by Daniel Hathaway
HAPPENING TODAY:
St. Olaf Choir stops in at Severance Music Center on its annual tour tonight at 7:30. Conducted for nearly four decades by Anton Armstrong, the Northfield, Minnesota college choir preserves the rich tradition of Scandinavian Lutheran choral ensembles. The choir will be assisted by faculty violinist and violist Charles Gray and the St. Olaf Chamber Orchestra.
For details of upcoming events, visit our Concert Listings.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
At Saturday’s Tri-C performance by jazz organist Matthew Whitaker, festival director Terri Pontremoli announced the indoor lineup for the 46th Annual Tri-C JazzFest to be presented by KeyBank from June 26 – 28 in Playhouse Square.
This year’s festival features eight concerts in Playhouse Square’s historic venues. Performers include five-time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves, Grammy-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum, Trombone Shorty, and tributes to music legends Oscar Peterson, Chick Corea and Gary Burton.
“This year’s festival shows its respect for the wide spectrum of jazz traditions,” Pontremoli said. “We’ll take the audience on an eclectic musical journey with stops in Cuba, South Africa, New Orleans and beyond.”
Click here to view the complete schedule of indoor events.
TODAY’S ALMANAC:
by Jarrett Hoffman
Leontyne Price — considered one of the greatest sopranos in history, and the first African-American vocalist to reach international acclaim in opera — turns 98 today. She was born in 1927 in Laurel, MS.
There are many lenses through which to examine her career, including the racially motivated obstacles she overcame, which could constitute a whole article. But it’s also important to simply appreciate her artistry. In an article for NPR published on Price’s 90th birthday, Tom Huizenga wrote, “Over years of interviewing singers and critics, whenever Price’s name comes up, something special happens. The talk turns to that powerful, gleaming voice and the strength of her artistic convictions, even in the face of adversity.”
That article contains thoughts on Price from soprano Jessye Norman, baritone Sherrill Milnes, and critic Tim Page. Norman reflected on being in middle school, when she first heard Price sing through a record her brother brought home:
Hearing this voice — this vibrant, beautiful, soaring, amazing voice, on whatever that stereo equipment was at the time, was quite overwhelming. I used to sit — very often alone — just listening to the sound and wondering what she really looked like and what her friends were like and what it must it be like to carry such an instrument around in one’s own body.
One recording that stood out in Norman’s mind was of Price singing Il trovatore with frequent collaborator Herbert von Karajan at the Salzburg Festival (listen here).
…that is truly, truly, truly great singing. And because it is what it is, it is more than simple singing. It is much more than that. Whatever those words should be, I don’t have them this moment, but it’s far more than singing.
Listen to that recording, especially towards the end, to discover what a perfect description that is.
Norman concludes her thoughts thusly:
I hope that at this point in her life, that she’s able to understand and appreciate the amazing artistic life that she shared with the world.
