Leontyne Price & Samuel Barber: Historic Performances, 1938 & 1953

Track Listings
1. Francis Poulenc - Quatre Poèmes de Paul Eluard    
2. Francis Poulenc - Quatre Poèmes de Paul Eluard    
3. Francis Poulenc - Quatre Poèmes de Paul Eluard    
4. Francis Poulenc - Quatre Poèmes de Paul Eluard    
5. Samuel Barber - Sleep now, Op. 10, No. 2 [1936]    
6. Samuel Barber - The Daisies, Op. 2, No. 1 [1927]    
7. Samuel Barber - Nocturne, Op. 13, No. 4 [1940]    
8. Samuel Barber - Nuvoletta, Op. 25 [1947]    
9. Samuel Barber - Hermit Songs, Op. 29    
10. Samuel Barber - Hermit Songs, Op. 29    
11. Samuel Barber - Hermit Songs, Op. 29    
12. Samuel Barber - Hermit Songs, Op. 29    
13. Samuel Barber - Hermit Songs, Op. 29    
14. Samuel Barber - Hermit Songs, Op. 29    
15. Samuel Barber - Hermit Songs, Op. 29    
16. Samuel Barber - Hermit Songs, Op. 29    
17. Samuel Barber - Hermit Songs, Op. 29    
18. Samuel Barber - Hermit Songs, Op. 29    
19. Henri Sauguet - La Voyante    
20. Henri Sauguet - La Voyante    
See all 37 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
The 1953 recording features the spectacular twenty-six year old Leontyne Price, accompanied by Samuel Barber at the Library of Congress. The duo's entire recital is issued whole for the first time. In this recital the soprano and composer give the world premiere performance of Barber's "Hermit Songs", and perform Henri Sauguet's "La Voyante" (The Fortune Teller) and other songs by Barber, Poulenc and Fauré.

This remarkable 1938 recording, released to the public for the first time, gives us the 28 year old baritone, Samuel Barber in 12 songs, accompanying himself at the piano. These little known performances reveal Barber as a singer/player of uncommonly deep communicative power. The performances (issued in cooperation with Mr. Barber's estate and the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia) include folk songs from England, America, the Tyrol and Tuscany as well as lieder by Schumann, Brahms, Mendelssohn, C.P.E Bach and Schubert.

Leontyne Price & Samuel Barber: Historic Performances, 1938 & 1953, Music, Samuel Barber, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Samuel Barber, Johannes Brahms, Gabriel Faure, Felix Mendelssohn, Francis Poulenc, Henri Sauguet, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Traditional, American Traditional, English Traditional, Italian Traditional, Leontyne Price, 20th/21st Century Music for Voice and Keyboard, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Period Music for Voice and Keyboard, Classical Vocals, Folk Song, Romantic Music for Voice and Keyboard, Vocal, Vocal Music
The Ultimate Puccini Collection
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Correction to the entry by "sergiocqh"
  • Fantastic!
  • HATE OPERA? THIS ONE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND
  • "Ultimate" only if you like your opera "al fresco"!
  • Wonderful Performance but Average Recording Quality
 The Ultimate Puccini Collection
Giacomo Puccini , Herbert von Karajan , Riccardo Chailly , Stephen Barlow , Tullio Serafin , Lorin Maazel , Sir Edward Downes , Giuseppe Patane , Zubin Mehta , Alberto Erede , John Mauceri , Plácido Domingo , José Carreras , Kiri Te Kanawa , John Alldis Choir , Luciano Pavarotti , London Philharmonic Orchestra , Bologna Community Theater Orchestra , Ettore Bastianini , Carlo Bergonzi , Renato Cesari , Fernando Corena , Cesare Siepi , Renata Tebaldi , Gianna D'Angelo , Saint Cecilia Academy Orchestra , Franco Corelli , Alfredo Mariotti , Regine Crespin , Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden , London Symphony Orchestra , Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra , Rome Opera House Orchestra , Pilar Lorengar , Berlin Philharmonic Brass Ensemble , Mirella Freni , Rolando Panerai , Jussi Bjorling , Leontyne Price , and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  3. Puccini Without Words
  4. Puccini: Great Opera Arias
  5. The #1 Opera Album

ASIN: B000007OU1
Release Date: 1998-06-09

Tracks:

  1. Turnadot: Nessun Dorma!
  2. Gianni Schicchi: O Mio Babbino Caro
  3. Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai
  4. La Boheme: Musetta's Waltz Song
  5. Tosca: Recondita Armonia
  6. Madame Butterfly: Un Bel Di
  7. TOSCA: E Lucevan Le Stelle
  8. La rondine: Il Sogno Di Doretta
  9. La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina
  10. La Boheme: Si, Mi Chiamano Mini
  11. La Boheme: O Soave Fanciulla - Love Duet, Act I
  12. Ch'ella mi creda libero
  13. TOSCA: Ah, Quegli Occhi...Qual'occhio Al Mondo - Love Duet, Act I
  14. TOSCA: Vissi D'Arte
  15. Madame Butterfly: Vogliatemi Bene - Love Duet, Act I
  16. La Boheme: Donde Lieta Usci
  17. Turandot: Signore, Ascolta!
  18. Turandot: In Questa Reggia

Amazon.com essential recording

Ordinarily, it pays to be wary of collections such as these, which often promise a lot but deliver a mishmash of disconnected excerpts. This disc, however, is something of an exception: you really do get just about all of Puccini's best arias, which is possible, because he didn't write so many operas that choosing the best moments becomes a matter of the producer's personal taste. Also, Puccini's operas are so popular that every major label has excellent complete recordings of all of them, so in making this compilation it was possible to cast from strength: all the singers here are fine. In fact, the only proviso that needs to be made before you rush out and add this disc to your collection is that it's wrong to assume that all of Puccini's best tunes lie in his arias. The opening 10 minutes of any one of his operas will tell you that's not true. So by all means enjoy this disc--then start sampling the operas complete. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Correction to the entry by "sergiocqh".......2005-11-08

"Quando m'en vo" is not omitted from this CD; it is just called "Musetta's waltz song." It is the same aria.

5 out of 5 stars Fantastic!.......2003-10-14

This is one of the first opera CDs I ever got. It's wonderful for just about any body;from the newbies like me or the opera fanatics. I especially like 'In Questa Reggia'. Buy it now!!

5 out of 5 stars HATE OPERA? THIS ONE WILL CHANGE YOUR MIND.......2003-09-04

The Ultimate Puccini Collection features some of Puccini's most arias and will appeal to even the most ardent operaphobes.

A great listening experience featuring some of the greatest opera performers of all time.

3 out of 5 stars "Ultimate" only if you like your opera "al fresco"!.......2002-06-13

The music is without question, among the most beautiful ever written. But the quality of the fidelity tells me that many of the selections were recorded live in concert in outdoor venues. I wish that was clear to me before I bought the disc. So, is the music the ultimate? YES! Is the recording the ultimate? NO!

