"America's Prima Donna: LEONTYNE PRICE"
Life and Career
Mary Violet Leontyne Price was born in 1927 in Laurel, Mississippi. Her father was a carpenter and her mother was a midwife who was said to have a beautiful voice. Her parents encouraged her musical passion and at the age of 9 she found true inspiration when she travelled to Jackson, Mississippi and heard the great Marian Anderson perform. Her parents financed her attendance at the College of Education and Industrial Arts (now Central State College) in Ohio. There she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with the intension of becoming a public school teacher, however this vocation shifted when Ms. Price was offered a full scholarship to the Juilliard School of Music.
At Juilliard, Leontyne studied with Florence Page Kimball for four years and solidified her vocal technique. She would also immerse herself into the opera world, taking in productions of Turandot at New York City Center and Salome at the Metropolitan Opera. Her first roles at Juilliard included Nella in Gianni Schicchi and Alice Ford in Falstaff, the later role was heard by composer Virgil Thomson who hired her in 1952 to appear as Saint Cecilia in a Broadway revival of his opera Four Saints in Three Acts. Leontyne’s career took off immediately after this engagement when she was cast as Bess in Porgy and Bess opposite of William Warfield, the two would go on to be married until 1972. This production went on to play in multiple US cities, did a long run at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York, and eventually toured Europe.
The 1950s established Leontyne Price as one of the next great divas of opera. In 1955, NBC cast her as the title role in Tosca making her the first black singer to appear in a major operatic role on TV. In 1957, she sang her first staged role in a major house, San Francisco Opera. There she sang the role of Madame Lidoine in Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélites and would go on to sing Leonora (Il Trovatore), Aida, and both Donna Elvira and Donna Anna (Don Giovanni). In 1958, Leontyne would make her European debut as Aida at the Vienna State Opera, this was followed by successful performances at Covent Garden, Verona Arena, Brussels, and Yugoslavia. She would also become the first black singer to perform a major role at Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
In 1961, Leontyne made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in the role of Leonora in Il Trovatore. The delay for her debut at the Met was intentional, she was offered to sing a couple shows of Aida in 1958, but turned them down on the advice of conductor Peter Herman Alder. Alder argued that Leontyne needed more time securing her repertoire and also warned against her debut role being in the racially stereotypical role of Aida. William Warfield would quote Alder in his autobiography as saying, “Leontyne is to be a great artist. When she makes her debut at the Met, she must do it as a lady, not a slave.” The Met booked her for five roles that season, Leonora (Il Trovatore), Aida (Aida), Donna Anna (Don Giovanni), Liù (Turandot), and Butterfly (Madame Butterfly).
Leontyne also worked with contemporary composers of that time, including Samual Barber, who composed multiple works for her, The Hermit Songs, Knoxville: Summer of 1915, and Antony and Cleopatra which would premiere at the opening of the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in 1966.
Leontyne’s successes in the 1950s and 60s made her an international star and because of it, she was able to be very selective of the roles she took in the 70s. In the 1970s, she would focus a lot of her work on the recital stage. Her farewell performance from the Met occurred in 1985 in the title role of Aida.
In the 12 years following, Leontyne would perform in recital and also as a masterclass teacher before completely retiring from the stage. One exception was in October of 2001, when she came out of retirement to sing a concert honoring the victims of 9/11.
Read to learn more about Leontyne Price: Biography, Mississippi Writers and Musicians, New York Times, Kennedy Center, The Met
Listen to learn more about Leontyne Price in these interviews: John Calloway 1981, New York Opera Club 1982, NEA Opera Honors, Essence Magazine, BBC, 1996 Amsterdam, The Opening of the New Metropolitan Opera House
Pop trivia
Did you know Leontyne Price is a cousin to another famous musical family? She is related to the Drinkard family on her mother’s side, the family formed a gospel group in the 50s. The member you would most recognize would be the great Cissy Houston, backup singer to both Aretha Franklin and her niece Dion Warwick, as well as the mother to the late pop icon Whitney Houston.
We raise a glass to the Diva!
Leontyne Price is considered one of the greatest sopranos of all time, she embodies the word “Diva". To honor this great singer we raise a glass with the aptly named cocktail “Divatini”. Watch John build this sweet and tart cocktail here.
Ingredients: 1 oz Limoncello, 1 oz Vodka, 1/2 oz Grapefruit Juice, 1/2 oz Cranberry Juice, 1/2 oz Lemon Juice, Lemon Twist to Garnish Directions: Add all your ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake, double strain into a chilled glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. Enjoy!
Legacy
Leontyne Price can be considered one of the greatest sopranos of all time, she was honored with the Medal of Freedom in 1964, was a recipient of the National Medal of Arts in 1985, and has won over a dozen Grammy Awards. He success in the 1950s and 60s, despite segregation, blew open the doors for the next generation of African American singers.
She was also very outspoken when it came to talking about opera/arts and social issues. Below are some of our favorite quotes, but check out OperaWire for more.
QUOTES:
ON RACE: “The way I was taught, being black was a plus, always. Being a human being, being in America, and being black, all three were the greatest things that could happen to you. The combination was unbeatable.”
ON PERFORMANCE: “I have never given all of myself, even vocally, to anyone. I was taught to sing on your interest, not your capital.”
ON SUCCESS: “The ultimate of being successful is the luxury of giving yourself the time to do what you want to do.”
ON ART: “We should not have a tin cup out for something as important as the arts in this country, the richest in the world. Creative artists are always begging, but always being used when it’s time to show us at our best.”
Listen
Lucky for us, Leontyne Price is one of the most recorded opera artists of the 20th century. In addition to opera, she recorded European and American art songs and American spirituals. Here are some of our favorites, but not even close to all the wonderful works out there to hear.
Opera
Arias: “O Patria Mia” from Aida “Pace, mio Dio” from La forza del destino “Sempre Libera” from La Traviata “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess “In Questa Reggia” (Turandot) and “Signore ascolta” (Liù) from Turandot
Full Opera Recordings from Apple Music: “Aida”, “Carmen”, “Così fan tutte”, “La Forza del destino”, “Madama Butterfly”, “Porgy and Bess”, “Tosca”, “Il Trovatore”, “Turandot”
Spirituals
“Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs” & “Leontyne Price Sings Spirituals” Albums from Apple Music
Art Songs
Barber: “Knoxville: Summer of 1915”, “Hermit Songs & Other Art Songs”