TRACKLISTING
1 Ritorna vincitor! (Aida) Aida
2 Qui Radamès verra! ... O patria mia
3 Ecco l’orrido campo … Ma dall’arido stelo divulsa (Amelia) Un ballo in maschera
4 Morrò, ma prima in grazia
5 Mi parea … “Piangea cantando” … Ave Maria (Desdemona) Otello
6 Surta è la notte … Ernani! Ernani involami … Tutto sprezzo che d’Ernani (Elvira) Ernani

RECORDING INFORMATION
Leontyne Price was born in Laurel, Mississippi, on 10 February 1927 and studied at the Juilliard School as a result of winning a scholarship there in 1949. Her early career was dominated by her portrayal of Bess in Porgy and Bess in a Broadway production which toured for two years. 1955 saw a television appearance as Tosca which brought her before an even wider public and which she later recorded for Decca with Von Karajan in 1962 (466 384-2). Other important roles in her early career included Madame Lidoine (Dialogues des Carmélites) and Aida. Another recording which achieved legendary status was her portrayal of Aida with Sir Georg Solti conducting (460 765-2). 1958 saw Price’s debuts at the Verona Arena, Vienna and Covent Garden and two years later (in 1960) her La Scala debut. It was as Leonora (Il trovatore) that Leontyne Price made her Met debut in January 1961 and it was with this role that she appeared in Salzburg — again with Von Karajan — in a series of performances with Franco Corelli and Ettore Bastianini that are part of operatic legend.

Throughout her distinguished career Leontyne Price performed a wide variety of roles both old and new but it is for her Verdi interpretations that she is best-remembered and this Verdi recital, recorded in July 1980, is a reminder of her wonderful vocal talents and insights into a selection of key Verdi roles.

Leontyne Price can also be heard in another legendary Decca recording: the 1960 Verdi Requiem with Fritz Reiner (467 119-2).