D'Amour...Miserere - Trovatore Contest - Leontyne Price

[85cavaradossi]

Perfect! Today,most soprano should kill to sing like Price at the age of 55!

[Gary2837]

Perfection and perfect form! 

[necessarydiva]

I wish had listened to Caballe before listening to Price because you can hear everything that's wrong with Caballe's version from the start. Price's pitch rides so high that Caballe sounded flat to me until she sings her fake high notes. :-)

[Gary2837]

Breath taking beauty!!

[mcpushkin]

Divine

[fiercejarret]

Contest??? There is no contest!! Leontyne sings this aria and Verdi Period better than ANYONE!!

[Gary2837]

@fiercejarret I agree and breath taking. Truly the best and I wish her well!!

[opernata]

I love this women!!!Meravigliosa!!!

[htshoward]

The definitive!!! 5/5.

[EnglishOperaSingers]

WHERE IS PLOWRIGHT ??

[EnglishOperaSingers]

WHERE IS PLOWRIGHT ??



[davedoug99]

Price's recording of this aria on her "blue album" has long been my "desert island" choice of all-time favorite reecording of anything. She's still wonderful here, of course, but not what she was in 1960, it says something when your closest competition is your younger self.

[georgerannie]

NOW THIS is how to sing Verdi--I love you Ms. Price--the likes of you will never come again.

[htshoward]

Hands Down Leontyne does this aria better than any other soprano past or present. Verdi surely must have "heard" a voice such as hers when he wrote such music.....10/10+++

[yes4albert]

Ms. Price never used "muscle" to sing. She used the breath. Period. That is why, in her mid fifties, she was still peerless in her performance of this aria and much of her other repertoire. If one or two portamenti become a slight scoop in the bottom or middle, who cares? The final result is still lush, soaring, gorgeous Verdi singing, that was unequalled in 1982 and remains unequalled. Brava, diva.

[mjmacmtenor]

Leontyne is my favorite and her longevity in unequalled. Her unique sound - what can one say?! Others are excellent (Caballe, Callas) but no one quite equals her. Being a concert, I agree that this is a little lacking in characterization (visually) but if you listen to it alone, you get all the characterization. For a comparison of her more dramatically "involved" (and to see how little the voice changed), check out her video from a Bell Telephone hour in the early 60s (in costume).

[yes4albert]

Hi there, mj. The only thing I've ever required from a great singer is to act with the voice, and Leontyne does this every time she opens her mouth, be it concert, opera or recital. Speaking of recitals, have you seen the "private" videos of Price recital encores posted on youtube by StuartLou? What she does with Butterly's death will reduce you to tears. Enjoy.

[georgerannie]

@yes4albert yes the death of Butterfly as sung by Price reduces me to copius tears--just me thinking about it starts the flow!!

[bestmaster3]

I was present at the twentieth anniversary performance of Price's Leonora debut at the Metropolitan Opera, which took place years before this take when she was still in her prime. The ovation following the famous aria on rthis occasion lasted a record TWELVE minutes before the Miserer could begin - which I believe is a house record! Musically and dramatically superb, and always heart-stopping in live performance when she was younger.

Arrow

[josedubal11]

4.90/5!, what happens in minute 1.30? it´s the recording? saving that, the performance is great! excelent!

[sole88markovic]

4/4

[bestmaster3]

This famous aria is NOT the "Miserere". It is the aria which comes before it in Act IV, scene i - "D'amor sull'allee rosee". The High C taken on a floating pianissimo is considered the showpiece of the aria, and it was Leontyne who started reviving this honored traditional again when she sang the role FOR THE FEW WHO CAN DO IT.

Arrow

[tonyhan0903]

BRAVAAA!! She and Sondra Radvanovsky are the best two in this contest. Her high note sounds rediculously beautiful.

[Saipakora]

FANTASTIC!!!

Oh Dios... que belleza!

Gracias!

[htshoward]

Everytime I hear her sing, it is as if I discover her all over again. She is my #1! Verdi was written for her. Brava! 10+ Also, one of her "mannerisms" I LOVE is the way she throws that head around lol. Brava again!!!

[coopandre]

I still can't understand how she gets out of character so quickly. It's still so jarring. I'm still enjoying the final note and she's ready to move on. Can anyone tell me why she does this? This will help me cope better. I still haven't recovered from the area and several minutes have elapsed.

[htshoward]

LOL...I agree! Price is my #1 diva, but that was one of her mannerisms I never liked. She was critiqued often as it making her appear cold or stiff. However, everything else is so perfect, I just don't look at her toward the end of an aria now that I know it will happen.

[coopandre]

Thanx for the tip. I'll consider it seriously!! LOL That smokey voice is so ... ooops, I should keep my opera comments G-rated. She knew how to keep her voice and knew what roles worked best for it. The Prima Donna Collection & The Essential Leontyne Price gives us an idea of what could have been, and in some cases explains why it wasn't (e.g., e strano, e strano)

[Babs22h]

I have noticed that too... she just ups and is done... very matter of fact... song...DONE.. i LOVE her "mannerisms... the catching the breath from the side... the wide open mouth and the eyebrows....DIVA ABSOLUTA!

