# Happy Birthday Leontyne Price



## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Mary Violet Leontyne Price (born February 10, 1927) is an American soprano who was the first African American soprano to receive international acclaim.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

She got more beautiful as she got older. I love her Deep South accent. I heard her in recital at age 70 and she sounded remarkably good. Not as good as 30 but better still than most.


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## OffPitchNeb (Jun 6, 2016)

She is stunning here. Probably my favorite performance of her. Wish she had recorded a full Carmelites in the studio.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

OffPitchNeb said:


> She is stunning here. Probably my favorite performance of her. Wish she had recorded a full Carmelites in the studio.


We were lucky at the San Francisco Opera to see and hear her in 1982 of *Dialogues of the Carmelites* in English, respecting the composer's wishes. Surrounding Leontyne Price (Lidoine) were Carol Vaness (Blanche), Régine Crespin (Old Prioress), Virginia Zeani (Mother Marie), Betsy Norden (Sister Constance), and a host of others, conducted by Henry Lewis. The best diction by far was Crespin's. Everyone else was unintelligible to a degree.


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## OffPitchNeb (Jun 6, 2016)

MAS said:


> We were lucky at the San Francisco Opera to see and hear her in 1982 of *Dialogues of the Carmelites* in English, respecting the composer's wishes. Surrounding Leontyne Price (Lidoine) were Carol Vaness (Blanche), Régine Crespin (Old Prioress), Virginia Zeani (Mother Marie), Betsy Norden (Sister Constance), and a host of others, conducted by Henry Lewis. The best diction by far was Crespin's. Everyone else was unintelligible to a degree.


That performance is available for purchase on a certain website I believe. It was very late in the career of Zeani, Price, and Crespin.

Younger Leontyne Price sings Carmelites in English. Skip to 1:42:00 for the same aria.






Speaking of French, this is pretty impressive despite non-idiomatic French


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

And we watched this last night.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

OffPitchNeb said:


> That performance is available for purchase on a certain website I believe. It was very late in the career of Zeani, Price, and Crespin.


It was rather stunt casting from Terry McEwen - then the director of the San Francisco Opera company. Zeani was at the Italian première of *Dialogues of the Carmelites * as Blanche, Crespin at the French première and Price at the American both as Mme. Lidoine. While late in their career none were in their dotage, though Zeani was miscast as Mère Marie (it is a mezzo role) she gave it her best as a professional artist she is. Crespin was riveting.


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

One of Price's great recordings. Made at the time at JFK's assassination. No wonder the card scene has a particularly tragic ring to it.
The story goes that when Karajan first came across the young Price he was so impressed that he took over accompanying her himself on the piano


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

marlow said:


> View attachment 163931
> 
> 
> One of Price's great recordings. Made at the time at JFK's assassination. No wonder the card scene has a particularly tragic ring to it.
> The story goes that when Karajan first came across the young Price he was so impressed that he took over accompanying her himself on the piano


I think she was greatly appreciated in her day but not as much today.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I think she was greatly appreciated in her day but not as much today.


That's true of most singers, even very fine ones. Only a few go on to be celebrated posthumously as having made unique contributions that can teach us something. Recordings bestow a form of immortality, but only if people listen to them. Time marches on and memories die with us, if not before.

Just a few cheerful thoughts before breakfast...


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## ScottK (Dec 23, 2021)

Seattleoperafan said:


> I think she was greatly appreciated in her day but not as much today.


I'm curious why you think that. I never would have thought of Price as having gone down in appreciation. Maybe because this Forum is so Callas crazy!...and I am NOT saying that is a bad thing!!!....but in my talk with people about opera I've never thought of Price as being at all forgotten.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

She was a teenager during WWII and still with us. Imagine the history she could share with us.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

ScottK said:


> I'm curious why you think that. I never would have thought of Price as having gone down in appreciation. Maybe because this Forum is so Callas crazy!...and I am NOT saying that is a bad thing!!!....but in my talk with people about opera I've never thought of Price as being at all forgotten.


She never does well in contests here and this is my pulse on the opera world. As with Sutherland, only early Price stands a chance here.I have a couple of gems that might change people's minds. One is a Mozart piece: she really tamed her voice for Mozart and got the style right. The other is UBER exciting.


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