@jhtrain Well said...I run out of superlatives when I think about Leontyne. I feel blessed every time I think how fortunate we are to experienced something so close to heaven here on Earth.
@LohengrinT Let's not forget Emmy Destinn, Rosa Raisa, Rosa Ponselle, Elisabeth Rethberg, Zinka Milanov, Renata Tebaldi and Monserrat Caballe. But even in this starry company Price is a standout as Aïda, certainly the greatest of her time.
I was captivated, mesmerized and truly felt chills when hearing this crystal clear aria. Currently, this is my favorite rendition of "O Patria Mia" new or old. Brava!
I see that there just HAVE to be 1 or 2 people that dislike something. Some say that those are opinions, but I say that it is just people's ignorance to great voices like Leontyne Price's was.
@bensmith32 A computer? Sorry, but a computer would sound nothing like this. Computers aren't capable of replicating the musical and artistic soul only a human being can possess.
The two people who clicked 'thumbs down' on this must surely be stone deaf!!! Seriously....no one will ever replace this great lady and sing the way she did. A one of a kind legend!
@actionsrlouder - Could be... I don't get it. I am white (41 yrs old), raised in a predominately black neighborhood in Dallas (Live in the Northwest now), and saw different races fighting each other all the time, and wondering WHY. I just think that skin color is just that. A color, and nothing more. I am also gay ,so I know a little about social struggle. Ms. Price could be Martian green and I'd still say that she will always be one of, if not THE, greatest sopranos who ever lived.
People please stop posting stupidities about singing and how it should be done. Since no one here will hit the Met just enjoy her singing or some other great singers and cry alone on the toilet since it is the only place you will be heard!
Leontyne is absolutely lovely... The sound of her voice in this aria, will always be with me.. The wonderful Pure O and u sounds... make her voice so round.
My high school voice teacher taught that good singing should not sound forced but just as though you were speaking. In other words, thoroughly natural. Miss Price demonstrates here how it should be done. Beautiful.
@chicagomarchingbands Phonetics can be the spingboard to a young singer learning something in a foreign language, but to sing successfully you really must learn at least the meaning of the words and the syntax in which they are sung, if not study the language and learn to speak it. If you sing professionally you learn the vocabulary. Many singers develop a conversational ability in the languages they use heavily.
@Greg07623 OMG you are so right...... I am one one those "Failed" opera singers that was extra ordinary, and, well, anyways, I can translate the languages that I Sang in in College, LOL
@chicagomarchingbands Not really, but if, for example, an Italian listens to a non-Italian singer sing in Italian, and pronouncing it badly, it's disconcerting - that is, it bothers us (well, at least in me)
I just watched the Met re-broadcast of Urmana on PBS and immediately came here to see what the C should sound like. What I witnessed on PBS was blasphemy compared to this.
I very much disagree. A, you need to experience the aria with the Qui Radames Verrai opening to get a sense of how the moment builds to the simple melody laid out by the oboe. B: You seem to be ignoring the melodic shift at 2:58. But if you just have a preference for coloratura style, then nothing can be said. This is dramatic lyricism at ti's finest.
While I reject the notion, in general, of a "definitive" performance of any piece, this gets as close as it gets. The range, the clarity, and the full-throated passion combine to demonstrate what great opera is all about.
It actually doesn't matter if she looks it or not. This is sentiment is a seriously troubling problem these days. One wonders if you would have lauded Price for her Leonoras/Amelia/Elvira/Tosca even though she didn't "look the part." No one 'looks' the part. It just bugs me.
I know it doesn't really matter. That's why I said it's just an added bonus. If the singing isn't good I could care less if they are physically suited to the role; by the same token, if it IS good I don't care if they "look the part" or not.
But being as this particular character in the opera is african (ethiopian) it's nice to see a naturally dark skinned person playing it. No big deal.
I understand you but I also can agree with ShawDAMAN too. I too could care less about the person's looks, but before Leontyne...how many dark-skinned woman have you seen singing this aria, let alone this role? It's just a nice sight to see how she helped diversify opera performance to a certain extent. Is that so horrible? I don't think so.
