Leontyne Price facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Leontyne Price
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A 1981 portrait of Price by Jack Mitchell
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Mary Violet Leontyne Price
February 10, 1927 Laurel, Mississippi, U.S.
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| Education | Central State University (BA) Juilliard School |
| Occupation | Operatic spinto soprano |
| Years active | 1952–1997 |
| Organization | Metropolitan Opera |
| Known for | Operas of Verdi, particularly Aida |
| Spouse(s) | William Warfield |
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Mary Violet Leontyne Price (/liˈɒntiːn, ˈliːəntiːn/ lee-ON-teen-,_-lee-ƏN-teen; born February 10, 1927) is an American opera singer. She is a spinto soprano, which means she has a powerful and rich voice. Leontyne Price was the first African-American soprano to become famous all over the world.
Starting in 1961, she had a long and important career with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. She also sang in many of the world's biggest opera houses, like the Royal Opera House in London and La Scala in Milan. At La Scala, she was also the first African American to sing a main role. She was especially known for her amazing performances as the main character in Giuseppe Verdi's opera Aida.
Born in Laurel, Mississippi, Price studied at Central State University and then the Juilliard School. She had her first opera role as Mistress Ford in Verdi's Falstaff. After this, she starred in a successful show called Porgy and Bess with her husband, William Warfield. She also gave many concerts. Her TV performance in Puccini's Tosca in 1955 made her famous internationally. She then sang Aida in many major opera houses before her big debut at the Metropolitan Opera (Met) in 1961. She continued to star in many operas for 20 years, becoming one of the most important singers of her time. Her final opera performance at the Met was in 1985, again in Aida.
Leontyne Price was known for her beautiful voice. She was famous for roles in operas by Mozart and Puccini. But her greatest successes were in Verdi's operas, especially Aida. Many of her performances were recorded, so we can still enjoy her voice today.
After she stopped performing in operas, Price continued to sing in concerts until 1997. Sometimes, she would come out of retirement for special events. For example, she sang at a memorial concert in 2001 for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She has received many honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and 13 Grammy Awards.
Contents
Leontyne Price's Life and Career
Early Life and Education
Mary Violet Leontyne Price was born in Laurel, Mississippi, on February 10, 1927. Her father, James Anthony, was a carpenter, and her mother, Katherine Baker Price, was a midwife. Her family was very religious. Her mother sang in the church choir, and her father played the tuba in the church band.
Leontyne loved music from a young age. She started piano lessons at three and a half years old. When she was five, her parents bought her a real upright piano. At age eight, she became friends with the daughters of a wealthy white family, the Chisholms. Mrs. Chisholm encouraged Leontyne's singing and piano playing.
When she was nine, Leontyne went on a school trip to hear the famous singer Marian Anderson in Jackson. This was her first time hearing classical music. She later said this experience had a huge effect on her and made her want to become a musician. In high school, Price was a cheerleader and a top student. She earned money by singing at funerals and community events.
At that time, Mississippi had strict segregation laws. Because she was Black, the main music career path for her was teaching. She began studying music education at Central State University, a historically black school in Wilberforce, Ohio. However, after singing often in a glee club, she changed her major to voice in her third year.
In 1948, she took a special class with the famous singer Paul Robeson. He was impressed by her voice. He helped raise money for her to attend the Juilliard School, a top music school. The Chisholm family also gave a lot of money to help her.
Price started studying at Juilliard in 1948. In her second year, she saw an opera called Salome and became very interested in opera. In 1950, she joined Juilliard's Opera Workshop and sang small roles. In 1951, she sang in an opera program at Tanglewood.
Starting Her Career
In early 1952, Price sang in a Juilliard show of Verdi's Falstaff. The composer Virgil Thomson heard her and chose her for his all-Black opera, Four Saints in Three Acts. After performing on Broadway, the show went to Paris, France.
Meanwhile, Price was chosen to sing Bess in a new show of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. She opened the show in Texas on June 9, 1952, and got great reviews. The show then toured many cities in the U.S. and Europe, including Vienna, Berlin, and London.
Before the European tour, Price married William Warfield, who played Porgy in the show. They got married in Harlem. Many Black newspapers at the time criticized Porgy and Bess for showing a negative picture of Black life. However, this production showed off many talented Black singers. It also showed that Americans could enjoy a musical masterpiece while understanding its old stereotypes.
When Porgy and Bess returned to the U.S. in 1953, William Warfield left the cast. Price continued to sing Bess for another year. Price and Warfield later divorced in 1973. They did not have children.
Both Price and Warfield dreamed of careers in opera. But because of racism, there were few chances for Black singers. The Metropolitan Opera had started hiring Black singers in main roles in the mid-1940s. In 1949, the Met's new manager, Rudolf Bing, said he would hire Black singers "for the right part."
