Liner notes from 1981 Legendary Recordings LP: LR 139

Side one:

1. Marian Anderson - Spiritual: "Heaven...Heaven" (1934)
2. Martina Arroyo - Puccini: Butterfly's Entrance (Madama Butterfly) (1970)
3. Kathleen Battle - Spiritual: "He's got the whole world in His hands" (2/3/80) (Lawrence Skrobacs, pianist)
4. Grace Bumbry - Puccini: "In questa reggia" (Turandot) - (1/21/80)
5. Mattiwilda Dobbs - Gershwin: "Summertime" (Porgy & Bess) (1957)
6. Reri Grist - Rossini: "Una voce poco fa" (Barbiere di Siviglia) (11/26/74)

Side two:

1. Barbara Hendricks - Puccini: "Chi bel sogno di Doretta" (Rondine) (5/25/80)
2. Dorothy Maynor - Charpentier: "Depuis le jour" (Louise) (1944)
3. Leona Mitchell - Meyerbeer: "Robert, toi que j'aime" (Robert le Diable) (1979)
4. Leontyne Price - Handel: "Vadoro pupile" (Giulio Cesare) (1960)
5. Paul Robeson - Mussorgsky: Monologue (Boris Godunov) (1958)
6. Shirley Verret - "Pace, pace" (Forza del Destino) (11/3/77)

Legendary Recordings Inc. is proud to present this initial volume of live performances honoring twelve great American Artists.  This first volume offers unique insight into the careers and voices of such artists as Marian Anderson, Reri Grist, Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry and others.  Naturally, this particular issue is not meant to be all inclusive, since many artists were not able to be included.  Subsequent volumes will remedy this.  The album you hold in your hands is only meant to be an introduction to the many varied voices and talents that have graced the concert and operatic stages of the world during the last forty years.

On this disc are some extremely rare performances such as Dorothy Maynor in a performance of "Depuis le jour" (Louise) and Mattiwilda Dobbs singing "Summertime" (Porgy and Bess) from a 1957 recital.  Also, Paul Robeson's incredible account of the "Monologue" from Boris. There are also arias that the listener might not immediately associate with the performer such as Leontyne Price's "Vadoro pupile" from Handel's Giulio Cesare, and Shirley Verrett's "Pace, pace mio Dio" from Verdi's Forza del Destino. Such performances demonstrate the often incredible stylistic versatility that a singer must possess in order to successfully perform works from varying periods of music.  Each selection demonstrates the artist's personal communication with an audience which is, of course, the joy and importance of live recordings.  From the fiery thrust of Bumbrey's "In questa reggia" to the sparking pyrotechnics of Reri Grist's "Una voce poco fa," there is something here for all enthusiasts of the art of singing.  These performances are all the more valuable since many of the selections were never recorded commercially by the artists.

We at Legendary Recordings invite you to sit back and listen to the vocal magic of these twelve singers.  Although the performances cover a period of many years (1934-1980), they are timeless and now, through this recording, can be enjoyed time and again as they well deserve.

Marian Anderson

Born on February 17, 1902 in Philadelphia, Marian Anderson's voice was first noticed in a church choir.  In 1928 she gave her first concerts, but becasue of racial difficulties in America at the time, she was forced to seek a career in Europe.  Anderson left for a concert tour of Europe in 1930 and reaped much success which inevitably enabled her to pursue a career in the United States as well.  During the 1930s and 1940s she gave concerts in England, Germany, France, Austria, Australia and many of the Scandinavian countries, but the highest peak of all occurred on January 7, 1955, when she became the first black artist to appear on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in the role of Ulrica in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera. This single event changed much of the course for future black artists and suffice it to say that thanks to the efforts of Mme. Anderson and Sir Rudolf Bing, we of today can reap the artistic and musical benefits - as shown on this disc.  A vocalist of great finesse, Marian Anderson was much admired by Arturo Toscanini, who first heard her sing in 1935.  Her sincerity as a musician and performer is amply shown by her rendition of the Spiritual, "Heaven...Heaven."

Martina Arroyo

A native New Yorker, Martina Arroyo was raised in the Harlem section of New York CIty and was educated at Manhattan's Hunter High School.  Before her musical career, she was a high school teacher and a social worker.  In 1958 she, together with Grace Bumbry , was a finalist in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions.  Her operatic debut followed shortly at Carnegie Hall in the American premiere of Pizetti's Murder in the Cathedral. Her Metropolitan Opera debut occurred in 1958 when she sang the rather inconsequential role of The Celestial Voice in Verdi's Don Carlos. During this period she sang a number of minor roles without much acclaim until 1965 when she substituted for an ailing Birgit Nilsson in Verdi's Aida.  This was on no more than two days notice.  Her success was phenomenal and she quickly began to perform the "coveted" roles at the Metropolitan Opera.  Since that time she has rightfully become one of the leading spinto sopranos performing on the international stage.

