Jones, Gwyneth (1936—)
Jones, Gwyneth (1936—)
Welsh soprano. Born on November 7, 1936, in Pontnewyndd, Wales; studied with Ruth Parker at the Royal College of Music at the Accademia Chigiana in
Siena, and with Maria Carpi in Geneva; married Till Haberfeld; children: one daughter.
Made debut in Zurich (1962), in Covent Garden (1963), in Vienna (1966), in Bayreuth (1966), at the Metropolitan Opera (1972).
Gwyneth Jones was born in Pontnewyndd, Wales, in 1936. She studied with Ruth Parker at the Royal College of Music at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena, and with Maria Carpi in Geneva. Jones went through a severe vocal crisis in the early 1970s at a time when she was involved in recording many complete operas. The result was a series of erratic performances. Although this crisis was eventually surmounted, Jones' performance was never predictable. At times, her singing was thrilling, at other times unpleasant. Despite these problems, Jones, a mesmerizing, supreme singing actress, was in constant demand for a quarter of a century. Her voice was particularly suited for Wagnerian roles, and she performed all three Wagner Brünnhildes at Bayreuth in the internationally televised Ring cycle in 1976.
John Haag , Athens, Georgia