Leontyne Price "The silver swan" by Rorem

[darnaclien]

what a brilliant song! Rorem is top drawer in the world song lit.

[lordcron]

This lady is one hell of an act! Love it!

[dubonetducon]

This music is too fussy for the beautifully plaintive text. .. Ms. Price, however, is superb, as always.

[JoyInSinginglist]

One of the truly great voices of the 20th century, and a wonderful recitalist.

[manidonno10]

the gold standard performance of this piece , vocally and pianistically.

[fcouperin]

poor Gibbons...

[pachydermo]

Is that John Wustman accompanying? Of course, there are some pieces of music where she is without peer. This is just one example.

[afanoftheclassics]

A spectacular performance but I think a simpler and more restrained arrangement would have suited the text better.

[Bold5858]

I have returned to this video time and time again. It's such a refreshingly honest performance from one of the greatest!! Please don't ever take it down!

[lovesGenet]

EveBeglarian is wonderful.Minimalism has complexity and girth.

Why can'tI find a Rorem song I feel.This is the best I heard.I will keep listening to this & in the morning.Hehas elegance but I want boulez,wrath and indignation too.Boulez gets nature in a way I like too even ewhen he is quiet. there's got to be some greatgayAmerican composers. I like rorem's books.fantastic mind.Hope violin concerto is awesome or the 4 piano concerti.He gets a lot done.Hundreds of songs !and he was hot .

[BillSalem]

Truly great art. Thank you for posting it.

[violatione]

This is a very strange version of this piece. I would much rather she sang the original.

[asx5252]

@violatione I'm sorry but what do you me by "the original version." If by "original" do you mean the boring emotionless setting of this text by orlando gibbons? Ned Rorem's setting of this poem is utterly breath taking and in my opinion far from strange. But we are all entitled to our opinions.

[violatione]

@asx5252 Webster's defines strange as : not before heard, known or seen. So yes this version is quite strange. I never said that you weren't allowed to like strange versions of familiar pieces. Don't take comments said over the web so personally. Such sensitivity has been known to cause yeast infections.

[asx5252]

@violatione Something tells me you didnt mean the websters definition. And I'm not taking personal offense I'm defending an incredible composer and brilliant piece of music. I don't think I'm the one getting out of line and getting overly sensitive.

[higharch]

This is what performing genius looks and sounds like. This is what it means to get inside the text and music. There is no peer. Students look, learn, and love.

[asx5252]

in my opinion, this may be the closest thing to musical perfection. I literally cry every time I hear it.

[BonnieBitch]

Just FYI -- the D-flat (C-sharp) is at 2:01, and I did wet myself the first time I heard it. It is perfect.

[Jazzyful2]

@BonnieBitch It's actually a C...just sayin

[BonnieBitch]

Yes, it is. And I still wet myself when I heard it. :)

[BernardProfitendieu]

was this at the White House?

[vocalpianist]

yep!!

[fluffynamedkimba]

thank you so much for posting this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[operaman20]

Wow....It's like I leave earth every time I hear this!!!!!!

[muzzikdiva]

im singing this song tomorrow for jury and next week for a presidential event .... look out  for video

[xxjenniferlauren]

she reminds me of the cowardly lion for the wizard of oz

[Jazzyful2]

How ignorant of you to say that about such an amazing performance.

[PhillipLWilcher]

Ned is a sliver swan!

One of the world's finest composers of art song, sung here by one of the world's finest singers! Wonderful!

[Maytals500]

originally by Orlando Gibbons; an English Madrigal written in 1612. sounds much nicer than this.

[2muzikiluv]

She is amazing as usual...but where can I find art songs by Rorer(lol)

[CrystalFlames]

Beautiful. I want to learn this someday!

Leontyne Price is great.

[TreblesBasses]

aWESEOME PERFORMANCE!!!

[zinka101]

Wow, this song fits her voice like a glove: warm and soaring. Thanks for uploading this.

[basie8]

This is a great American art song sung exquisitely by Miss Price. Bravo, Brava!