There are many "clear" video samples of Dame Gwyneth in "action," singing her great Wagnerian heroic repertoire, Italian (including her heroic Princess Turandot) and French roles, etc. However, the greatest role I ever heard her sing was the most powerful of all hochdramatisch parts, the title role in Strauss's Elektra. Someone captured the video clips below from a seat in the Metropolitan Opera house during her performances in Elektra in 1994, which were among the two runs of that opera at the MET that were the most remarkable I saw and heard (the others were Birgit Nilsson's legendary 1980 performances, both hers and Dame Gwyneth's co-starring Leonie Rysanek, but in different roles). I never heard singing like this before. Dame Gwyneth was completely rock solid--there had always been discussions about her intonation and what was called a "wobble" in her voice, but here, even if one could quibble with any of her singing over the years, none of those negative qualities were in evidence. She was in her strongest voice ever, and at almost 60 years old!!! She hurled laser-beam high note after high note into the theater and pinned us to our seats. The performances were moving, touching, but mostly overwhelming. I was shaking afterward from the sheer impact. Brava Dame Gwyneth!
The "Allein! Weh, ganz allein." Monologue
The overpowering confrontation scene with Klytemnestra (Leonie Rysanek)
The final scene (with Deborah Voigt--Voigt's large voice sounded TINY next to that of the gargantuan-voiced Dame Gwyneth!!!)
The final minutes of the opera and the screaming ovation for Dame Gwyneth!!!
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