A precious document of some of the finest operatic singing ever; whatever made Leontyne Price the vocal and interpretative miracle she was, this is unretouched proof - stupendous
Not only did Leontyne own this role, it seems she owned early television. These are the things I love about this medium: in the early days, they did not shy away from the high-brow...fine arts like opera and ballet were broadcast much more frequently than they are now. And thanks to these broadcasts we have Mary Violet Leontyne Price frozen in time- in all her loveliness, youth, and most perfect voice. And even though this is just an excerpt, check out the staging and that killer costume.
i love Leontyne Price,i heard this for the first time when i was twelve i had never heard anything so beautiful and so powerfull and have loved it ever since i cant get enough x
For all you singers and armchair critics out there here's a perfect opportunity to trace the evolution of a great singer's vocal development and career. Listen to this rendition and then again to her Met farwell rendition. Very lyrico (w/the high fast vibrato) here and then lyrico spinto at the farewell performance. The high vibrato remains but the voice is richer, deeper and full of mature colorings. Oh yes, the breath support is unmatched. What a voice and career!! Wow!
I only wish that I could have heard such a melodious voice in person. To date, I still think that Ms. Price is unbeatable. I rank her with the late great Luciano Pavorotti. Bravo!
callas was a great performer but the quality of the voice is arguable.
price, however, well, when her final performance of this aria at the met is rated the best of all scenes in the past 50 years of the company, it's saying something.
Ms Price is stupendous, the voice is sublime and she´s so incredibly in carachter. I´ve heard her singing this even better but still it´s close to perfection. A wonderfully gifted singer and a mesmerising persona.
I heard Leontyne when I was a student. It was a night I'll never forget. Her voice was huge...beautiful...easy...and she was totally a diva...in the best sense. At the end...the stage was littered with bow ties, flowers and money...it was just stupendous.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
Gorgeous singing and a beautiful voice. And since we are comparing, Callas's voice has more character and is more lively than any other voice I have ever heard. That is why she is never boring.
You can listen to all the great Aidas, Tebaldi included in her prime, and they all take a backseat to Price in this role. And no, there is no problem with the high C. She could sing high Cs into her 70s. She probably can still sing them.
I am very biased when it comes to female opera singers. Miss Price is the best. She broke so many rules in opera singing that made it more alive and appealing. She is the standard all others must aspire to.
I grew up listening my mom singing along with her album of spirituals and her Porgy and Bess. Her rich and expressive tones and her ABSOLUTE control, even in the highest parts of her range taught me how to love opera. She is the grand diva. The will never be another like her.
Girl! Show 'em how it's supposed to go! This is so gorgeous. One of the absolute Greats, ever. She makes this sound so easy, as it should, to any singer with a modicum of training. No screaming, just wonderful, accents, and CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Leontyne Price was the perfect Aida; I can't hear anyone else in the role. Here she is, in her glorious prime. Callas was great too, and one of the most important figures in the history of opera; her dramatic awareness, musicianship, diction, and ryhthmic perfection are unequaled. Yes, her voice had flaws, but so did Tebaldi's (flatting) and Price's (weak low register.) I love them all.
I agree with pretty much everything you said, with the exception of what's in regards to Price's having a weak low register. Some critics had stated that, and as she aged, it'd have grown darker and they also found that was rather weak... On the contrary, I think it's at once vibrant, smoky, haunting and beautiful.
Not only watching American Idol, he's probably recording it. 90% of the people who post here no nothing about Classical Singing or Vocal Technique. Callas was "Pitchy"-- yeah right.
I'm not sure I quite understand exactly what you're saying Saverioorlando. My comment was meant to be sarcastic toward the person who said Callas was "pitchy"- she was NOT! Yes, Price was a superb Aida, one of the greatest.
"Pitchy"? You've been watching too much American Idol. Callas had superb intonation. In fact I see no problem in admiring both of these great sopranos.