4 out of 5 stars Wonderful Performance but Average Recording Quality.......2002-02-18

I love opera! I love Puccini! Not only is the vocalism important to me, but the quality of the recording as well. I enjoy my hi-tech sound system. I like to feel as if I am sitting in the front row of the first balcony when I listen to opera. This CD is excellent! The vocalists were well chosen. The technical performances are eloquent and emotional, as Puccini should be. However, the quality of the recording is not very good. No matter how you adjust your sound system, the recording is a bit tinny and as a result, the emotional high points of the arias are not as vibrant as they could be if the recording were of better quality. I would recommend this CD to anyone who loves Puccini and who is not as finicky as I!
Porgy & Bess: High Performance
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Porgy & Bess
  • Stunning Achievement
  • Great recording
  • PVL
  • Gorgeous
 Porgy & Bess: High Performance
Leontyne Price , William Warfield , and John W. Bubbles
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  5. Porgy and Bess

ASIN: B00000I9MJ
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

  1. Porgy And Bess: Introduction; Summertime
  2. Porgy And Bess: A Woman Is A Sometime Thing
  3. Porgy And Bess: Gone, Gone, Gone
  4. Porgy And Bess: My Man's Gone Now
  5. Porgy And Bess: I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'
  6. Porgy And Bess: Bess, You Is My Woman
  7. Porgy And Bess: It Ain't Necessarily So
  8. Porgy And Bess: What You Want Wid Bess ?
  9. Porgy And Bess: I Loves You, Porgy
  10. Porgy And Bess: There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
  11. Porgy And Bess: Oh Bess, Oh, Where's My Bess
  12. Porgy And Bess: Oh, Lawd, I'm On My Way

Amazon.com

RCA's 1963 highlights disc brought the stars of the early-1950s revival of the work, Leontyne Price and William Warfield, together again. By this time, however, Price was well advanced on her meteoric rise to operatic stardom and Warfield was gaining renown as a recitalist. Both are glorious here and Price's shimmering "Summertime" is worth the price of the disc. A plus is the spirited Sportin' Life of John W. Bubbles, who created the role in the original 1935 production; an old-time vaudevillian, he wrings fun and irony from his all-too-short excerpts. Henderson conducts with vigor and RCA's "High Performance" sound, when heard on a good system, is remarkable. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Porgy & Bess.......2007-03-26

Great CD! Both the singing and orchestrations were perfect! Have played it many times since receiving it.

5 out of 5 stars Stunning Achievement.......2006-04-29

This recording of scenes from Gershwin's opera is a stunning achievement and a gem for anyone who loves great music and great singing. Ms. Price was a world-renowned Bess and created a sensation when she toured in the opera's celebrated revival during the 1950's. People unfamiliar with the entire score may be surpised to discover that two famous arias, "Summertime" and
"My Man's Gone Now", aren't sung by Bess. It's thrilling to hear Ms. Price perform these, which were signature pieces
throughout her career. As Porgy, Mr. Warfield toured with Leontyne Price, and the power and poignancy of his characterization are comparable to hers. He is extraordinary in his solos, and his love duet with Ms. Price wil give the listener chills. The chorus and orchestra are superb. Skitch Henderson, former maestro of The Tonight Show, might seem an unusual choice for conductor, but his leadership is skilled, idiomatic, and electrifying. (He was a fine musician and composer who often guest-conducted for symphony orchestras.)
This is a wonderful example of recorded musical drama and will appeal to those who don't consider themselves opera fans as well as to those who do. Highly recommended and a Grammy Award winner.

5 out of 5 stars Great recording.......2006-04-24

OK, so Leontyne Price sings a song on this recording ("My Man is Gone Now")that is not sung by her character (Bess), but what an incredible version of that song! I've never heard any singer match it. This album introduced me to P & B 20 years ago, and I love the CD. I had the pleasure of interviewing William Warfield in 1981; much to my regret I did not yet know this recording.

By the way: I also love the old 1951 recording of the opera (re-released as a CD by Sony in 1998). It is my other favorite, and has over 2 hours of the music. The audio is surprisingly good.

5 out of 5 stars PVL.......2006-01-31

Outstanding cast and performances. Digitally remastered in the new High Performance mode. Sound is spectacular.

5 out of 5 stars Gorgeous.......2005-04-14

This is the first "Porgy and Bess recording I ever heard, and though it's not complete, it is the BEST. Bess is sung definitively by Leontyne Price, and the Porgy is every bit equal to her performance. Gershwin's music for this opera is amazing. It is jazz and black culture put into operatic form, and you can't get more soulful than that. "Summertime" (my favorite song ever) of course was wonderful, and "My Man's Gone Now" is the saddest thing I have ever heard - you can listen to it over and over. "Bess, you is my Woman Now" makes me cry too, it's so sweet. The acting is convincing as could be wished. As for Sportin' Life, he is played by the creator of the role who was NOT an opera singer but rather a vaudeville star, and chosen by Gershwin himself. At first he seems rather out of place beside the rest of the cast (Leontyne Price, for goodness' sake!) but he grows on you. I once heard a bass rendition of "It Ain't Neccisarily So" that was sung very low and deep, and very straight - and although I'm aware that Sportin' Life is a tenor role, it was a very effective rendition. However, as an indiviudual, this Sportin' Life was not bad at all, and his "There's a Boat dat's Leavin' Soon for New York" was VERY good and almost seductive, I thought.

Really, you couldn't get much better for $12.00!
Mozart for Relaxation
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Very Relaxing
  • This is so beautiful
  • A Musical Tranquilizer
  • guaranteed to relax you whether at home or in the car
 Mozart for Relaxation

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000I9M0
Release Date: 1999-03-09

Tracks:

  1. Concerto For Flute and Harp, K. 299: II - Andantino - London Symphony Orchestra
  2. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K. 525: II - Romanze : Andante - Guarneri Quartet
  3. Piano Sonata In B Flat, K. 333: II - Andante Cantabile - Alicia De Larrocha
  4. Violin Concerto No. 3 In G, K. 216: II - Adagio - Prague Chamber Orchestra
  5. Andante K. 315 - Chamber Orchestra Of Europe
  6. Concerto In A For Clarinet And Orchestra, K. 622: II - Adagio - English Chamber Orchestra
  7. Serenade No. 10 'Gran Partita,' K. 361: III - Adagio - Sir Colin Davis
  8. Trio - 'Soave sia il vento' Act 1, Scene 2 - New Philharmonia Orchestra
  9. Clarinet Quintet In A, K. 581: II - Larghetto - Richard Stoltzman
  10. Concerto No. 21 In C, K. 467: II - Andante - English Chamber Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Very Relaxing.......2007-04-03

I love this CD! I listen to it every time my world feels like it's about to spin out of control because I have too much to do and not enough time to do it. Very calming and serene. My 12 year old daughter now knows who Mozart is and can recognize his music on the radio!

5 out of 5 stars This is so beautiful.......2006-02-07

I've been a massage therapist for seven years, and I have lots and lots of relaxation music. I have owned this c.d. three different times because I have listened to it to the point of wearing it out several times over. It is so beautiful and rich in perfection, and if your smart its really easy to time your massage to. If your not an M.T. just get it to have in your collection when you'd like to relax, you won't be sorry.

5 out of 5 stars A Musical Tranquilizer.......2000-07-22

This is a terrific collection of many of Mozart's best known and most beloved pieces. You will probably recognize many of the melodies - and with this CD, of course, you'll learn their names. This CD is really aptly named - it is a very 'relaxing' collection of beautiful music. One reviewer said that its great for the car - but also after that long, grinding day at work - you know, the kind of day where you feel especially eaten-up. You just want to go home and sit in your favorite chair and put on some music... It is also an excellent album to get the kids started on lovely classical music. Highly recommended!