[tonyhan0903]

Whenever I listen to her singing this aria, I'm deeply stirred for hours. It is indeed mysterious how she gets out of that emotional state so quickly. It's as if your girlfriend jumping out of bed right after sex. It's hurtful to see her doing that. Anyway Price and Ponselle rock in singing this aria. Sublime... 5/5

[Liwah]

LOL. I know what you mean.

I'm GUESSING it stems from her desire to acknowledge the orchestra being as much a part of the performance and as deserving of the applause as she is (but we know that's not right ;) ) It sure looks that way to me.

On the flip side, observe how Jessye Norman (another favourite of mine) BARELY acknowledges the conductor after her live performance of Dido's Lament (also on here). Leontyne would be scandalised!

[Chasson0318]

I love when she does that! It's kind of like..."I've just layed you all out with this luscious aria...This is how it's done...and now it's time for more goodies!"

[coopandre]

I'd be a bit disappointed if she had that attitude. Then it would be all about her instead of the music. I exaggerate, of course.

[Chasson0318]

I'd have to agree with you, but at this point in her career, "It WAS all about her". As much as she tried to execute the drama of the character...it all boils down to the ego and persona of Leontyne Price which demonstrates itself in her mannerisms and Idiosyncrasies AND they love it!

[coopandre]

Yes, It is difficult (more like impossible) to separate the music from the composer and the artist. All are linked.

[Desert9017]

leotyne price is the difinitive leonora from both trovatore and forza!

[benderpm]

Still the best that I have heard from any other soprano, young or old. A perfect 10/10

[Liwah]

10/10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[raycanto76]

people. Leontyne voice is sublime!!! One of a kind...and this aria sounds like it was made for her!!!! Brava...Brava

[benderpm]

A perfect 5...............the best that I have ever heard. Price sets the standard for this aria in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s alike.

[FoggyRoad81]

This is really unfair. Both to Leontyne and the other singers. There are purely audio versions of her live performances from the 60s if the standard is live vs. studio (which it seems to be in these contests). But it's actually even more unfair to the other singers cause she STILL does the best version despite being out of her prime.

I love how she sings the recetitave. She doesnt seem to "prepare" for stuff, she just goes and sings. I want to use the word velocity but I'm sure it's wrong.

[laddnyc]

Despite the fact that she resorted to scooping and odd mannerisms, for some reason, at this point of her career-I challenge anyone to find another soprano with such pristine an upper register in their twilight. For those (or he) who thinks she sounds like a "little soprano" for shame! One only needed to hear this glorious diva live to know how perfectly placed and large her vocalism was, all the way to the end of her career on stage. A well placed sound need not peel paint to be large!

[raycanto76]

Bravo....well said.

[FoggyRoad81]

it seems unfair to include this version and not a live version from the 60s.

[jacquesurlus]

De toute beauté, mais j'ai très peu de sens critique quand il s'agit de Leontyne Price, je l'adore. Allons y quand même, chant 4.8

caractérisation 4.7

p.s. il y a une grande oubliée dans votre liste, Leyla Gencer a entendre absolument.

[ioSonoCallas]

Magnifique Leontyne Price, et je suis d'accord avec vous il manque la grande Leonora de Leyla Gencer! 4,5/5 4/5

[fleville]

Let's be kind with Miss Price she is quite presentable here: 2.5/2

As for Leyla Gencer: 0.5/1 and I am too generous for what she is!

[ioSonoCallas]

For youre commentary -5/-5 and i am generous for you!!!

[osvaldito55]

This most glorious of voices could, inexplicably, produce scooping (deh, pietosa is particularly awful) and other mannerisms. Her two commercial Leonoras are peerless, so are other pirated versions. Her 1961 Met performance has been unequalled. I enjoy her voice here, but her interpretation and adherence to the score are well below her standard. 3/3

[Andante735]

The '61 Met performance is beyond miraculous. I would have just posted the audio - the hell with the video. I would have done the same with Ponselle's version ( which is one of the finest ever, but left out ) which is posted in audio - obviously there wouldn't have been have been at that time. Sorry, I didn't mean to go off-topic. This is Price's domain regardless age and mannerisms - 5/5.

[Andante735]

Actually, scrolling down the list of competitors, I can't even fathom why some of them were actually included, and on of the greatest singers of all time - Ponselle was left out. Before anyone get's all huffy, Callas considered Ponselle to be the greatest of all. So there.

[drdre333]

A glorious instrument, even at this stage in her career (that creamy top!). Some of the vocalisms not associated with her age are a bit distracting to me, IMHO. I've never been wholly convinced of her as a Verdi soprano, though she does have the requisite colour, core that Verdi demands. Style-wise though, I feel too much sliding around through the line. Some moments are better than others. For the size of her instrument and how she uses it, I've always been impressed by the decent trill.

[fleville]

drdre333 is drunk, what size of her instrument ?She sounds like a little soprano

[BeauTenor]

Best. Verdi. Soprano. EVER. Bar none, she was and remains the best in this rep. 5/5 and should be higher. Even if this is late in her career, she still sounds amazing.

[patjan92]

4.5/4