Pitch was never the problem for Callas, my friend. It was a wobble the size of the Grand Canyon that did her in. Keep listening and enjoying and learning and you'll be able to jump right in with the rest of the vicious queens that frequent these comment sections:).
I saw her perform about 7 years ago well out of her prime. 5 encores and absolute heaven. My hands were sore from applause. It's completely scary to hear someone that perfect and divinely beautiful out of her prime.
Mangiatutti: Price and Callas were very different voices. How could you compare? I love Callas and Price, but for very different reasons and different repertoire. Try to listen with a little more intelligence and less nastiness.
This is enchanting. "O, my homeland"
capitanzach 3 weeks ago
wow
richzero0 1 month ago
Magnifica, Leontyne una delle mie preferite.
malamutet 2 months ago
i like it but dun understand wat she's saying
queen177able 2 months ago
That brings tears to my eyes. Just amazing. Just beautiful. Nobody has her timbre.
IrisMG 4 months ago
3:52- 4:02.... Show them how its done Leontyne. absolutely divine!
ThickNCurly1 5 months ago
bravissima Leontyne
BurattiniBo 5 months ago
LEONTYNE PRICE #FTW SHE ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!
seanievortex 7 months ago
How do you attribute words fitting for such vocal talent. Perfection!
jhtrain 9 months ago 3
@jhtrain Heavenly!
frsh6272 9 months ago
@jhtrain Well said...I run out of superlatives when I think about Leontyne. I feel blessed every time I think how fortunate we are to experienced something so close to heaven here on Earth.
cubanbach 7 months ago
probably the greatest Aida of the 20th century along with Maria of course
As years pass Leontyne is being recognized a true Legend
LohengrinT 11 months ago 5
@LohengrinT Let's not forget Emmy Destinn, Rosa Raisa, Rosa Ponselle, Elisabeth Rethberg, Zinka Milanov, Renata Tebaldi and Monserrat Caballe. But even in this starry company Price is a standout as Aïda, certainly the greatest of her time.
markhh 11 months ago
@LohengrinT -Best period.
paulostroff99 6 months ago
Aaahh. Just bloody amazing.
Hernthemunter 11 months ago
I was captivated, mesmerized and truly felt chills when hearing this crystal clear aria. Currently, this is my favorite rendition of "O Patria Mia" new or old. Brava!
pheelme 11 months ago
Her vibrato is absolutely even on every note. She defies description - a truly great One Off Diva.
lornabegbie 11 months ago
HERES A BEAUTIFUL AMERICAN OPERATIC VOICE WITH BEAUTIFUL DICTION AND HER ITALIAN IS EXCELLENT. ENJOY
sugarbist 1 year ago
When was this?
EgyptianRoyalty 1 year ago
@EgyptianRoyalty : This was from a 1963 television program.
markhh 1 year ago 2
I see that there just HAVE to be 1 or 2 people that dislike something. Some say that those are opinions, but I say that it is just people's ignorance to great voices like Leontyne Price's was.
Mandzhiyev 1 year ago
What a beautiful legato!
Gav640 1 year ago 2
@bensmith32 A computer? Sorry, but a computer would sound nothing like this. Computers aren't capable of replicating the musical and artistic soul only a human being can possess.
GermanOperaSinger 1 year ago
Uno dei dieci soprani migliori all times. E ho detto tutto !
federricoilgrande 1 year ago
Price never sounded better. The unevenness of her chest and head voice is completely missing here. She sounds simply glorious. This is flawless!
1146beaver 1 year ago
I fall inl0ve with music everytime i listen to it. . .my beau,l0l!
eltesto 1 year ago
The two people who clicked 'thumbs down' on this must surely be stone deaf!!! Seriously....no one will ever replace this great lady and sing the way she did. A one of a kind legend!
