Leontyne Price Photo: Jack Mitchell, Public Domain
One of the most renowned and beloved singers of the 20th century, American soprano Leontyne Price rose to super-stardom at a time when African-American artists were only just beginning to achieve major recognition in the operatic world.
Leontyne Price, who turned 90 in February, is celebrated by Roger Pines, broadcast commentator for Lyric Opera of Chicago, in an in-depth tribute covering her life and career. In addition to representative recorded excerpts, the programme features commentary and reminiscences from numerous renowned American artists, among them Renée Fleming, Sondra Radvanovsky, Denyce Graves, and Eric Owens. (WFMT)
Music sung by Leontyne Price is excerpted from the following:
- Charpentier, Louise, “Depuis le jour”
- Bizet, Carmen, Seguidilla
- Verdi, La forza del destino, “Pace, pace”
- Hymn, “Lead, kindly light”
- Strauss, Die ägyptische Helena, “Zweite Brautnacht”
- Gershwin, Porgy and Bess, “Bess, You Is My Woman Now”
- (with William Warfield)
- Barber, Hermit Songs, “At St. Patrick’s Purgatory”
- Puccini, Tosca, Act I love duet (with David Poleri)
- Poulenc, Dialogues des Carmélites, Prison Scene
- Puccini, La rondine, “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta”
- Massenet, Thaïs, “Dis-moi que je suis belle”
- Verdi, Requiem, “Domine Jesu Christe” (with Fiorenza Cossotto,
- Luciano Pavarotti, and Nicolai Ghiaurov)
- Verdi, Il trovatore, “Tacea la notte”
- Mozart, Don Giovanni, “Or sai chi l’onore”
- Verdi, Aida, “O patria mia”
- Barber, Antony and Cleopatra, Final Scene
- Marx, “Marienlied”
- Spiritual, “He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands”
- Verdi, Un ballo in maschera, Love Duet (with Carlo Bergonzi)
- Spiritual, “This Little Light of Mine”
