Fantastic. Thank you so much for uploading this. The air at the Met must have been electric that night. Jessye Norman sounds regal and certainly holds her own gloriously, but the overwhelming excitement created by Gwyneth Jones' hyper-dramatic timbre and vocal power are impossible to match. What a pair, or rather, trio, with Levine at the helm. @wotan10950: Levine was right to change his mind about Dame Gwyneth Jones. No one could deliver like her, when she did.
Surprenant. Je n'avais aucune idée qu'elles avaient chanté ensemble. Norman, au médium sublime, semble donner ici tout ce qu'elle a en réserve de volume dans l'aigu, elle force un peu.
Eh oui c'est surprenant. C'est la seule fois qu'elles ont chanté ensemble à ma connaissance. C'est une rareté avec une Jessye Norman à la limite de ses moyens.
One additional tidbit: James Levine was so disappointed by Jones’s Isolde, he vowed not to work with her again. The Ring that you’ve given us here, Jones was a last-minute replacement. Levine was so grateful for her participation, as well as her Brunnhilde portrayals, that they together on Parsifal and Elektra.
Not quite the story. The Ring which Levine was “forced” to invite Jones to sing and during which he changed his mind about her was a single cycle in 1989 when Jones stepped in for Marton, who had canceled because she found out she was not getting a new production of… something. Behrens was tapped for the other two or three cycles that year but was not available for these dates. Jones was the only option.( Messendorf was the Sieglinde.). Jones had the week of her life career-wise that week. I was present, as were many friends. She sang rings around everyone on stage, better than she ever had at the Met and much better in fact than the broadcast from which this Walkure was taken in ‘93. She sounded young, regal and powerful. After both the Siegfried and Gotterdamerung, the audience would not leave and kept calling her back for more curtain calls. The asbestos curtain was brought in a number of times and had to be raised again when no one would leave. That cycle changed Levine’s mind and she was invited for a series of Ring cycles in ‘93 and the Parisfal you mention. She had wanted Levine to consider her for Italian rep, specifically I remember she wanted to try out the Forza Leonora, but Levine’s reconsideration of her did not extend that far.
Bel enregistrent pirate réalise un mardi soir! J’attends impatiemment toute publication mettant en vedette Jessye Norman et je rêve du jour où vous publierez un récital entier.
Just,occasionally, with Norman, one sensed that they were singing in German. Ich hab kein Wort verstanden. Presumably Jones could find the note at some point in her career?
I attended one of those performances. The production was originated for Behrens, but several others followed her. Jones was extraordinary, albeit with her usual vocal quirks. However, going against common agreement, I didn’t like Norman’s Sieglinde at all. Yes, beautiful sung, but way too regal and remote for a devastated woman. And she would’ve knocked Hunding unconscious if he tried to abuse her.
I never understood how Behrens sang all those Brunnhildes and survived. She had a much smaller voice than Marton or Jones. I give it to her that she had a special passion and fire on stage, which somewhat compensated for her basically lyric voice.
Fantastic. Thank you so much for uploading this. The air at the Met must have been electric that night. Jessye Norman sounds regal and certainly holds her own gloriously, but the overwhelming excitement created by Gwyneth Jones' hyper-dramatic timbre and vocal power are impossible to match. What a pair, or rather, trio, with Levine at the helm. @wotan10950: Levine was right to change his mind about Dame Gwyneth Jones. No one could deliver like her, when she did.
Surprenant. Je n'avais aucune idée qu'elles avaient chanté ensemble. Norman, au médium sublime, semble donner ici tout ce qu'elle a en réserve de volume dans l'aigu, elle force un peu.
Eh oui c'est surprenant. C'est la seule fois qu'elles ont chanté ensemble à ma connaissance. C'est une rareté avec une Jessye Norman à la limite de ses moyens.
One additional tidbit: James Levine was so disappointed by Jones’s Isolde, he vowed not to work with her again. The Ring that you’ve given us here, Jones was a last-minute replacement. Levine was so grateful for her participation, as well as her Brunnhilde portrayals, that they together on Parsifal and Elektra.
Wow!!! Thanks for that
Not quite the story. The Ring which Levine was “forced” to invite Jones to sing and during which he changed his mind about her was a single cycle in 1989 when Jones stepped in for Marton, who had canceled because she found out she was not getting a new production of… something. Behrens was tapped for the other two or three cycles that year but was not available for these dates. Jones was the only option.( Messendorf was the Sieglinde.). Jones had the week of her life career-wise that week. I was present, as were many friends. She sang rings around everyone on stage, better than she ever had at the Met and much better in fact than the broadcast from which this Walkure was taken in ‘93. She sounded young, regal and powerful. After both the Siegfried and Gotterdamerung, the audience would not leave and kept calling her back for more curtain calls. The asbestos curtain was brought in a number of times and had to be raised again when no one would leave. That cycle changed Levine’s mind and she was invited for a series of Ring cycles in ‘93 and the Parisfal you mention. She had wanted Levine to consider her for Italian rep, specifically I remember she wanted to try out the Forza Leonora, but Levine’s reconsideration of her did not extend that far.
@@damekenneth7098 Thanks for the info
Bel enregistrent pirate réalise un mardi soir! J’attends impatiemment toute publication mettant en vedette Jessye Norman et je rêve du jour où vous publierez un récital entier.
Just,occasionally, with Norman, one sensed that they were singing in German. Ich hab kein Wort verstanden. Presumably Jones could find the note at some point in her career?
Brava!
Interesting how Jessye forces on top in order to compete with hurricane Jones.
Nothing like this now.
I attended one of those performances. The production was originated for Behrens, but several others followed her. Jones was extraordinary, albeit with her usual vocal quirks. However, going against common agreement, I didn’t like Norman’s Sieglinde at all. Yes, beautiful sung, but way too regal and remote for a devastated woman. And she would’ve knocked Hunding unconscious if he tried to abuse her.
I never understood how Behrens sang all those Brunnhildes and survived. She had a much smaller voice than Marton or Jones. I give it to her that she had a special passion and fire on stage, which somewhat compensated for her basically lyric voice.