4piglite 1 year ago 2
@4piglite Racist most likely...
actionsrlouder 1 year ago
@actionsrlouder - Could be... I don't get it. I am white (41 yrs old), raised in a predominately black neighborhood in Dallas (Live in the Northwest now), and saw different races fighting each other all the time, and wondering WHY. I just think that skin color is just that. A color, and nothing more. I am also gay ,so I know a little about social struggle. Ms. Price could be Martian green and I'd still say that she will always be one of, if not THE, greatest sopranos who ever lived.
4piglite 1 year ago 4
W.O.W. what a remarkable performance! This part really did suite her spectacularly.
XVI9XXII 1 year ago
check out how does Carla Martinis sing this aria ;)
milosh1702 1 year ago
People please stop posting stupidities about singing and how it should be done. Since no one here will hit the Met just enjoy her singing or some other great singers and cry alone on the toilet since it is the only place you will be heard!
superjo1974 1 year ago 4
Magnificent.
mnazeanze 1 year ago
Perfect singing!
1singit 1 year ago
oh!!! WOW....I'd never heard this aida, she was truly gorgeous here! my 4th favourite, with maria chiara, maria callas and aprile millo^^
papagena92 1 year ago
@papagena92 You dare to put Chiara above Price? That's just ignorant.
FoggyRoad81 1 year ago
@FoggyRoad81 I don't put Chiara or anybody else above anyone, it's not a chart!! I said that Price and the 3 others aida are my faves, that's it.
papagena92 1 year ago
Loves it. Classic.
SandrineSoprano 1 year ago
Leontyne is absolutely lovely... The sound of her voice in this aria, will always be with me.. The wonderful Pure O and u sounds... make her voice so round.
leonardovittori1 1 year ago
My high school voice teacher taught that good singing should not sound forced but just as though you were speaking. In other words, thoroughly natural. Miss Price demonstrates here how it should be done. Beautiful.
xander7ful 1 year ago 3
I love how at 3:54 she starts unhinging that jaw for her perfectly placed high C! awesome!
monicalvr36 1 year ago 2
This is what is called "PERFECTION!"
cdivo39 1 year ago 3
Heavenly.
cavaleer 1 year ago
@chicagomarchingbands Phonetics can be the spingboard to a young singer learning something in a foreign language, but to sing successfully you really must learn at least the meaning of the words and the syntax in which they are sung, if not study the language and learn to speak it. If you sing professionally you learn the vocabulary. Many singers develop a conversational ability in the languages they use heavily.
Greg07623 1 year ago
@Greg07623 OMG you are so right...... I am one one those "Failed" opera singers that was extra ordinary, and, well, anyways, I can translate the languages that I Sang in in College, LOL
MrJustin2782 1 year ago
Do Opera singers have to learn foreign language songs phonetically?
chicagomarchingbands 1 year ago
@chicagomarchingbands Not really, but if, for example, an Italian listens to a non-Italian singer sing in Italian, and pronouncing it badly, it's disconcerting - that is, it bothers us (well, at least in me)
orphan567 1 year ago
@orphan567 Yeah that would just be you, Leontyne was beloved by italian opera fans in all of her major roles.
FoggyRoad81 1 year ago
@chicagomarchingbands Oi oi!!
SandrineSoprano 1 year ago
Divina
jeanemail7 1 year ago
@pharrisbaritone 1963, two years after her Met debut.
liedersanger1 1 year ago
Esse colorido de voz e essa emoção é tudo o que precisamos, além de uma grande competência e talento.
getulioaguiar 1 year ago
Leontynes' performance is ebullient, majestic and angelic.
Her presence is spiritually stimultating. The Heavens are in delight!
JesseTeam 1 year ago
I believe Leontyne to be the best Aida ever. It's one of the best opera ever written.
Elia4225 1 year ago
I just watched the Met re-broadcast of Urmana on PBS and immediately came here to see what the C should sound like. What I witnessed on PBS was blasphemy compared to this.
rlee1976 1 year ago 3
THANK YOU! Urmana was absolutely horrible, I just don't get how she has a career, for real.