5 out of 5 stars guaranteed to relax you whether at home or in the car.......1999-04-23

this assortment of melodies is the perfect gift for the new mother, the new baby, or anyone else who wants to be stimulated by the classical sounds and soothed by the melodies. a definite must for the car - where much stress occurs in traffic jams.
Metropolitan Opera Gala Honoring Sir Rudolf Bing [Highlights]
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • A VERY SPECIAL EVENING AT THE MET
 Metropolitan Opera Gala Honoring Sir Rudolf Bing [Highlights]

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000M05VNY
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars A VERY SPECIAL EVENING AT THE MET.......2007-04-06

The 1972 Gala that honored the retirement of the late Sir Rudolf Bing was one of the first big international opera galas of note. I was a mere high schooler when highlights of the gala were aired on television, hosted by Rise Stevens. An LP of highlights was released (a slew of copies were produced domestically with a defect on the second side that had to be recalled). Shortly after this DGG announced a SECOND LP of highlights that would include additional items, including Dorothy Kirsten, Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti and others from the same gala. It never materialized.

When DGG announced the CD version, I was ever hopeful those unreleased items would finally see the light of day. Sadly, that's not the case. What we have left is a mixed bag. Arroyo expressive but unsteady, a young Domingo with Caballe sounding undermiked, Nilsson ripping the roof off, Price skipping the recitative and not in best voice, Tucker and Merrill trying to outshout each other, Resnik hamming it up, Zylis-Gara and Corelli's only evidence of Otello on record with the fans ruining the beautiful orchestral ending of the duet. Despite all my negatives, this CD is evidence of a very special evening in New York when the operatic lights shone a lot brighter than they do now, the likes of which will never be seen or heard again. It would get five stars if the missing items had been included.
Puccini: Madama Butterfly [Hybrid SACD]
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Excellent service of a perfect product
  • The SACD reissue of Leontyne Price's "Butterfly"
  • Very, very good!!
  • AWESOME!!!
  • Superb Remastering
 Puccini: Madama Butterfly [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000G759L2
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Tracks:

  1. Act I: Orchestral Opening
  2. Act I: E Soffitto E Pareti
  3. Act I: Dovunque Al Mondo Lo Yankee
  4. Act I: Amore O Grillo
  5. Act I: Ancora Un Passo Or Via (Butterfly's Entrance)
  6. Act I: Gran Ventura
  7. Act I: L'Imperial Commissario
  8. Act I: Vieni, Amor Mio!
  9. Act I: Leri Son Salita Tutta Sola
  10. Act I: Tutti Zitti!
  11. Act I: Madama Butterfly!
  12. Act I: Cio-Cio-San!
  13. Act I: Bimba, Bimba, Non Piangere (Love Duet)
  14. Act I: Bimba Dagli Occhi (Love Duet)
  15. Act I: Vogliatemi Bene (Love Duet)
  16. Act II: E Izaghi Ed Izanami
  17. Act II: Un Bel Di

Tracks:

  1. Act II: C'e. Entrate
  2. Act II: Yamadori, Ancor Le Pene
  3. Act II: Ora A Noi
  4. Act II: Due Cose Potrei Far
  5. Act II: Ah! M'ha Scordata?
  6. Act II: Lo Scendo Al Piano
  7. Act II: Il Cannone Del Porto!
  8. Act II: Tutti I Fior? (Flower Duet)
  9. Act II: Or Vienmi Ad Adornar
  10. Act II: Humming Chorus
  11. Act III: Oh Eh! Oh Eh!
  12. Act III: Gia Il Sole!
  13. Act III: Lo So Che Alle Sue Pene
  14. Act III: Addio, Fiorito Asil
  15. Act III: Suzuki, Suzuki!
  16. Act III: Come Una Mosca
  17. Act III: 'Con Onor Muore... (Death Of Butterfly)

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excellent service of a perfect product.......2006-11-18

The item ordered was delivered within the promised time and arrived in good order. No problems whatsoever.

5 out of 5 stars The SACD reissue of Leontyne Price's "Butterfly".......2006-11-11

If your stereo system is sophisticated enough to reveal the differences between CD issues of performances and the SACD reissues of the same material, and if you love Leontyne Price's early performances, then you should rush to get this. (There are 3 other Living Stereo operas now also available as SACDs: "Turandot," "La Boheme," and "La Traviata." These are also perfectly gorgeous.) The improvement made by remastering this opera set (and the other three) brings the sound very, very close to that of really good vinyl - but without the surface noise, ticks, and pops.

4 out of 5 stars Very, very good!!.......2006-09-30

This Butterfly is quite excellent for many reasons. The singing is outstanding. Price is wonderful, Elias is so good. And, even if I am not a fan of Tucker, he is quite a misguided hero. While not as loud as DelMonaco, he is one hell of a great voice. In the end, this is truly a tragedy of wide proportions.
The conducting of Leinsdorf is satisfactory. Not Karajan, but very good.
So, the sonics are quite good as well.
You can enjoy this issue in rbcd and SACD!!!

5 out of 5 stars AWESOME!!!.......2006-09-22

I LOVE it! This does NOT sound like 1962 (let alone RCA, which usually sounds kinda bland to me)! I have yet to hear the famous Barbirolli (and Scotto, whom I do not care for, but also the wonderful Bergonzi! I will get it someday) and I have the Callas in the mail, but this is so great. I heard Leontyne's "Un bel di" on my FIRST classical CD, "Opera's Greatest Moments", and I fell in love with it then; in fact, I prefer her rendition above ALL others, including Callas, Freni, Ponselle, et al. By the way, the other singers on this recording are also fabulous! I can only imagine how much more PERFECT this sounds in SACD! I must get a player soon! BUY THIS!!!

5 out of 5 stars Superb Remastering.......2006-09-14

This recording of Madama Butterfly is one of my all time favorites. It was one of the first records that I bought myself in the early 1970's. Since then I have acquired original 1963 LP pressings, UK-made LP's, the the original R2R tape, and the old CD issue, all in hopes of finding the best sounding edition. Up till now, the Reel-Reel tape was the best, apparently avoiding the some of the dull Dynagroove equalization that RCA imposed on this and most of its subsequent 1960's releases.

Now here is where the DSD/SACD mastering has proved its worth! This disc reveals a master recording of breadth and subtlety, the equal of any of the "Living Stereo" era recordings. The 3D soundstage is spacious, the orchestra warm and detailed, and the voices exquisitely clear and vivid. All of this is in a sound environment that is never forced or harsh. I think one can safely say that we have never truly heard this beautiful performance in all of its glory until now.

In previous releases that I have heard in this Living Stereo SACD series, I found the sound either to be a little flat compared to the original LP's, or somewhat aggressive and "in-your-face" in a way that the magnificent "Living Stereo" LP's never were. This issue is just the opposite. Compared to these magnificent CD's, the old LP and R2R versions still sound good, but a little flat, two-dimensional, and lacking in detail compared to the SACD. Maybe the RCA/BMG SACD series has found its real value in revealing the true beauty of "Dynagroove"-era recordings that RCA previously offered only in over-equalized versions. I hope to see many more on SACD, including the best recordings that Leinsdorf made with the Boston Symphony. An SACD of the Leinsdorf/Boston "Lohengrin" is something to truly dream for.

Don't hesitate to buy this disc. The sumptious and heart-felt performances of Price and Tucker along with the flexible idiomatic orchestral performance have long made this a classic. Now we can hear it on CD in all its magnificence. For those who don't have SACD capability, the CD layer is also derived from the new DSD master and is very fine, well worth the reasonable price.

