Vissi d’amore

It was the 85th birthday yesterday of the great diva Leontyne Price, a pioneer by dint of being the first major black operatic singer in history.

Hers is the most remarkable voice - memorably described by Time magazine as "Rich, supple and shining, it was in its prime capable of effortlessly soaring from a smoky mezzo to the pure soprano gold of a perfectly spun high C."

Here she is demonstrating that effortlessness, as she performs the classic aria Vissi D'Arte from Tosca:

Leontyne Price - Vissi D'Arte

Sublime.

Read my blog about the lady in 2010

Leontyne Price on Wikipedia