FoggyRoad81 1 year ago
I don't think so. Some Verdi, Bellini and Donizetti roles tested singers in their full ranges with great musical dynamics in the score
yodavidnavarro 1 year ago
Wooow - what a PERFORMANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!
MGMpresentsSEB 2 years ago 4
What a wonderful voice!
FuneFeai 2 years ago 4
I very much disagree. A, you need to experience the aria with the Qui Radames Verrai opening to get a sense of how the moment builds to the simple melody laid out by the oboe. B: You seem to be ignoring the melodic shift at 2:58. But if you just have a preference for coloratura style, then nothing can be said. This is dramatic lyricism at ti's finest.
FoggyRoad81 2 years ago 7
absolutely breathtaking, perfection, God i could WEEP...
liondashs 2 years ago 3
The most beatiful voice to Aida.
She´s amazing and her mesa di voce is great.
She is very closer to èrfection
Great Leontyne
MARJALET2 2 years ago 3
I can just listen to this 100 times over if I wanted to ...amazing.
KMO325 2 years ago 17
Perfection!
anakyriou 2 years ago 3
sublime
TerrancePogue 2 years ago 2
I cannot comprehend how something so powerful comes across so effortlessly.
feb67ruary 2 years ago 4
Not to beat a dead horse, but seriously: Ask any opera lover for a handful of 'perfect' recordings and they would be silly not to point to this one.
KissaMyEyes 2 years ago 3
.......This is perfection.... Isk & Tsk Youyousova
Samskeeperx3 2 years ago
Is there anything closer to perfection? I can´t even think about something slightly near! This is the greatest impression Opera have offered to me!
yodavidnavarro 2 years ago 4
beautiful......
personagirl82 2 years ago 2
She is sublime.
divaclarita 2 years ago 2
This is why I try to sing.
RVP57 2 years ago 4
miss lady jehavah gave it to her voice amen sister soul
jupiterknows 2 years ago
Every time the violin starts I think it's her singing! God, how entrancing is this woman's voice?
CorsicanGod 2 years ago 4
What a delicious chocolate voice! So warm, so beautiful...OMEG!
yodavidnavarro 2 years ago
Beautiful
SopranoKarin 2 years ago 2
Her voice is so stirring and beautiful!
hermioney2k 2 years ago
While I reject the notion, in general, of a "definitive" performance of any piece, this gets as close as it gets. The range, the clarity, and the full-throated passion combine to demonstrate what great opera is all about.
windsome11 2 years ago 12
As soon as I heard her first note my heart froze, my eyes filled with tears and my ears smiled.
EvilRubberDuckyGirl 2 years ago 7
Fine singing and of course the fact that she actually looks the part is an added bonus.
ShawDAMAN 2 years ago
It actually doesn't matter if she looks it or not. This is sentiment is a seriously troubling problem these days. One wonders if you would have lauded Price for her Leonoras/Amelia/Elvira/Tosca even though she didn't "look the part." No one 'looks' the part. It just bugs me.
FoggyRoad81 2 years ago 2
I know it doesn't really matter. That's why I said it's just an added bonus. If the singing isn't good I could care less if they are physically suited to the role; by the same token, if it IS good I don't care if they "look the part" or not.
But being as this particular character in the opera is african (ethiopian) it's nice to see a naturally dark skinned person playing it. No big deal.
ShawDAMAN 2 years ago 4
I understand you but I also can agree with ShawDAMAN too. I too could care less about the person's looks, but before Leontyne...how many dark-skinned woman have you seen singing this aria, let alone this role? It's just a nice sight to see how she helped diversify opera performance to a certain extent. Is that so horrible? I don't think so.
bcom11 2 years ago 4
she has some of the best ultra-high notes I've ever heard.
Greatheil 2 years ago 2
A precious document of some of the finest operatic singing ever; whatever made Leontyne Price the vocal and interpretative miracle she was, this is unretouched proof - stupendous
CapodEtna 2 years ago
Thank again for posting this!
