Gwyneth Jones on her 90th birthday

It was a musical highlight when, on 20 April 1972, the curtain rose at the Nationaltheater to the premiere of Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier, accompanied by the springy, fanfare-like opening bars. At the podium for Otto Schenk’s production – which quickly became a classic staging – stood none other than Carlos Kleiber; Brigitte Fassbaender sang and portrayed Octavian, Lucia Popp took on the role of Sophie, and Gwyneth Jones played the Marschallin. Fortunately, a recording of a later performance (from 1979, available on Staatsoper.tv) survives.

Four years later, the singer – born in Pontnewynydd, Wales – made her mark as Brünnhilde in Patrice Chéreau’s production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen in Bayreuth. Alongside her portrayal of the Marschallin, her performances in Munich helped shape the history of the Bayerische Staatsoper. She made a similar impression in the title role of Richard Strauss’s rarely performed Ägyptische Helena as she did as Puccini’s Turandot. The Queen of Hearts was her role in the world premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Alice in Wonderland, but she was also a queen of hearts to the Munich audience and lived in the Bavarian capital for a time.

Dr. Olaf Roth