The packaging is bare-bones, with links to an online libretto for downloading. The booklet does reprint the original 1962 notes; but there are no photos or new notes regarding the artists, recording, or the remastering. There is just a generic technical essay that is included in all of the SACD releases. Still, at this price, who's complaining? Highest recommendation!
The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • The Price Club
  • A living legend
  • not your daddy's old timey spiritual
  • Immaculate Vocals of Leontyne Price
  • Great Gospel Stuff
 The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Leontyne Price: The Ultimate Collection
  2. Leontyne Price Christmas Songs Chants de Noel.Weihnachtslieden Wiener Philharmoniker Herbert Von Karajan
  3. Amazing Grace: Jessye Norman
  4. Spirituals in Concert
  5. Spirituals

ASIN: B000003FWE
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

  1. Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
  2. Let Us Break Bread Together On Our Knees - Various Artists
  3. His Name So Sweet - Various Artists
  4. 'Roun' About The Mountain - Various Artists
  5. Swing Low , Sweet Chariot - Various Artists
  6. Sit Down, Servant - Various Artists
  7. Were You There - Various Artists
  8. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands - Various Artists
  9. Deep River - Various Artists
  10. Honor! Honor! - Various Artists
  11. My Soul's Been Anchored In De Lord - Various Artists
  12. On Ma Journey - Various Artists
  13. A City Called Heaven - Various Artists
  14. Ride On, King Jesus - Various Artists
  15. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free - Various Artists
  16. Sinner, Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass - Various Artists
  17. Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Various Artists
  18. There Is A Balm In Gilead - Various Artists
  19. Let Us Cheer The Weary Traveler - Various Artists
  20. Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
  21. My Way Is Cloudy - Various Artists
  22. Nobody Knows The Touble I've Seen - Various Artists
  23. I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray - Various Artists

Tracks:

  1. Holy, Holy, Holy - Leontyne Price
  2. Lead, Kindly Light - Leontyne Price
  3. Blessed Assurance - Leontyne Price
  4. Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
  5. What A Friend We Have In Jesus - Leontyne Price
  6. Amazing Grace - Leontyne Price
  7. The Lord's Prayer - Leontyne Price
  8. Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior - Leontyne Price
  9. The Church's One Foundation - Leontyne Price
  10. Bless This House - Leontyne Price
  11. I Need Thee Every Hour - Leontyne Price
  12. Schlesische Volkslieder: Fairest Lord Jesus - Leontyne Price
  13. I Wonder As I Wander - Leontyne Price
  14. Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
  15. Porgy And Bess: Summertime - Leontyne Price
  16. America The Beautiful - Leontyne Price
  17. Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing - Leontyne Price
  18. A Mighty Fortress Is Our God - Leontyne Price
  19. Battle Hymn Of The Republic - Leontyne Price

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars The Price Club.......2005-04-28

"I am here," said Leontyne Price when interviewed as she opened the new Metropolitan Opera with Samuel Barber's underrated ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, "and you will know that I am the best and will hear me. The color of my skin or the kink of my hair or the spread of my mouth has nothing to do with what you are listening to." Back in the 1960s Price was one of the greatest divas in all of opera, and it wasn't just her voice but her magnificent stage presence, combined with her social activism. All of the above come into play in this collection of secular songs and ditties, some of them traditional plantation chanties and others, art songs and a scattering of pop music. And some of them, like Gershwin's "Summertime," cross the ever-permeable boundaries between Broadway and classical. These recordings were made at different times in Price's career, and her voice, while always angelic, has different shadings and reaches a different range of timbre in each separate recording date, but there is no question that, as time goes by, she is able to impart a richness of life experience noticeably absent from some of her earlier work.

"Ave Maria" sounds heavenly no matter which way you slice it, and as for "I Wonder As I Wander," it brings tears to your eyes. If you have a heart that's beating you will be moved by this rendition. "Ein feste Burg" is pretty strong, but Price seems more comfortable with the traditional spirituals, though perhaps it is the slightly off-kilter sounds of the Ambrosian Singers (what a name) who back her up on many of these tracks, that detract slightly from the experience. Compare "Lead Kindly Light" for a clear sense of what constitutes authority vs. what is a wee bit overproduced. If you had this compilation, and perhaps one of Leontyne Price's Christmas albums, you could attain nirvana any time you wanted to, just flip a switch and close your eyes, let her lift you up on wings of song.

5 out of 5 stars A living legend.......2005-03-10

Leontyne Price (still alive) and already passing into immortality amongst vocal artists, both classical and popular. Leontyne Price stands at the pinnacle of her classical art, but those who only know her work in La Forza del destino or the Verdi Requiem are in for a heart rending treat with this album where Leontyne Price goes home to her roots in Mississippi and gives an unabashed account of the classic spirituals she sang as a young woman. Like John Mc Cormacks rendering of Irish songs there is a personal longing and devotion expressed here that reveals a side of the artist not known in the bulk of their "classical" repetoire. A sense of going home like Citizen Kane's rosebud, or as Dorothy Gale observes at the end of the Wizard of Oz "everything I could ever have wanted was right in my own backyard "

1 out of 5 stars not your daddy's old timey spiritual.......2004-06-23

Agreed this is a good cd for a beautiful voice, but this is not, repeat not, for someone who wants to hear that old-timey religious fervor that you think of when you've been to a Black Baptist hand-clapping, standing, swaying, and singing service.

5 out of 5 stars Immaculate Vocals of Leontyne Price.......2003-12-31

IMMACULATE, SUPERB vocal range and style! There's no other words that can complement Miss Leontyne Price's vocal arrangements. Miss Price's voice is strong, and shrills very nicely to the instruments played on many songs listed on this double CD which is a joy to treasure; every song listed are songs I was raised to hearing and singing. Miss Price is the reason why many of these songs remain in popularity and presently used. Miss Leontyne Price has been incredible in many of her past performances. This is my fourth CD of Miss Price and I am glad to own this particular CD forever and ever. Many thanks to the executors who found this remarkable album and upgraded it to a CD format! **Angi**

4 out of 5 stars Great Gospel Stuff.......2001-04-12

This is a great CD. The only problem I have with it is that on some of the selections there is a boy's choir screaming in the background, and this takes away (a bit) from her performance. That said, her best selections are those that are either unaccompanied or those where her voice is not buried. Songs that strike me are - His Name So Sweet, He's Got The Whole World, Were You There, I Wonder as I Wander, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and my all time favourite Summertime. Enough said.
Leontyne Price Sings Barber
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • a voice teacher and early music fan
  • An American Voice of the Century
  • An Essential Barber Disc
  • Price sings songs and arias written for her!!!
  • Fab voice, OK music
 Leontyne Price Sings Barber

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Barber: Knoxville Summer of 1915/Dover Beach/Hermit Songs/Adromache's Farewell
  2. Leontyne Price: The Ultimate Collection
  3. The Faces of Love ~ The Songs of Jake Heggie / Fleming, McNair, Larmore, von Stade, Forand, Cao, Clayton, Vaness, Asawa
  4. Hermit Songs: High Voice
  5. In Concert

ASIN: B000003FNF
Release Date: 1994-05-10

Tracks:

  1. Hermit Songs, Op.29: At Saint Patrick's Purgatory
  2. Hermit Songs, Op.29: Church Bell At Night
  3. Hermit Songs, Op.29: Saint Ita's Vision
  4. Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Heavenly Banquet
  5. Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Crucifixion
  6. Hermit Songs, Op.29: Sea-Snatch
  7. Hermit Songs, Op.29: Promiscuity
  8. Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Monk And His Cat
  9. Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Praises Of God
  10. Hermit Songs, Op.29: The Desire For Hermitage
  11. Sleep Now, Op. 10, No. 2
  12. The Daises, Op. 2, No. 1
  13. Nocturne, Op. 13, No. 4
  14. Nuvoletta, Op. 25
  15. Knoxville: Summer Of 1915
  16. Antony And Cleopatra: Give Me Some Music
  17. Antony And Cleopatra: Give Me My Robe