ThreeX 2 years ago
Oh my GOD...how beautiful....
thank you utube...and markhh :)
dodi132 2 years ago 2
Oh-- and the D-flat @ 3:55 makes me tear up every single time.
mca1218 2 years ago
That's a high C, not a D-flat. (Or it's supposed to be--is the video recording pitched a little high? I don't have a piano handy.)
liedersanger1 2 years ago
its actually a E
stacynewyork 2 years ago
No, it isn't. Look at the score.
liedersanger1 2 years ago
Not only did Leontyne own this role, it seems she owned early television. These are the things I love about this medium: in the early days, they did not shy away from the high-brow...fine arts like opera and ballet were broadcast much more frequently than they are now. And thanks to these broadcasts we have Mary Violet Leontyne Price frozen in time- in all her loveliness, youth, and most perfect voice. And even though this is just an excerpt, check out the staging and that killer costume.
mca1218 2 years ago 7
preach!
FoggyRoad81 2 years ago
@mca1218 beautifully summed up!
McTaggart8300 2 days ago
thanks for this post!
i heard leontyne price in aida in london in 1972/3 - with carlo bergonzi as rademes
great cast - great singing
nickwallacesmith 2 years ago
Thank You Very Much.......
Singhaburi 2 years ago
Hello from Thailand. I have seen her performance in Aida at The Met in 1979. This clip bring back a lot of memory (when I was Young and in Love).
Singhaburi 2 years ago
This woman is so Beautifu and her interpretation is so PERFECT and FLOWLESSl!!!
¿Where we can find somebody sing like she does...?..I think nowhere.
Wonderful !!!
Brunildilla 2 years ago 2
BRAVA!!!! Leontyne you sing like the angels!!!
alvarito45 2 years ago
Faints
atlblkprync1981 2 years ago 2
Doesn't she make you want to weep. SO beautiful. So many wonderful sopranos in the middle of the 20th Century and beyond.
queenslanddiva 3 years ago 2
Best Aida ever, love her so much
broadwaysweetheart 3 years ago 2
what is about leyla gencer???
jocmuc 2 years ago
I agree. She is perfect.
DivaDeb1234 3 years ago 3
Are you saying Price isn't interpreting the score correctly?
DivaDeb1234 3 years ago
Beautiful! Bravo!
thelouisfanclub 3 years ago 2
Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard.....
ElleMoniqueMarrie 3 years ago 3
So beautiful, full of shades and emotion. Dark in the low, husky in the mid and bright in the high! The best Verdi girl ever!
yodavidnavarro 3 years ago 3
sembra quasi che si trattenga.....butterebbe giù le montagne =P
SimoFY 3 years ago
C'est Aida, et personne d'autre avant elle ni après elle. C'est la Voix, c'est la personne physique, c'est l'esprit d'Aida. Tout !!!!
mariasarda 3 years ago
i love Leontyne Price,i heard this for the first time when i was twelve i had never heard anything so beautiful and so powerfull and have loved it ever since i cant get enough x
NATURALBEATS99 3 years ago
Such a beautiful woman, I love her so much, she is a true legend, a GODDESS to say the least, whenever I hear her sing I feel inspired
ryutemoc 3 years ago 5
Meravigliosa (con tanti saluti alla Tebaldi...).
cornucopia2 3 years ago
bravo...I am completely blown away by this performance.
yeah0304 3 years ago
Great Artist, Beautiful Woman and A Wonderful Human Being...
berlinman46 3 years ago
Beautiful....I love this woman!...
larishiny 3 years ago
Thank god for Leontyne Price!
senilangakali 3 years ago
Leontyne Price is AIDA
Onegin65 3 years ago 2
True, there would be no Princess Aida without the beautiful Ms. Leontyne Price. No one could ever compare. Hail Leontyne!!!
LeeVita19 3 years ago
The Beautiful Princess Aida IS Ms. Leontyne Price!!!
LeeVita19 3 years ago
Una Aida 10
55patri 3 years ago
It's so beautiful it's impossible not to cry. The perfect Aida. She's my idol and inspiration as I am working on this role myself now.