The Metropolitan Opera invited Price to sing at a special fundraising event in 1953. This made her the first African American to sing with and for the Met. The first African American to sing at the Met as a member of the company was Marian Anderson in 1955. Price and Warfield were in the audience for that historic performance.
While waiting for opera chances, Price sang concerts with Warfield. In 1953, she gave a concert at the Library of Congress with composer Samuel Barber playing the piano. In 1954, Price made her official concert debut in New York City.
Becoming Famous
The world of opera opened up for Leontyne Price through television. In January 1955, Price sang the main role in Puccini's Tosca on the NBC Opera Theatre. This was the first time an African American sang a leading role in a televised opera. NBC did not widely advertise her appearance, following a policy of "integration without identification." However, Jet magazine noted that her performance with a white tenor was a first for TV. Later, some TV stations, mostly in the South, boycotted her broadcasts because of her race.
In March 1955, Price auditioned for the famous conductor Herbert von Karajan. He was very impressed with her singing and said she was "an artist of the future." He wanted to guide her European opera career.
After her successful concert debut, Price began touring the U.S. and Canada. In 1956 and 1957, she toured India and Australia, giving concerts for the U.S. State Department. On May 3, 1957, she performed Verdi's Aida in a concert. This was her first public performance of what would become her most famous role.
Her first performance at a major opera house was at the San Francisco Opera in September 1957. A few weeks later, she sang Aida on stage for the first time, stepping in for another singer. Price's first European opera performance was in May 1958, again as Aida, in Vienna. She then sang the role at the Royal Opera House in London.
The next year, Price sang Leonora in Verdi's Il trovatore in San Francisco. She also sang Aida and Pamina in Vienna. She made her first full opera recording for RCA, singing in Mozart's Don Giovanni.
In the summer of 1959, Price made her debut at the Salzburg Festival. She then recorded another opera, Il trovatore, in Rome. Rudolf Bing, the manager of the Met, saw her perform and invited Price to make her Met debut in the 1960–61 season.
That fall, Price made her Chicago Lyric Opera debut. On May 21, 1960, she sang for the first time at La Scala in Milan, again as Aida. The audience loved her, and a critic wrote that Verdi would have found her the "ideal Aida." She was the first African American to sing a main role in Italy's greatest opera house.
Metropolitan Opera Star
Rudolf Bing had asked Price to sing at the Met before, but she waited until she had more experience. She wanted to arrive as a true star, not just in a role that might be seen as racially stereotypical. Her first Met contract included five roles in 1961.
On January 27, 1961, Price and Franco Corelli had a hugely successful joint debut in Il trovatore. The audience applauded for at least 35 minutes! Price said her friends timed it at 42 minutes.
New York Times critic Harold C. Schonberg wrote that Price's "voice, warm and luscious, has enough volume to fill the house with ease." He praised her technique and said, "Voice is what counts, and voice is what Miss Price has."
Time magazine put her on its cover, calling her voice "A voice like a banner flying."
While other Black singers had performed at the Met before, none had stayed as long or become as famous as Price. She was a huge success, and her performances often sold out. She was also the first Black singer asked to sing on an opening night of the season, which showed she was a true prima donna.
In September 1961, she sang in Puccini's La fanciulla del West for the opening night of the season. She received great reviews. However, during her second performance, she lost her voice. The newspapers said she had a viral infection, but stress also played a part.
After taking some time off, Price returned to the Met. Rudolf Bing announced that the Met would no longer perform in segregated theaters, starting in 1962. This meant Price could perform in the South. She gave the first performance by an African American in a leading role with the company in the South, singing in Dallas. Two years later, she sang in Atlanta, a first in the Deep South. Both performances went smoothly.
Price soon earned the Met's highest fees, similar to other top opera stars. She continued to perform in Vienna, Milan, and Salzburg, often with Karajan. She also added seven new roles to her repertoire over the next five years.
Antony and Cleopatra Opera
A very important moment in her career was the opening night of the new Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center on September 16, 1966. She starred in Barber's Antony and Cleopatra, a new opera written especially for her.
Critics praised Price's singing. However, many people thought the opera itself was not successful. The story was confusing, and the director's production was too complicated. The stage had giant scenery, a moving pyramid, and even camels! This made it hard to focus on the music.
Antony and Cleopatra was never performed at the Met again. Price later said this experience made her feel less positive about the Met. She started to appear there less often.
Later Opera Performances
In the late 1960s, Price performed in fewer operas. She spent more time on recitals and concerts. She said she was tired and frustrated with some of the new productions at the Met. Her concerts were very successful, and she became a regular performer in major American cities.
She still wanted to perform in operas, so she returned to the Met and the San Francisco Opera for short periods. In 1976, she starred in a new production of Aida at the Met.
Price was careful about choosing new roles. After 1970, she only performed three new roles: Giorgetta in Puccini's Il tabarro, Puccini's Manon Lescaut, and the main role in Ariadne auf Naxos. Critics especially loved her Ariadne.