Amazon.com

Early in her career, Leontyne Price formed an artistic liaison with Samuel Barber that resulted in his composing the female lead in Antony and Cleopatra for her. The disastrous premiere of that opera prevented Price from making a complete recording--a tragic loss in my opinion. She did record excerpts, however, and we at least have this disc to document these and the many other Barber works that she performed with incomparable artistry. Opera singing being what it is, Price didn't often have the chance to sing in English, so these performances are not only historically important, they are uniquely communicative as well. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-28

Samuel Barber(1910-1981), an American composer who studied piano, composition and singing at the prestigious Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, Pa. His works adhered largely to a lyrical, Romantic style within a loosely Classical framework. He left a rich legacy of more than 100 songs(only 37 published) and 3 operas in addition to many instrumental works...
Only a few of Barber's song texts come from American sources; more often he chose the work of Irish or English writers. He was drawn to 'Knoxville: Summer of 1915', a reflection of the American poet James Agee, because for him it vividly evoked his own childhood. With hints of blues and gently shifting rhythms, "Knoxville" is a mature expression of Barber's artistry as a musical poet and a master of orchestral color.
"The Hermit Songs" were first performed by Leontyne Price, soprano, with the composer at the piano at the Library of Congress, Washington,D.C..pn October 30, 1953. They are a setting of anonymous Irish texts of the eighth to thirteenth centuries written by monks and scholars. They are small poems,thoughts or observations, some very short, and speak in straightforward, droll, and often surprisingly modern terms of the simple life these men led, close to nature, to animals and to God.
I think a brief quote from one of my favorite of these Hermit songs sums up the kind of prose contained in most all of them: from 'The Monk and his Cat' :Pangur, white Pangur, How happy we are Alone together, Scholar and cat. Each has his own work to do daily; for you it is hunting, for me study......'
The music on this disc is well executed, and if you are a Barber advocate, it's a great collection of his song material. I happen to like MOST of his music, but it's for me a 'mood ' thing. He was born very close to where I live, so I guess I feel a kinship of sorts. I do think that he is one of the 'greats' in contemporary music!

5 out of 5 stars An American Voice of the Century.......2005-10-09

While there is no question that Leontyne's opulent voice - here young and lustrous in the "Hermit Songs" recital (1953!) would have been a magnet for any composer, her affinity for Barber is clear, and his for her. The studio recording of the "Hermit Songs" has a better acoustic, but this one is just as thrilling in interpretation, and a bit less studied - and it has the two James Joyce settings, as well.
The "Knoxville" is beautifully judged - soft and swinging to start, then opening up into the drama and poetry of the middle and late sections. The Eleanor Steber original commission will always set the standard, but Price expands it that much farther, with longer phrases, and an ineffable langour that both she and Steber identified as the "Southern" stamp on this music. It's universal, as far as I am concerned, but it exalts and breaks the heart at the same time. Agee and Barber drink from the same fountain here.
I have never heard the entire "Anthony & Cleopatra", again written for Price, so I can't judge the work as a whole, just these two numbers. I have a special affection for the first scene, however - "Give Me Some Music" shows Price, in her absolute vocal prime, complete mistress of color and mood, and the motive, "My man of men" reappears in her final, regal, death scene. When she sings "O happy horse/ who bears the weight of Antony!" - I swear, my hair curls, no matter how many times I hear it.
In short, gotta have it.

5 out of 5 stars An Essential Barber Disc.......2002-03-13

What a fabulous collection of music by Samuel Barber. Leontyne Price is at her absolute best in the songs. The entire Hermit Songs are here with four others. These recordings are of particular interest since Ms. Price performs with Samuel Barber at the piano. It is interesting to compare these recordings to the latter ones sung by Cheyrl Studer with John Browning at the piano for tempo changes.

The recording of Knoxville: Summer of 1915 is arguable the best of those available. Ms. Price sings with great sensitivity and Thomas Schippers and the New Philharmonia provide excellent support. Ms. Price said that Knoxville reminded her of her own childhood, and her commitment to the music comes through. I have the recording of Knoxville sung by Eleanor Steber, who commissioned this work, but I have always regarded the Price recording as the one to have.

The two excerpts from Antony and Cleopatra are of great interest since Ms. Price sang the role of Cleopatra at the premiere in 1966. Her performance here, also conducted by Schippers, is wonderful. The transfer to CD of these recordings is excellent. Perhaps the only down side is that the Hermit Songs were performed before an audience so there is applause between each song. After a while, this becomes monotonous. This disc is a must for anyone interested in Barber's music, and in particular for Knoxville.

5 out of 5 stars Price sings songs and arias written for her!!!.......2001-12-05

This CD on which Leontyne Price memorializes many of the songs and arias composed by Sam Barber with her in mind should be in every collection of those who appreciate Barber's vocal music and the magnificent voice of one of the world's greatest singers of the 20th century. The collaboration of Barber and Price on the "Hermit Songs" and others reveals the composer's affection for the singer and the singer's understanding of the dramatic intent of the word and music. Alone, Price's interpretation of "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" is worth the price of the CD; it is singularly exquisite and cannot be matched! Price brings unmatched beauty, power, and understanding to the arias from "Anthony and Cleopatra" -- an opera composed with her voice in mind. It is indeed sad that Price never recorded "Vanessa," nor the song cycle "Despite and Still," nor the hauntingly beautiful "Sure on this Shining Night." You will not be disappointed if you buy this CD.

3 out of 5 stars Fab voice, OK music.......2001-08-07

What is it that everyone seems to adore about Samuel Barber's music for voice. The man clearly wrote some absolutely divine orchestral pieces, there's no disputing that. But his vocal work seems to be lackluster. Hermit Songs is an example of modern classical music at it's worst. Disjointed, unmelodic, and difficult to follow. Price who's diction is fabulous on the later Knoxville piece is mushy durin the Hermit Songs, her voice is young and fresh, but not particularly glorious. She does deserve praise however for her promotion of American Music

Knoxville 1915 is a much better piece than Hermit songs and has more lyrical moments, but it still sounds so modern. If it has just been an orchestral piece it might've been fabulous but that is unfortunately not the case. It's almost as if Barber wrote a piece for orchestra and wrote a seperate piece for voice and just joined them, whether they made sense together or not. Unlike Hermit Songs, Price's performance more than makes up for the lack of brilliance in the music. Her diction is amazingly clear, even Callas would be jealous and her voice soars, where the music allows her to at least.