Turand0t 3 years ago
yes, she is the only one so far
wenarto 3 years ago
She makes it look so easy.
Beautiful girl. Beautiful singer.
Jackiebird87 3 years ago
For all you singers and armchair critics out there here's a perfect opportunity to trace the evolution of a great singer's vocal development and career. Listen to this rendition and then again to her Met farwell rendition. Very lyrico (w/the high fast vibrato) here and then lyrico spinto at the farewell performance. The high vibrato remains but the voice is richer, deeper and full of mature colorings. Oh yes, the breath support is unmatched. What a voice and career!! Wow!
Arnold3135 3 years ago 6
Pierces straight to the soul. Utterly transporting. I've never heard anyone sing it like her.
cpanati 3 years ago 3
I can't stand this woman. She makes me cry every time. I keep coming back for more, though.
brianthesailor 3 years ago 2
No one can touch her in this role!
Lordyjones 3 years ago
I own this DVD! "The Great Sopranos, Classic Performances 1950-1963" Presented by Firestonce.
classicalgal14 3 years ago
Spine-tingling.
erutander83 3 years ago 2
Phenomenal...
jguinnjr 3 years ago
whoah shit!!!!
lechanteur88 3 years ago
I only wish that I could have heard such a melodious voice in person. To date, I still think that Ms. Price is unbeatable. I rank her with the late great Luciano Pavorotti. Bravo!
pheelme 3 years ago
Amazing. Great Lee ever and ever!
Radecascan 4 years ago
HAPPY 81st BIRTHDAY TODAY TO MS. LEONTYNE PRICE THE GREATEST DIVA TO EVER LIVE!!!
LEONTYNE I ADORE YOU!!!
LeeVita19 4 years ago 5
callas was a great performer but the quality of the voice is arguable.
price, however, well, when her final performance of this aria at the met is rated the best of all scenes in the past 50 years of the company, it's saying something.
atonementlover 4 years ago 5
Ms Price is stupendous, the voice is sublime and she´s so incredibly in carachter. I´ve heard her singing this even better but still it´s close to perfection. A wonderfully gifted singer and a mesmerising persona.
swe50 4 years ago 4
I heard Leontyne when I was a student. It was a night I'll never forget. Her voice was huge...beautiful...easy...and she was totally a diva...in the best sense. At the end...the stage was littered with bow ties, flowers and money...it was just stupendous.
Operaddict 4 years ago 3
The greater the singer the more idiotic the YouTube comments. It's the phrasing that separates Price from the pack.
drbarbarabaker 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Gorgeous singing and a beautiful voice. And since we are comparing, Callas's voice has more character and is more lively than any other voice I have ever heard. That is why she is never boring.
emonticel 4 years ago
You can listen to all the great Aidas, Tebaldi included in her prime, and they all take a backseat to Price in this role. And no, there is no problem with the high C. She could sing high Cs into her 70s. She probably can still sing them.
jondavwal 4 years ago 5
I am very biased when it comes to female opera singers. Miss Price is the best. She broke so many rules in opera singing that made it more alive and appealing. She is the standard all others must aspire to.
joezeppy06 4 years ago 7
I grew up listening my mom singing along with her album of spirituals and her Porgy and Bess. Her rich and expressive tones and her ABSOLUTE control, even in the highest parts of her range taught me how to love opera. She is the grand diva. The will never be another like her.
tremonishasmarts 4 years ago
She is the only Aida who makes me believe she misses her country! Superb!
billyguns2 4 years ago 2
I have never heard a more beautiful rendition. She is the queen!
fuzmiq 4 years ago
Brilliant
shawn90801 4 years ago
Girl! Show 'em how it's supposed to go! This is so gorgeous. One of the absolute Greats, ever. She makes this sound so easy, as it should, to any singer with a modicum of training. No screaming, just wonderful, accents, and CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
metropolitan1966 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
microscopic high notes
jicontios 4 years ago
They're called pianissimi.
davidperk 4 years ago 6
OMG!!! I love you for this!
