skyeomania (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

Behrens, Marton, Polaski...etc. cannot compare in any way to Gwyneth Jones. She was the ultimate Elektra - and till today there is nobody to succeed her. Gwyneth rule!

SCN2003 (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

A veritable force of nature. The acting and singing are as intense as befit a genuine Greek tragedy. The slightly outsized interpretation is eminently appropriate for this outdoor venue at Orange. Purely on a vocal perspective, however, Jones is in even better shape in the performance in Geneva that has been released on CD by the Swiss label Claves, which has garnered excellent reviews.

zafireh (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

Das ist ja ekelhaft! wieso schleift sie die Töne so an? eine einzige Sirene!

wotansings (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

Of course Tosca was not for Behrens, look at her Marie in Woyzzek, this is what I call acting! For me Jones is always OVEracting, I do not like it.Both Behrens and Polaski (or Rysanke, or meier and so on) are (even in excess) natural... Vocally Jones is always terrifying, I'm still waiting for the performance where she's in tune, lol! Greetings

BeauTenor (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

No, I'm not kidding. Haven't you ever seen her as Tosca? Ham City. She was a little better as Brunnhilde, but her Elektra was lacking. This character is SUPPOSED to be over the top crazy. Jones does a lot of it with her eyes, and her movement is actually pretty spare. I can only speak for what I've seen on video for Behrens and Polaski, but NEITHER of them has the voice for this role. I saw Jones live, as Elektra. Vocally and physically she was riveting and terrifying.

wotansings (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

Behrens was not a convincing actress? Are you kidding? Even if not a real dramatic soprano, Behrens was a very fine actress. For me Jones is a bulldozer, where Behrens gave nice portayel of the parts. Same for Polaski. I think you have never seen them on stage, or you justprefer loud singing and this sort of over-acting like Jones.

BeauTenor (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

LOL...a better question is in what way is she NOT better? I would never say Behrens was a convincing actress, and vocally, although she was loud, she never quite measured up in the biggest roles. Stemme...although a fine voice is kind of boring to me...no true excitement. Polaski was a great singer at one time, but she NEVER had this kind of animal magnetism on stage. Very few ever do. Couple that with this voice, and it's just an unbeatable combination.

wotansings (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

In what way Jones is better or more convincing on stage than are Behrens or Stemme or Polaski etc...?

owenboi66 (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

This voice needs space. It's wonderful in a big house where the vibrato really seems integral to the carrying power of this amazing instrument. What I love about her is that she is utterly fearless as a performer. She gives everything she has - vocally and emotionally.

Gigglingatagas (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

Yes, the flaws are there. However, I was pleasantly surprised by this clip. I've never LOVED Gwynnie's voice - we all know the reasons. However, there are certain phrases that are utter perfection. Dramatic impetus, to me, is what individual interpretation is about after all.