When I was working at Tower, some of my colleagues accused me of being a 'size queen'; not anatomically but vocally. They assumed, because I loved Birgit Nilsson, Leonie Rysanek, Fiorenza Cossotto and several other big-voiced divas, that I was only interested in volume. That doesn't explain my interest in such lighter-voiced singers as Reri Grist and Patricia Brooks. But it is true that the visceral thrill of being pinned to your seat by the sheer amplitude of a powerful voice is one of the most satisfying aspects of going to the opera. Dame Gwyneth Jones had the biggest voice I ever heard. Some people of course can never forgive Dame Gwyneth for her wobble, and it did bother me when I heard her on recordings - it bothered me a lot. But then I heard her at the Met and I found that the wobble came and went and that it didn't affect my enjoyment of her performances. Aside from the sheer volume, it was a warm and stupendously feminine sound.
She was always one of the most striking women to grace the opera stage; her silver hair and her extraordinary complexion and most of all her violet-blue eyes gave her a unique appearance.
I came across some magazine photos of Dame Gwyneth that I'd saved and decided to share them. Top to bottom: Senta, Brunnhilde, three Turandots (Dame Eva Turner, Dame Gwyneth & Ghena Dimitrova), Isolde, Elektra.
Comments