The selections from A+C are worty enough, another unreal performance by Price, one wonders if there was a better interpretor of American Music ever, maybe Steber. These works are more traditional sounding and thus go over better, but they seem a bit bland, without Price infusing them with energy this listener would have lost interest
Verdi: Il Trovatore
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Price, Corelli and Karajan at their peaks--need any more be said?
  • Grab it before it goes away. . .
  • Brilliant Trovatore
  • A review plus corrections
  • Exceptional and Exciting
 Verdi: Il Trovatore

Manufacturer: Gala
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000001XN2
Release Date: 2000-06-06

Tracks:

  1. Il Trovatore: Act I: Introduzione: 'All 'erta! All'erta!' (Ferrando, Coro)
  2. Il Trovatore: Act I: Di due figli vivea padre beato... Abbietta zingara' (Ferrando, Coro)
  3. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: Scena e Cavatina: 'Che piu t'arresti?' (Ines, Leonora)
  4. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: 'Tacea la notte placida...Di tale amor' (Leonora, Ines)
  5. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: Scena, Romanza e Terzetto: 'Tace la notte' (Il Conte)
  6. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: 'Deserto sulla terra' (Manrico, Il Conte)
  7. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: 'Non m'inganno. Ella scende!... Di geloso amor' (Il Conte, Leonora, Manrico)
  8. Il Trovatore: Act II: Coro di Zingari e Canzone: 'Vedi! le fosche notturne spoglie' (Coro)
  9. Il Trovatore: Act II: 'Stride la vampa' (Azucena)
  10. Il Trovatore: Act II: 'Mesta e la tua canzon!' (Coro, Azucena, Manrico, Un vecchio zengaro)
  11. Il Trovatore: Act II: Scena e Racconto: 'Soli or siam!' (Manrico, Azucena)
  12. Il Trovatore: Act II: 'Condotta ell'era in ceppi' (Azucena, Manrico)
  13. Il Trovatore: Act II: Scena e Duetto: 'Non son tuo figlio?' (Manrico, Azucena)
  14. Il Trovatore: Act II: 'Mal reggendo all'aspro assalto' (Manrico, Azucena, Un messo)
  15. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: Scena ad Aria: 'Tutto e deserto' (Il Conte, Ferrando)
  16. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: Il balen del suo sorriso...per me, ora fatale' (Il Conte, Ferrando, Coro)
  17. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: Finale II: 'Ah! se l'error t'ingombra' (Coro, Il Conte, Ferrando)
  18. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: 'Perche piangete?' (Leonoro, Ines, Il Conte, Coro)
  19. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: 'E deggio, e posso crederlo?' (Leonora, Il Conte, Manrico, Ferrando, Coro, Ines, Ruiz)

Tracks:

  1. Il Trovatore: Act III: Coro d'Introduzione: 'Or co'dadi' (Coro, Ferrando)
  2. Il Trovatore: Act III: Scena e Terzetto: 'In braccio al mio rival!' (Il Conte, Ferrando, Coro, Azucena)
  3. Il Trovatore: Act III: 'Giorni poveri vivea' (Azucena, Ferrando, Il Conte, Coro)
  4. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: scena ed Aria: 'Quale d'armi fragor poc'anzi intesi?' (Leonora, Manrico)
  5. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: 'Ah! si, ben mio' (Manrico)
  6. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: 'L'onda de'suoni mistici' (Leonora, Manrico)
  7. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: 'Manrico?'-'Che?'-'La zingara' (Ruiz, Manrico, Leonora)
  8. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: 'Di quella pira' (Manrico, Leonora, Ruiz, Coro)
  9. Il Trovatore: Act IV: Scena, Aria e Miserere 'Siam giunti' (Ruiz, Leonora)
  10. Il Trovatore: Act IV: 'D'amor sull'ali rosee' (Leonora)
  11. Il Trovatore: Act IV: 'Miserere' (Coro, Leonora, Manrico)
  12. Il Trovatore: Act IV: Scena e Duetto: 'Udiste? Come albeggi' (Il Conte, Leonora)
  13. Il Trovatore: Act IV: 'Qual voce!'...'Mira, di acerbe lagrime' (Il Conte, Leonora)
  14. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: Finale Ultimo: 'Madre, non dormi? ... Ai nostri monti' (Manrico, Azucena)
  15. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: 'Che! Non m'inganna quel fioco lume?' (Manrico, Leonora, Azucena)
  16. Il Trovatore: Scene 2: 'Ti scosta!' (Manrico, Leonora, Il Conte, Azucena)
  17. Il Trovatore: Act III, Scene 2: Duettino: 'Solenne in quest'ora'
  18. Il Trovatore: Act III, Scene 2: Scena: 'Morir! Tremenda cosa!'
  19. Il Trovatore: Act III, Scene 2: Aria: 'Una fatale del mino destino... Egli e salvo!' (Don Alvaro: Franco Corelli - Don Carlo di Vargas: Ettore Bastianini Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Francesco Molinari Pradelli, 1958

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Price, Corelli and Karajan at their peaks--need any more be said?.......2006-08-07

This 1962 Vienna State Opera performance of Trovatore is now a document of a new Golden Age of opera. Price and Corelli had taken the Metropolitan by storm the previous year in the same roles and the vocal beauty, strength and ardor that propelled them to international stardom are much in evidence, particularly in the former's assumption of Leonora--Price even throws in a few extra high Cs in the "Miserere" for good measure. Her two big arias "Tacea la notte" and "D'amor sull' ali rosee" are replete with her characteristic shimmering vibrato and creamy tone. Corelli sings with big, gorgeous tone and with more care in phrasing than in some of his other recorded performances-only his concluding high note at the end of the third act seems somewhat pressed. Azucena and the Conte di Luna are in the more than capable hands of Giulietta Simionato and Ettore Bastianini.

Despite the ease with which the dictum that "all Trovatore needs is the four greatest singers in the world" is met, ultimately the driving force behind this night is Karajan, who gives this fast-moving melodrama exactly the propulsion it needs without slighting the lyrical moments. The Vienna Philharmonic responds with a razor-sharp rendition of the score. Against such virtues the faults of a live recording can easily be forgiven: mono sound and some questionable balances (the "offstage" harp in Manrico's first solo sounds as if it is about two feet from the microphone). Most of the traditional stage cuts are observed as well: thus the second verses of both Leonora's and Manrico's cabalettas are missing, as well as the whole of Leonora's last-act cabaletta, "Tu vedrai." Nevertheless, for opera lovers, this is a Trovatore not to be missed.

5 out of 5 stars Grab it before it goes away. . ........2005-11-18

This recording is a must have for any real lover of singing: Corelli and
Price together, LIVE, not to mention Simionato.

Karajan keeps things at a white hot clip, and the velvet of Price with
the trumpeting of Corelli make for the kind of over-the-top opera
experience one lives for.

Given the year and conditions of the recording, the sound is excellent.
I'm one who can tolerate less that state of the art sound for the
excitement of live historic performances.

Price occasionally interpolates unexpected high notes, and then
caps the "Mira" with a high c that would have best been left at home,
but these are just a few tiny pimples on an otherwise stunning face.
And at these prices, it is a complete steal. Buy it.

5 out of 5 stars Brilliant Trovatore.......2004-05-13

This is a fabulous Trovatore but the "Spotlight Reviewer" seems not to know the opera at all! The heroine of "Il Trovatore" is called LEONORA, not ELVIRA. He wrote his review to bash Maria Callas who is still the greatest Leonora to this day. (I'm quoting PRICE here!)

Anyway, Price, Corelli and Simionato made MAGIC here. Not to be missed!

4 out of 5 stars A review plus corrections.......2004-02-10

This is a fantastic Trovatore, my favourite after the performance with Callas and Lauri Volpi. (Live, 1951) But as great as this recordings is, these reviews aren't great. I want to correct the most atrocious mistakes. Several persons don't even know how to spell this opera. It's "Il Trovatore" not Travatore. And the heroine is called Leonora and not Elvira.

"Her trills is gorgeous in her second big aria. And lo and behold she sticks a high D that shames every singer alive at that time. I know she's a great Verdi singer. But I didn't know how great she was until this. The voice is sublime. It puts Caballe and Tebaldi and Callas to shame. And I'm a fan of those divas."

