Leontyne Price "Bess, You is my Woman" Berlin 9/21/1952

[ohsnapiam59]

The whole piece seems rushed to me. But still, lovely.

[moradordobrooklin]

Música suprema. Coisas de Gershwin. Jobim. Debussy.

Praise God!

[ivelosthewilltolive]

Plus Cab Calloway and Maya Angelou! Mind boggling...

[PRR5406]

Two of the greatest voices combined in a single piece of genius music.

[stevevandien]

In this recording, Warfield lacks the rich, freely-flowing quality that he commanded at his best. Indeed, he seems to be pushing a bit, as though he wasn't confident that his sound would carry well in this venue. But Price is magnificent. And beginning at 2:23 and continuing through to the end, forget it; this section of "Bess, You Is" always gives me chills and makes me weep:)

[mermodfreres]

And a fairly young William Warfield too -- I think he sounded better with some age on him. But you all are right: Leontyne is amazing....makes the eyes tear-up just listening to it!

[bivmvideo]

Sounds as if it were recorded yesterday. Beautiful..

[hourlynewscaster]

My God, did George Gershwin every write anything bad or even marginal? Just as Jerome Kern -- a white, northern, urban Jew -- wrote "Old Man River" for "Showboat,"

so Gershwin, of similar ancestry, captured the heart and soul of the black south. And, this is a rare recording, with two of the greatest voices of the era magnificently bringing Gershwin to life. Wow. Thanks for the posting.

[stevevandien]

@hourlynewscaster I sure can't think of anything Gershwin wrote that we could dismiss as "marginal," let alone "bad." He was a genius. Kern might have been a genius as well, though not quite at Gershwin's level. But the guy was awful damn good. "Old Man River," indeed the whole score for "Showboat," other great stuff that I'm forgetting because of drowsiness after my fourth beer:). Let us also recall Harold Arlen, another white urban northern Jew who really rocked in this repetoire:).

[ivelosthewilltolive]

@hourlynewscaster Oh yeah, remember he wrote something like 860 songs. Some of them are decidedly ho hum, but those aren't the ones you hear today.

[SouthPacific005]

I don't curse very often, but Price is TOO FUCKING GOOD. I can't even handle it.

[bobbsyjo72]

great!

[Arkelk2010]

This song has been my ideal portrayal of a couple truly in love--not he moon-spoon-June stuff. Beautiful song with exquisite singing. Thank you.

[paulostroff99]

Enjoy!

[maggiepower]

My air conditioner is broken right now, but with this playing, I need to turn on the heat! This gives me chills more than anything else I have ever heard.

[rogharm]

@maggiepower i agree this great i love it!!!!!!!!!!*******ROGHARM

[stevevandien]

Oh man. Assuming even competent singers (Warfield was that and Price rather more),  I can't hear this duet without weeping. The music is so damn beautiful and moving --

[ondaslokas]

MY GOD! We are so lucky to have heard this.

[doothless]

So wonderfully fine!

[alanchance1]

Maybe somewhere there's a better song, better sung, but I've never heard it.

[gershwinrocks]

Stunning. Stunning. Stunning.

[AnotherSpecialEdMom]

Thanks for posting this wonderful piece of music.

[flemming4ever]

okay...does that mean she was 24??? Holy shit!!!! Who sings like that at 24??? She is truly Iconic..I love her and she is a real class act, us young opera singers can learn a thing or 2 from this lady...

[Chasson0318]

I'm totally stunned that she was 25!!

[stephkd13]

Standing Ovation to Ms.Price...She is the greatest...and Thank you for sharing this great piece of art......

[jmccracken1963]

OUTSTANDING performance!!!!! Thank you very much for sharing this with us!!!

[TrebleClefSteve]

woah did you hear the harmonics in the last note.. it sounded like she was singing an octave above mr Warfield as well as her note :P..

[TrebleClefSteve]

sorry, correction.. two octaves above.

[khamikins]

this happens when singers are precisely in tune. The human ear will hear the chord

[zmoney682]

My great grandfather is mentioned in this, this is when he was and old man!

[JubbaDaTrombone]

why does it say Leontyne Price in the title? William Warfield did an excellent job too.

[paulostroff99]

Spectacular! Brava! TY.

[Quiteashtrudel]

GLORIOUS

[barose1]

I want this woman's voice to be the only sound I hear on my death bed.

[iAmDiVA321]

That ending. Wow.

[mayaluvsmusic]

love it

[adihsar]

Absolutely incredible. Haunting.

[jeffchester]

Price goddess, had  talent with her. Thank you very much onegin65 for posting this treasure

[jayeffsb]

Onegin, I find myself wanting to resubscribe over and over because your videos are EXTRAORDINARY. But I´ll just relax and be grateful and listen to the stupendous talent you share with us. Thank you. I see you are here in Madrid as well, cool!

[encore2jour]

A treasure indeed! Thank you for sharing that gorgeous voice of Madame Price. Brings back many memories; first heard her Bess in Amsterdam in early fifties, then Trovatore and Aida at the Met where I was soooo fortunate to meet her. Re Warfield - Price was married to him. Correct?

[DivoLaurent]

Yes they were married for a time - when they were dating, HIS career was more advanced than hers! How the times have changed!

[tenornmd]

As an interesting aside, the Ruby in this cast: Maya Angelou!

[tsicilian]

Miss Price is a class act! I heard she once told the great Miss Anderson,"because of you I am" ... Classy Lady. Thank you For posting these treasures!

[herminestover]

I have been listening to this BEFORE BIRTH. my mother was present for opening night of Porgy and Bess....and yet, this is like hearing it for the first time. If I do not get a copy of this record, I may have to take morphine and die!

[AllThat77]

She was 25!!!!!!! You are amazing Onegin65. Where the hell did you find this?!?! I love you.

[VantisDoroHall]

Onegin65 you are allowing me experiences that are on a divine spiritual plane. This and other recordings you have shared are so amazing, so thrilling and so fantastic, I think I might be dreaming. Do not wake me up, please!

[arr2ssr]

yessir!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mm9913]

Onegin65, your place among you tube lore is secure. You have out done yourself. Thanks for this and the pleuthora of amazing posts you have blessed us with.

[Tenderness6]

William Warfield is a bariton and not a bassbariton; he sings far to high for it. It's a wonderful singer nevertheless.