Puccini: Tosca (Remastered) Leontyne Price

• 1 Ah! Finalmente! 02:54
• 2 E sempre lava! 02:42
• 3 Dammi i colori... Recondita armonia 04:38
• 4 Voi! Cavaradossi 01:01
• 5 Mario, Mario, Mario! 02:54
• 6 Non la sospiri la nostra casetta 02:17
• 7 Or lasciami al lavoro 01:56
• 8 Ah, quegli occhi... 05:50
• 9 E buona la mia Tosca 04:05
• 10 Tutta qui la cantoria! Presto! 01:19
• 11 Un tal baccano in chiesa! 04:05
• 12 Tosca? Che non mi veda 07:30
• 13 Tre sbirri, una carrozza (Te Deum) 04:31
• 14 Tosca è un buon falco 04:23
• 15 O galantuomo, come andò la caccia? 01:08
• 16 Sale, ascende l'uman cantico 02:41
• 17 Ov'è Angelotti? 02:43
• 18 Ed or fra noi parliamo 06:00
• 19 Mario, consenti ch'io parli? 01:11
• 20 Nel pozzo, nel giardino? 00:37
• 21 Floria... Amore... Sei tu? 01:24
• 22 Vittoria! Vittoria! 02:39
• 23 Quanto?... Quanto?... Il prezzo 02:30
• 24 Ah, piuttosto giù m'avvento! 02:04
• 25 Vissi d'arte 03:11
• 26 Risolvi!... Mi vuoi supplice ai tuoi piedi? 05:09
• 27 Tosca, finalmente mia! 04:24
• 28 Io de' sospiri 04:44
• 29 Mario Cavaradossi?... A voi 03:59
• 30 E lucevan le stelle 03:09
• 31 Ah! Franchigia a Floria Tosca 00:58
• 32 Il tuo sangue o il mio amore volea 03:00
• 33 O dolci mani 00:23
• 34 Senti, l'ora è vicina 06:24
• 35 Come è lunga l'attesa! 02:22
• 36 Presto, su! Mario! Mario! 01:23
• Total Runtime 01:52:08

Info for Puccini: Tosca (Remastered)

This recording of Tosca is an absolutely remarkable recording of one of Puccini's most beautiful operas. The cast is of the highest caliber and was at the height of their careers. A young Domingo gives a wonderfully lyric-dramatic interpretation of Cavaradossi. In the middle of her career, Price gives an exceptional performance as Tosca. Her technique, as always, was impeccable and her interpretation of the role was amazing. Milnes, brings out the dark, sinister aspects of Scarpia, and in the Te deum....and can feel the lust that lies within his thoughts towards the beautiful Tosca. This is my first recording of Tosca, and I must say that I am very pleased that I chose to purchase this one. I was debating between this recording and the Pavoratti/Milnes/Freni recording. I knew that I wanted Milnes as Scarpia...but I was unsure of of the other two principal singers. With so many mixed reviews, as to which recording was superior, I feel that this is an exceptional recording and that any opera fan must add it to their collection.

Leontyne Price, soprano
Placido Domingo, tenor
Sherrill Milnes, baritone
New Philharmonia Orchestra
Zubin Mehta, conductor

Recorded, August 1972 in Walthamstow Town Hall, London, England

Digitally remastered

Leontyne Price
Mary Violet Leontyne Price was born February 10, 1927, and raised in the colored section of Laurel, Mississippi. Her mother, Kate, was a midwife, and her father, James, worked in a sawmill. She was nurtured under the watchful eye of the community, which extended even to her aunt's employers, The Chisholms, a family who lived in a white, affluent section of town. Her musical talents were encouraged, and her voice frequently was heard at area social events.

Price received a scholarship to attend Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio. She began as a music education major, but she completed her studies there in voice. With the assistance of Paul Robeson and the school's administration, in addition to the financial backing of the Chisholm family, Price next went to Juilliard.

While attending Juilliard, she appeared in revivals of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess and Four Saints in Three Acts, by Virgil Thomson. The Porgy and Bess cast toured the United States and Europe with baritone William Warfield and Price singing the title roles. The two singers married in 1952, but the pressures of their separate careers eventually forced them to part.

Price was engaged to sing the lead for the National Broadcasting Company's production of Puccini's Tosca in 1955. There were strenuous objections, and some cancellations, from local affiliates; nonetheless, her dramatic portrayal and vocal performance in this historic broadcast were a critical success.

Other televised operatic roles soon followed. Then, in 1957, Price sang Verdi's Aida for the first time. She identified strongly with the character, and her success led her to Vienna to sing for conductor Herbert von Karajan and, in 1960, to the stage of La Scala.

In January, 1961, she debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Leonora in Verdi's Il Trovatore. Her performance was a success not only to the audience who witnessed it, but to the New York critics as well. She was signed for additional roles there and at other houses around the world. By the mid 1960's, her reputation had grown to the extent that she was offered the lead in the Samuel Barber opera commissioned especially for the opening of the Met's new facilities at Lincoln Center. The opening performance of Antony and Cleopatra in 1966, though marred by the extremes taken in costuming and staging, solidified Price's place as one of the world's great divas.

In the years that followed, Price's notoriety allowed her the freedom to select roles she wanted, often taking rests between runs. She increased the number of recitals in the 1970's and made several operatic and concert recordings, earning 18 Grammy awards over the years. Price retired from the opera stage at the Met in 1985 with her signature role, Aida. This live telecast was viewed by millions, and her performance of the aria, "O Patria Mia," was the top ranked "Great Moments at the Met: Viewer's Choice" selection.

Leontyne Price received many honorary degrees as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1965), the Kennedy Center Honors (1980), and the National Medal of Arts (1985). Her many recordings earned nineteen Grammy Awards, and she received a special Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989. For her performance on Live From Lincoln Center, Leontyne Price, Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic, Price received the 1982 Emmy award for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program.

Price has been described as a "lirico-spinto" soprano with a 3-1/2 octave range. Her rock-solid vocal technique and purity and her dramatic flair have been combined to create a mix suitable both for the opera and concert stage.

This album contains no booklet.