As lovely as all her singing is, it's just her trill that is flawed because it's shaky and unstable. That aside Price sounds FANTASTIC. Also, Callas sang E-flats and Ds as Leonora in her live-recordings from 1950-1951.

To sum it up: Excellent singing from Price&Corelli under the baton of the exquisite von Karajan. Two thumbs up!!!!!! A++++++++++++++++

5 out of 5 stars Exceptional and Exciting.......2003-12-05

I reviewed another release of this same recording, which is a bit more expensive, and just as great, though the sound quality of that release is better than this one (however, this is fabulous). To everyone reading the reviews, there is a problem if you read a review from "a European visiting America." That review is not of this opera, or this work, or this composer. That review deals with a live recording of Meyerbeer's Les Huguenots. Many of the details are inaccurate in that review as Corelli sings nothing above a hig B in it, and none of the cadenzas for his character.

However, be that as it may, this opera is IL TROVATORE, and I think it only right to let readers know which opera is being reviewed. You won't find a Joan Sutherland in this recording (what role would she sing with Price singing the lead female role). I find it very irresponsible of reviewers who love a particular performer to put their one review on every recording that was issued with that singer, even if the recording reviewed is not the one spoken of in the review. Amazon should really remove that review from this recording as it has nothing what ever to do with this recording.

As for Trovatore, well, this is an extremely energetic fabulous recording and all the principles are in wonderful voice (not to mention ability). The entire performance just rushes forth and we are swept away in it. The orchestra is incredible, and the conductor really sees the drama of the score. Sadly, the cabaletta that comes after the Miserare is missing (it isn't in many live recordings of the work) and it is something Price does so wonderfully well. As far as time goes, it doesn't take that long. It could have been added.

We are witnessing a performance that has few to match it, one where the energy and the "special magic" that seldom occurs in performance is happening.

This is a great buy, and I recommend it to everyone.
Arias [Hybrid SACD]
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • A Legendary Masterpiece is Available Once Again:LEONTYNE PRICE's Operatic Studio recording debut - The "Blue ALbum"
  • truely one of the best compilations
  • A great soprano caught in sublime form
  • A famous recording revisited
  • i take this to work
 Arias [Hybrid SACD]

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002TKFRW
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Tracks:

  1. Ritorna Vincitor!
  2. Qui Radames Verra!
  3. O Patria Mia
  4. Che Piu T'arresti?
  5. Tacea La Notte Placida
  6. Di Tale Amor Che Dirsi
  7. Timor Di Me?; D'amor Sull'ali Rosee
  8. Un Bel Di Vedremo
  9. Tu? Tu? Piccolo Iddio! (Morte Di Butterfly)
  10. Chi Il Bel Sogno Di Doretta
  11. Vissi D'Arte
  12. Signore, Ascolta!
  13. Tu Che Di Gel Sei Cinta

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A Legendary Masterpiece is Available Once Again:LEONTYNE PRICE's Operatic Studio recording debut - The "Blue ALbum".......2006-08-27



For those Opera-lovers who first encountered America's Diva assoluta, soprano LEONTYNE PRICE's magical vocalism from the recording studio, this collection comprises the entire legendary "Blue Album" which many operaphile consider to be one of the finest recordings ever. For Opera neophytes, there can be no more fitting introduction to vocal splendor than the singing on this disc. The selections gathered here vividly demonstrate the reason why Leontyne Price is regarded as the supreme VERDI soprano of her generation (30 years to date) a renowned PUCCINI specialist, and one of the greatest artists of all time. Recorded in the early 60's, Ms. Price's instrument was, in her own words "a juicy lyric". The intrinsic lyricism of her voice was aligned to warm, lustrous tone that pulsated in the middle voice, yielded a dark, uniquely sensuous sound in the lower regions, and gleamed with a distinctive, fast, liquid vibrato in the upper voice. That unique vibrato was elemental to this diva's ability to infuse Verdi and Puccini's most dramatic phrases with surging power (without pushing), and still produce lovely pianos in alt - soaring there with an ease that was singular to her, and that continued to her retirement in the 2002. All of those remarkable elements are on display in this seminal recording.


Leontyne Price recorded arias and scenas from every standard repertory VERDI opera with few exceptions (Nabucco/Luisa Miller/Vespri/Falstaff) in superlative fashion. Her onstage roles included the IL TROVATORE Leonora, the role of her sensational MET debut (that resulted in a record 42 minute ovation), thrice recorded by her (with Basile, Mehta, and Von Karajan respectively), and a signature role throughout her career. The first selections represented the sum of onstage VERDI roles that the soprano has sung at that time: Leonora from IL TROVATORE and the title-role of AIDA. Ms. Price soars effortlessly to the heights repeatedly in "Tacea la notte", aligned to sensuously throbbing tone, singing the inexplicably rushed cabaletta fluently. "D'amor sull ali rosee" (once the sole property of Ms. Price's Verdian predecessor Zinka Milanov) is enhanced by the soprano's expert trills, other musical nuances, and the glorious vibrato that carries her gossamer tones to a floated high C in alt. The leading newspaper of Italy said of Leontyne Price that "..our great Verdi would have her the ideal Aida", and that sentiment has been adopted the world over. The "Aida" selections here are the first ones recorded by the American diva, and remain a revelation. She recorded this opera twice, most famously with Sir Georg Solti and Jon Vickers, then triumphantly with Erich Leinsdorf and Placido Domingo. In "Ritorna vincitor" the soprano's lyric instrument is quite "juicy" indeed, declaiming Aida's fierce opposition to the Egyptian invaders of her Ethiopian homeland with energetic and powerful vocalism. She then masterfully delineates the young princess' dilemma with plaintive and youthful passion, ending with a prayerful "Numi pieta" suffused by warm, sable-colored tone. "O Patria mia" is another of Ms. Price's most revered performances, indeed the aria that garnered her a (5) five minute ovation on live television at her "farewell to Opera" (1985) performance in the same opera. The soprano injects Aida's farewell to her homeland with rich, smoky, plangent tones that rise effortlessly to a shining high C that bedeviled some of her most illustrous rivals, and would be bettered in the future only by the wonderful Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballe - and Ms. Price herself!!

Leontyne Price performed the veristic music of PUCCINI onstage in a number of his operas that included "MANON LESCAUT/TOSCA/MADAMA BUTTERFLY/LA FANICULLA DEL WEST/IL TABARRO/and TURANDOT, albeit with less frequency than with Verdi. She brought a luminous, womanly quality to all of the composer's music. Here, she sings with particular intensity and emotion as the geisha girl Cio-Cio San, her favorite Puccini role onstage, and superbly recorded complete on RCA with tenor Richard Tucker. "Un bel di" is sung fervently with glowing tone, while "Tu, tu piccolo Iddio" moves the listener to tears at the pain-laden urgency and commanding vocalism Ms. Price summons in this poignant scena. In "Vissi d'arte" the jealous and fiery Roman prima donna Floria Tosca is reduced to lamentation, which in Ms. Price's hands translates into limpid, melting tone, complete with a stunning high C followed by her trademark diminuendo on Aflat. While the complete opera is twice-recorded by the soprano (with Von Karajan and Mehta respectively),both highly-acclaimed, this aria became one of Ms. Price's most requested and performed encores. Puccini's music for the doomed Chinese slave-girl Liu is exquisitely sung. "Signore ascolta" is imbued with sweet lyricism and dulcet tones that spin on the top. "Tu che di gel sei cinta" once again displays the great soprano's ability to illuminate a scene and therein touch the heart -with sublime vocalism.The most outstanding qualities of this diva in Puccini's music were a warm femininity and profound humanity, inherent in all of her singing, but most pronounced with this composer. She also fearlessly sang his highest phrases with a vocal splendor and freedom unrivalled by anyone, nowhere more than as the tragic Butterfly. However, until she retired from public singing, one aria remained a 'sine qua non' for this diva and her public: "Chi bel sogno di Doretta" from Puccini's rarely performed operetta LA RONDINE. The performance here was her first recording of it, and is a classic in its own right. Ms. Price's voice shimmers throughout, singing the high C with astonishing purity, and caressing, velvety tone elsewhere.


