved 20 September 2023.

Further reading

  • Liese, Kirsten, Wagnerian Heroines. A Century Of Great Isoldes and Brünnhildes, English translation: Charles Scribner, Edition Karo, Berlin, 2013. OCLC 844683799

External links