Leontyne Price "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" 2/2

1968

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Opera
• Song
• Barber
• Leontyne
• Price

[christineannemarsden]

If you are not moved by this then nothing, but nothing will move you.

[MusicaParola]

This masterpiece was premiered in 1948 by that other great American soprano Eleanor Steber (Boston, Koussevitsky). Price colors the voices of the child and the adult masterfully. The last verse is hearbreaking: "After a little I am taken in and put to bed. Sleep, soft smiling, draws me unto her: and those receive me, who quietly treat me, as one familiar and well-beloved in that home: but will not, oh, will not, not now, not ever; but will not ever tell me who I am." Exquisite.

[Cailin2468]

wow, what an absolute masterpiece and sung so so beautifully.

[AlanHemenway]

@chainstoking Yes, I am likewise familiar with many of the recordings and this is clearly the best, although it is older recording technique. I can understand most of the text, compared to all of the other recordings. All the others disappoint me in some way.

[peacocktravels]

Exquisite, but one wonders why she can get away with so much sliding around notes and others can not......

[chainstoking]

This is without doubt the best interpretation I know (and I know a few). Thanks for posting.

[operarus33184]

What a profundity of emotion in this music. Agee was a writer of Biblical volume and his text is just overwhelming. Barber and Price are magicians and I'd better quit here and get back to the piece. Thank you for the post.

[kylegreerrocks]

yes...everyone should read this book...it will only make this piece ring with more power

[seward414]

I have listened to this recording thousands of times in the past 35 years and I have never tired of it.

[enkiduudikne]

Still one of the most perfect recordings of all time.

[quakercub]

No one sings Barber's music like Price!

[benderpm]

What a great voice and vocal technique! Amazing.