She performed less often in European operas but gave popular concerts in cities like Hamburg, Vienna, and Paris. She became a special favorite at the Salzburg Festival. In 1976, she reunited with Karajan for a performance and recording of Il trovatore.
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Her beautiful voice and dignity made her an important American figure. She was often asked to sing at national events. In 1973, she sang at the funeral of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She also sang for President Jimmy Carter at the White House for Pope John Paul II and for the signing of the Camp David Peace Accords. In 1978, she gave a televised concert from the White House that won an Emmy Award. She also sang for Presidents Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Clinton.
Her voice remained strong even as she got older. In 1981, she had a great success in San Francisco when she sang Aida again. She sang with the famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
In 1982, Price returned to the Met as Leonora in Il trovatore. She also sang a televised concert with Marilyn Horne. In 1983, she hosted two televised shows from the White House.
She had thought her 1982 Met performances would be her last. But the Met's James Levine convinced her to return for more performances of La forza del destino in 1984 and Aida in 1984–1985. These performances were shown on TV, allowing many people to see her in two of her greatest roles.
Her final Aida performance was on January 3, 1985. It ended with 25 minutes of applause. A critic wrote that her voice was "vibrant" and "soaring." Time magazine described her voice as "Rich, supple and shining."
In 21 seasons with the Met, Price gave 201 performances in 16 different roles.
After Opera
For the next 12 years, Price continued to perform concerts in the U.S. Her concerts usually included different types of songs, from old classical pieces to American songs and spirituals. She often ended her shows with "This Little Light of Mine", which was her mother's favorite spiritual.
Over time, Price's voice became deeper, but her high notes remained amazing. Her last unannounced concert was in 1997.
In her later years, Price taught special classes at Juilliard. In 1997, she wrote a children's book version of Aida. This book later became the basis for the popular Broadway musical by Elton John and Tim Rice.
Price preferred to call herself an "American." She said, "If you are going to think black, think positive about it. Don't think down on it, or think it is something in your way. And this way, when you really do want to stretch out, and express how beautiful black is, everybody will hear you."
On September 30, 2001, at age 74, Price came out of retirement to sing at a memorial concert for the victims of the September 11 attacks. She sang "This Little Light of Mine" without music, and then "God Bless America".
In 2017, at age 90, Price appeared in a documentary called The Opera House. It was about the opening of the new Metropolitan Opera House in 1966.
Awards and Recognition
Leontyne Price has received many honors and awards:
- The Presidential Medal of Freedom (1964)
- The Spingarn Medal (1965)
- The Kennedy Center Honors (1980)
- The National Medal of Arts (1985)
- The Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement (1986)
- Many honorary degrees
- 13 Grammy Awards for her recordings, more than any other classical singer
- A Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award
- In 2008, she was among the first to receive the Opera Honors from the National Endowment for the Arts.
- In 2019, she received an honorary doctorate from Boston Conservatory at Berklee.
Recordings of Her Music
Leontyne Price made many recordings, mostly with RCA Victor Red Seal. These include complete recordings of operas like Verdi's Il trovatore and Aida, and Puccini's Tosca. She also recorded Verdi's Requiem.
Her most popular collection of songs is her first, called Leontyne Price. It was released in 1961 and is known as the "Blue Album." It has been available ever since. She also recorded a popular Christmas music album in 1961.
Her five "Prima Donna" albums, recorded from 1965 to 1979, feature many opera songs from roles she never performed on stage. She also recorded albums of German and French songs, spirituals, and patriotic songs like God Bless America. Her recordings of Barber's Hermit Songs and Knoxville: Summer of 1915 are also well-known.
Later in her career, she recorded an album of songs by Schubert and Strauss.
In 1996, RCA released a special 11-CD collection of her recordings called The Essential Leontyne Price.
Many live performances have also been released on CD. These include her 1959 Salzburg performance of "Missa Solemnis" and her 1962 Il trovatore. In 2005, her complete 1953 concert with Samuel Barber was released. A 1952 radio broadcast of Porgy and Bess with Price and Warfield was also found and released.
More recently, recordings of her early performances at Juilliard have been found and shared online.
Discography
- Right As Rain (RCA – LSC-2983, 1967)
- A Salute to American Music (Richard Tucker Music Foundation Gala XVI, 1991)
- "Leontyne Price Signs Verdi", which won a Grammy Award.
- Leontyne Price – Swing Low, Sweet Chariot; Label: RCA Victor – VLP-2600; Series: Living Stereo; Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, Jukebox, Stereo; Released: April 1963 (US)
- Carmen; RCA Victor, 1964
Videography
- The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala, Deutsche Grammophon DVD, 00440-073-4538, 2009
See also
In Spanish: Leontyne Price para niños
