Search - Leontyne Price :: Rediscovered (Dig)

Masterful Recital Performance From Price at Her Peak

Ed Uyeshima | San Francisco, CA USA | 01/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"World-renowned soprano Leontyne Price can be an intimidating presence on any stage but not on this live concert recording. She lends a warm, lovely presence and of course, her unparalleled voice, to this eclectic program, which amazingly at the age of 38, represented her Carnegie Hall recital debut in 1965. It's hard to imagine her sounding any better than this at any point in her career, and just as importantly, the program reflects her heightened awareness of what serves her powerful voice best. It's a wonderful record of an obviously triumphant evening, and in what must be one of the recording industry's most monumental oversights, it languished in the RCA vault for thirty-seven years.



Price starts with three opera arias from Handel, all very clean in delivery and one especially noteworthy, "Piangerò la sorte mia" from "Giulio Cesare in Egritto". She is simultaneously opulent and regal while displaying a strong sense of pathos as Cleopatra contemplates her fate. The ten-minute Brahms "Zigeunerlieder, Op. 103" is stunning for the freshness she provides with her flexible quicksilver tones, all delivered in her very expressive German. The four Poulenc selections are delivered in a such a delicate manner that it can only be described as buttery, and as such, perfect for the Gallic verses. And her big opera moment comes with Giordano's "La mamma morta" from "Andrea Cénier" sung with her requisite passion. Regardless though, Price really soars with the American selections where her voice takes on an added dimension of humanity. She begins this portion with three stellar selections from Samuel Barber, all shimmering showcases for her voice: the haunting "Nocturne, Op. 13 No. 4", the light and airy "The Daisies, Op. 2 No. 1" and the near spiritual "Sleep Now, Op. 10 No. 2". These segue seamlessly into two lush pieces by the relatively unknown Lee Hoiby, who wrote specifically for Price. For me personally, the high points of the entire recording are the four spirituals, which she sings with an unearthly combination of roof-raising conviction and clarion tones. She concludes with classic arias from Puccini and Cilea and of course, her definitive version of George Gershwin's "Summertime". This is as fulfilling a recital as you could possibly hear from this wondrous singer. Essential listening."

Hidden Treasures Come to the Surface with Excellence

cruisewhiz | Hawaii | 09/26/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The idea that a recording of this quality and importance in the career of our American Diva is almost too hard to believe. The fact that it has been released now is such a pleasure. Imagine that night in Carnigie Hall, a singer at the peak of her vocal powers, a night I would have never forgotten. Some of the material recorded here she has recorded at later times but these performances are top notch and the quality and dedication to the art of singing is here for all to enjoy. What else does RCA have in their vaults. Do we have to wait another 37 years to find out."

Leontyne Price Rediscovered

Paul E. Logan | Washington, D. C., District of Columbia USA | 11/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have "lived" happily and joyously with Leontyne Price since I purchased the "blue" album many, many years ago. We are indeed fortunate that RCA found the recording of this recital, for Ms. Price's recitals always afforded her audiences opportunities to listen to the sheer beauty of her instrument and to marvel at her intelligent interpretations of German "Lieder," French "melodies," art songs by such American composers as Rorem, Hoiby, Swann, and, of course, Barber. The "Negro Spirituals" were always bonuses and gave those who were unfamiliar with the songs of the African American an opportunity to understand and appreciate the depth of the African American's faith in God. On this CD, Ms. Price is in resplendent voice. It memorializes the sublime moments of her recitals which many of us still treasure. Listen carefully to her interpretation of Brahms' "Zigeunerlieder," for they are performed beautifully and idiomatically. But I would say that her performance of Poulenc's "Tu vois le feu du soir" alone is worth the price of the CD. To those who "grew up" with Ms. Price and to those who are too young to have heard her in recital, I say: Purchase this CD, and you will relive those sublime moments of the past or understand why the late music critic of The Washington Post, Paul Hume, wrote in a review of a recital given in Washington that the state of Ms. Price's voice is "great . . . they come no greater.""