WOW!! This is amazing! Dame Gwyneth 1996! The pitch is correct most of the time, the vibrato is almost as free as 1968, not much of swooping attacks from below, not many mannered glissandos! The softness and beauty of tone seems to have returned! I just wonder what would have been if she had gone on singing Mozart adding bel-canto roles...? Still, she's a legend! Brava Gwyneth!
A noble effort indeed. A comment below regarding her singing in the 1960’s is one I totally concur with. In those days she really could be stiff competition for both Price & Caballe. For example her singing the 4th act TROVATORE aria. One of the best renditions of this that I have heard ever. Indeed she was also more interesting both as an interpreter & actress than either Caballe or Price. She might have possibly kept her voice even more flexible & lovely longer had she alternated her Strauss & Wagner with some bel canto repertoire -also my opinion. Still for her to take on NORMA at sixty was risky but as heard here she does have her moments & I was positively surprised at the results.
How I wish Dame Gwyneth has sung more bel canto roles alongside her Wagner and Strauss . That would have been exciting and given her more opportunity to keep the voice flexible. Such a wonderful , totally involved artiste.
I’d call this an honest effort. And it’s amazing that she could still sing beautifully at this age. But after all the years of Brunnhilde, Isolde, Elektra, her voice really couldn’t shine in a bel canto role. If you listen to her early Verdi recordings, Dame Gwyneth could have given Price and Caballe a run for their money if she had taken that path. (P.S. too funny to see the tiny role of Flavio sung by Jonas Kaufmann!)
Such a great dramatic soprano!
Thank you.
This is so good!!! Amazing!
WOW!! This is amazing! Dame Gwyneth 1996! The pitch is correct most of the time, the vibrato is almost as free as 1968, not much of swooping attacks from below, not many mannered glissandos! The softness and beauty of tone seems to have returned! I just wonder what would have been if she had gone on singing Mozart adding bel-canto roles...? Still, she's a legend! Brava Gwyneth!
A noble effort indeed. A comment below regarding her singing in the 1960’s is one I totally concur with. In those days she really could be stiff competition for both Price & Caballe. For example her singing the 4th act TROVATORE aria. One of the best renditions of this that I have heard ever. Indeed she was also more interesting both as an interpreter & actress than either Caballe or Price. She might have possibly kept her voice even more flexible & lovely longer had she alternated her Strauss & Wagner with some bel canto repertoire -also my opinion.
Still for her to take on NORMA at sixty was risky but as heard here she does have her moments & I was positively surprised at the results.
How I wish Dame Gwyneth has sung more bel canto roles alongside her Wagner and Strauss . That would have been exciting and given her more opportunity to keep the voice flexible. Such a wonderful , totally involved artiste.
I’d call this an honest effort. And it’s amazing that she could still sing beautifully at this age. But after all the years of Brunnhilde, Isolde, Elektra, her voice really couldn’t shine in a bel canto role. If you listen to her early Verdi recordings, Dame Gwyneth could have given Price and Caballe a run for their money if she had taken that path. (P.S. too funny to see the tiny role of Flavio sung by Jonas Kaufmann!)
She lacks legato, that's essencial in Bellini's Norma! But the voice is stil beautiful!