Illmatic1234 4 years ago
this is my favorite song.
ColinMeloy91 4 years ago
Thank you, thank you
dimpleswho 4 years ago
AWSOME
pramassat 4 years ago
Leontyne Price was the perfect Aida; I can't hear anyone else in the role. Here she is, in her glorious prime. Callas was great too, and one of the most important figures in the history of opera; her dramatic awareness, musicianship, diction, and ryhthmic perfection are unequaled. Yes, her voice had flaws, but so did Tebaldi's (flatting) and Price's (weak low register.) I love them all.
billyguns2 4 years ago
I agree with pretty much everything you said, with the exception of what's in regards to Price's having a weak low register. Some critics had stated that, and as she aged, it'd have grown darker and they also found that was rather weak... On the contrary, I think it's at once vibrant, smoky, haunting and beautiful.
soundfond 4 years ago 2
DIVA ABSALUTA
marapasa 4 years ago
Not only watching American Idol, he's probably recording it. 90% of the people who post here no nothing about Classical Singing or Vocal Technique. Callas was "Pitchy"-- yeah right.
Andante735 4 years ago
Why to insult Callas or X listening to another soprano? As Aida Price was great ok,ok.
saverioorlando 4 years ago
I'm not sure I quite understand exactly what you're saying Saverioorlando. My comment was meant to be sarcastic toward the person who said Callas was "pitchy"- she was NOT! Yes, Price was a superb Aida, one of the greatest.
Andante735 4 years ago
Bene,zitti zitti piano piano,non facciamo confusione....!
saverioorlando 4 years ago
At last I found the perfect soprano!
No more weak "potatoe-throat" Callas for me... It´s incredible anyone could like her pitchy voice after this performance!
Bravo Price!!
maxhansendk 4 years ago
"Pitchy"? You've been watching too much American Idol. Callas had superb intonation. In fact I see no problem in admiring both of these great sopranos.
markhh 4 years ago
Pitch was never the problem for Callas, my friend. It was a wobble the size of the Grand Canyon that did her in. Keep listening and enjoying and learning and you'll be able to jump right in with the rest of the vicious queens that frequent these comment sections:).
urgrad03 4 years ago 3
Leontyne Price is the ultimate Aida. Never cared for Callas, her voice was not very attractive.
Sinned2471 4 years ago
I never saw sing Mis Price, she is amazing!
Radecascan 4 years ago
That is what great singing is all about...no frills no excuses straight into the notes and straight to the heart....
senilangakali 4 years ago
She is Aida! the only one!
Brownmuscle2007 4 years ago
I saw her perform about 7 years ago well out of her prime. 5 encores and absolute heaven. My hands were sore from applause. It's completely scary to hear someone that perfect and divinely beautiful out of her prime.
arethaismydrug 4 years ago
she is the great sopranist--never missing a note-- absolutely perfectionistically great.
willthebest1 4 years ago
that high C was so beautiful she is the Aida of all Aidas wonderful perfect...
MAPIAKALLAS 4 years ago
She OWNED this role!!!!!
britters2010 4 years ago
Aida di tutti Aidas
operaficionado 4 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
She is nothing compared la Divina Maria.Awful Price, weak voice, who cares her.Buuuuuu
mangiatutti 4 years ago
You really don't know singing do you? As much as I am a Callas fan, Aida was more perfectly fit for Price.
MrsLlorca 4 years ago
Price is one of the greatest sopranos of the last century. You've no idea what you're talking about.
Iareto 4 years ago
she was a great singer shes bellows she dont breaths enther she sing straight through the song
bigmamahattie 4 years ago
A: you're dumb B: you're deaf C: you're ignorant, does that cover it all. Oh yeah, Price is glorious.
FoggyRoad81 4 years ago
Mangiatutti: Price and Callas were very different voices. How could you compare? I love Callas and Price, but for very different reasons and different repertoire. Try to listen with a little more intelligence and less nastiness.
nichtsleezy 4 years ago