Description:

When one thinks of Gwyneth Jones, Wagner typically comes to mind. While she undoubtedly became one of the leading Wagnerian sopranos of her time, her early successes were rooted in the operas of Giuseppe Verdi, including her breakout Covent Garden debut as Leonora in Il Trovatore and her American debut as Lady Macbeth in Dallas.

In this 1975 performance, Jones returns to her Verdi roots, demonstrating that years of singing Wagner have not diminished the brilliance of her voice. If anything, her sound has gained a steely strength without sacrificing the precision needed for the coloratura passages that often challenge sopranos in Verdi’s early roles.

She is joined by Mario Petri in the title role. His refined voice may seem incongruous for Macbeth, but it adds a dramatic layer, portraying him as a fundamentally good man caught in the web of his wife’s ambitions. Aage Haugland may not possess the most Italianate timbre, but his "Come dal ciel precipito" is beautifully rendered. Franco Tagliavini rounds out the cast with a sweet-voiced Macduff.

The sound is excellent. The slightly distant mic placement captures a faithful sense of what it must have been like to experience Jones’ colossal voice in the theater.

OD 10619-2