Leontyne Price born 1927 is another one of my top 10 sopranos. One of the leading Verdi sopranos of the 60ties and 70ties. She retired from the opera stage in 1985. I particularly admire her as life was particularly hard for Afro-American singers back in the 1950’s and 1960ties. Thanks to singers like Leontyne Price opera audiences and opera management started to realise that black singers could sing opera at top level. Nonetheless it would be silly to say that it was not a struggle. Her very early career was in her native United Stated but not at the most important opera house the Metropolitan Opera New York. In order to further her career she left the USA. Europe seemed to be more progressive and accepting of non-white opera singers and Miss Price appeared in many European opera houses singing leading roles next to all the leading stars of her generation. In particular Von Karajan was a great fan of Leontyne Price and had her perform Aida in Vienna to great acclaim. She was the first black artist to perform a leading role at La Scala Milan. Engagements quickly followed by Covent Garden, Salzburg and the Verona before finally making her debut at the MET in the role of Leonora in Verdi’s Il Trovatore, partnered by Franco Corelli. A little anecdote, Leontyne Price was asked to debut earlier at the MET in one of her best and favourite roles, Aida. At the time she was advised by Peter Herman Adler, Director of The National Broadcasting Opera Company, against it with the words: Leontyne Price is a great artist. When she makes her debut at the MET she will do it as a Lady not as a Slave! After the performance of Il Trovatore the applause went on for 42 minutes, the longest in history. Leontyne Price then became a “house soprano” at the MET singing many roles including: Aida, Un Ballo in Maschera, La Forza del Destino, Tosca, La Fanciulla del West, Madame Butterfly, Pamina in the Magic Flute, Cosi fan Tutte, Tatyana in Onegin and many more. In 1964 she earned the same salary as her colleagues Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland and Renata Tebaldi. I would describe her voice as smooth as velvet, clear as crystal and smoky in the lower register. She is not what I call a screamer, not to be detrimental to other singers, because she always performed roles within her vocal capability. With the exception of La Fanciulla Del West which almost damaged her voice. In 1985 she gave her last performance of Aida at the Metropolitan Opera. To honour her achievements and the road she cleared for so many black artists after her, the MET stage an Aida production with an all black cast! Her singing partners and conductors included: Sopranos Gundula Janowitz, Lucia Popp, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Birgit Nilsson Mezzos Rita Gorr, Fiorenza Cossotto, Tatiana Troyanos, Marilyn Horne, Giulietta Simionato, Shirley Verrett, Grace Bumbry, Irene Dalis, Nell Rankin Tenors: Placido Domingo, Franco Corelli, Carlo Bergonzi, Jan Peerce, Luciano Pavarotti, James McCracken, Richard Tucker, Sandor Konya, Franco Bonisolli, Bruno Prevedi Basses, Baritones: Sherill Millness, Simon Estes, Cesar Siepi, Ettore Bastiannini, Cornell MacNeill, Robert Merrill, Nicolai Zaccaria, Leo Nucci, Nicola Ghiaurov, Mario Sereni Conductors, Patane, Von Karajan, Levine, Solti, Mehta, Molinari Padrelli, Schippers
Posted on: Wed, 01 Oct 2014 15:19:13 +0000
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