For years, this "album" was unbelievably out-of-print. RCA has done a wonderful job in re-mastering this masterpiece, complete with the original Blue artwork This "Blue Album" will leave you felling anything but!!

Savor the marvellous youthful artistry of "La Splendissima" LEONTYNE PRICE.

Note:This review was written for the initial re-release of the digitally re-mastered disc. I'm sure those reviewers who've experienced the SACD version are quite accurate in their estimation of any improvements yielded by this relatively new technology. I hope to experience it soon myself.

5 out of 5 stars truely one of the best compilations.......2006-06-20

If you like Opera then buy it! If you have the full versions of the operas on this SACD elsewhere then buy it anyway as she excels in this recording. As SACD this is a beautiful recording. CD layer is very good too.
The full version of the Il Travatore by Karajan-Berlin Philharmony- Price is not as good a recording technically as this one since you can hear the age of the recording. This SACD disc is very very good indeed.
You can feel her singing in such detail that is extraordinary.
Full 5 stars!

5 out of 5 stars A great soprano caught in sublime form.......2005-10-10

Leontyne Price was the reigning American opera singer for almost 30 years, and she has made scores of wonderful recordings. As it happens only once did Living Stereo, the best engineering technique of the day, catch her in a state of sublime freshness and radiance--the result was tis famous "Blue Album." Besides being a superb example of her art as a prima donna, it has been a touchstone for audiophiles showing off how well a recording can capture the operatic singing voice, a fiendishly difficult thing. The CD reissue that I have is a faithful transcription of the famed LP, but anyone who acquires this SACD hybrid may hear even more--it's tempting to buy it twice.

5 out of 5 stars A famous recording revisited.......2005-06-25

As a teen opera fan, I always heard about this famous "Blue Album" featuring Leontyne Price. I finally bought it and now having listened to it many many times over the past few years, I see why this disc is so celebrated. Price's voice is incredibly beautiful and expressive. The Aida selections are perfection. Liu is tragic but dignified. Leonora is sung with panache and Verdian style. Her phrasing is intelligent and always services the meaning of the music. But in the end, it's the beauty that gets me. Her rendition of the aria from "La Rondine" ('Che il bel sogno di Doretta') is one of the most beautiful recordings I've ever heard. I totally understand why music-lovers of the past swooned and went into convulsions. Her sound and her distinctive vibrato resonate within the listener. You just can't escape the beauty of the sound. It's in your ears and deep within your soul.

5 out of 5 stars i take this to work.......2005-03-02

shes so intense leontyne makes even the most jaded queen wanna cry and the younger guys i work with go " whats that"
this is opera!!! what cd is this from
that voice and that emotion and that crying for love and your child and your sense of BEING A WOMEN
Barber: Knoxville Summer of 1915/Dover Beach/Hermit Songs/Adromache's Farewell
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Real close but not quite.......
  • But Fischer-Dieskau sings "French toast"!
  • Rocking gently, talking gently
  • Essential!
  • Lyrical performances
 Barber: Knoxville Summer of 1915/Dover Beach/Hermit Songs/Adromache's Farewell

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000027CU
Release Date: 1992-07-28

Tracks:

  1. Knoxville: Summer Of 1915, Op. 24
  2. Dover Beach, Op. 3
  3. Hermit Songs, Op. 29: I. At Saint Patrick's Purgatory
  4. Hermit Songs, Op. 29: II. Church Bell At Night
  5. Hermit Songs, Op. 29: III. St. Ita's Vision
  6. Hermit Songs, Op. 29: IV. The Heavenly Banquet
  7. Hermit Songs, Op. 29: V. The Crucifixion
  8. Hermit Songs, Op. 29: VI. Sea-snatch
  9. Hermit Songs, Op. 29: VII. Promiscuity
  10. Hermit Songs, Op. 29: VIII. The Monk And His Cat
  11. Hermit Songs, Op. 29: IX. The Praises of God
  12. Hermit Songs, Op. 29: X. The Desire For Hermitage
  13. Andromache's Farewell, Op. 39

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Real close but not quite..............2001-01-08

My first experience with Barber was Price's recording of "Knoxville", and it will always remain, for me, the definitive recording of that work. The version here is certainly good, but it misses the lyrical charm that Price brings to the piece. As far as I know, the Price version is out of print (along with, to my horror, her amazing work on Antony and Cleopatra, Barber's woefully underrated opera), but if you ever get the chance, track it down.

5 out of 5 stars But Fischer-Dieskau sings "French toast"!.......2000-03-24

These are all essential recordings, of course, for the reasons other reviewers mention. I'll simply point out that this recording of Dover Beach (also available in other issues) with the Juilliard and F-D is the notorious one where he gets the words wrong. Instead of singing, "On the French coast the light gleams and is gone..." he gives it as "...French toast..." Of course, he delivers this beautifully.

5 out of 5 stars Rocking gently, talking gently.......2000-03-04

Essential Barber. Steber's "Knoxville" is the earliest recording. She commissioned it, if I'm not mistaken. Her feeling for the text, her phrasing of it is remarkable. Her diction is perfect. The rest of this collection is an American treasure. Too bad it doesn't include Samuel Barber's recording of himself singing "Dover Beach", but barring that DFD's is the best on records. Leontyne Price's "Hermit Songs" are the classic recording. How could you go wrong?

5 out of 5 stars Essential!.......1999-12-09

This fabulous collection is required listening for anyone who loves Barber's music and/or great singing. Naturally Leontyne Price is wonderful in the HERMIT SONGS, likewise Fischer-Dieskau in Dover Beach -- but don't overlook Steber's historic performance of KNOXVILLE, which she commissioned, nor Arroyo's dramatic tour-de-force in the powerful ANDROMACHE'S FAREWELL, a late work. The Samuel Barber Foundation website (samuelbarber.org) will soon be operating with news/reviews of new & reissued recordings of Barber's work.

5 out of 5 stars Lyrical performances.......1999-07-16

This is a delightful recording! First, "Knoxville"'s lyrics are from "A Death In The Family", by James Agee -- one of the most evocative prose writers. Second, Barber's composition is wonderfully sympathetic with Agee's lyrics. Third, Ms Steber's dynamic voice alternately stands out from the orchestra, then melds into it, as the focus of the lyrics changes. (Listen to the way that the line "Now is the night one blue dew." flows from her voice to the woodwinds: dreamy.) The flip side is equally delightful, and on the whole probably a bit more light hearted (if not as introspective) as the first. I especially love the song "A Monk And His Cat": thanks to the magic of Mr. Barber and Ms. Price, a 12th(?) century monk, obviously besotted by his cat, speaks clearly to us all these centuries later. . . .and isn't it wonderful to hear the composer himself accompany Ms. Price? You will love this CD. (Report back here, if you're not satisfied.)

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