Kathleen Battle

Among the set of rising young singers is the charming Kathleen Battle.  Gifted with a voice in the tradition of Reri Grist and Mattiwilda Dobbs, she has been acclaimed for her performances of Oscar (Un Ballo in Maschera), Sophie (Werther), Adina (L'Elisir d'Amore) and Blondchen (Entfuhrung aus dem Serail) as well as her many concert appearances.  Indeed, her performances of the notoriously difficult "Et incarnatus est" from Mozart's Mass in C Minor, is regarded by her colleagues as well as the public to be one of the finest renditions one can hear in the world today.  The beauty and charm of Battle's voice and art are also well demonstrated on this record by the Spiritual, "He's got the whole world in His hands." An individual arrangement which is climaxed by Battle's interpolation of a D in alt.  Her expressive and supportive accompanist is Lawrence Skrobacs.

Grace Bumbry

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Mme. Bumbry counts as her most invaluable musical mentor the great soprano, Lotte Lehmann.  Grace Bumbry is one of a handful of artists that has successfully managed to make a change in fach during the course of an international career.  The switch from the mezzo soprano repertoire to soprano repertoire is a delicate one and can be quite dangerous.  By carefully choosing roles she felt most able to handle and by selecting the most advantageous time to to perform them (vocally speaking), Bumbry has been most successful in this transition.  Formerly an exciting Carmen, Orfeo, Dalila, Eboli (Don Carlos), Laura (La Gioconda) and Amneris (Aida), she is now a great Gioconda, Elvira (Ernani), Salome, Norma, Tosca, and a furiously vengeful Abigaile (Nabucco).  This performance of Turandot's taxing entrance aria, "In questa reggia," dates from January of 1980 and gives the listener and exciting look at this new change.  Especially welcome and admirable in Bumbry's performance is the combination of natural vocal freedom and exciting vocal thrust climaxed by a full throated high C.

Mattiwilda Dobbs

During the early 1960s, Mattiwilda Dobbs was known for her delightful performances at the Metropolitan Opera of Oscar (Ballo in Maschera) and Olympia (Contes d'Hoffmann).  Her sweet timbre was also well framed by such roles as Leila (Pecheurs des Perles), Antonia ((Contes d'Hoffmann), and the Queen of Shemakha (Le Coq D'Or).  Born in July of 1925, in Tennessee, Dobbs studied with Lotte Lehmann and Pierre Bernac.  Originally beginning as a concert singer, she made her operatic debut in 1952 and during the next decade sang at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, Glyndebourne, Edinburgh and Holland Festivals.  Whether singing the pyrotechnics of the stratospheric doll, Olympia, or the atmospheric, lilting phrases of Gershwin's "Summertime," with Mattiwilda Dobbs there is always much to enjoy.

Reri Grist

At the Metropolitan Opera Reri Grist took over many of Mattiwilda Dobbs' roles during the late 1960s and was famous for her Oscar and Olympia, and Sophie (Der Rosenkavalier).  She was considered a sprightly and accurate Zerbinetta (Ariadne auf Naxos), a fragile Gilda (Rigoletto) and a mischievous Rosina (Barber of Seville).  The possessor of a light and clear voice capable of ascending to an E in alt without effort, Grist enlivened many of the performances that she took part in.  A marvellous sense of fun pervades this performance of Rosina's bravura aria and Grist's use of some individual ornamentation is most welcome.

Barbara Hendricks

During the past five years, Barbara Hendricks has risen to the position of one of the most sought after young concert artists and recitalists in the world today.  In America she has gained much recognition for her performances of Del Tredici's Final Alice while in Aix en Provence her recitals are much loved.  Her voice, a light lyric, is one of uncommon beauty and possesses a most striking and individual timbre within its middle compass.  One critic wrote: "....her voice is as clear as a mountain stream." This aria from Puccini's La Rondine displays the crystalline purity of her high pianissimi - a feat she is well known for.

Dorothy Maynor

Born in 1910 in Norfolk, Virginia, Dorothy Maynor made her professional concert debut in 1939 at the Berkshire Festival.  She was famous for her concert tours in Europe as well as the United States and was admired and loved by audiences in England, France, Italy, Holland and Belgium.  Although she sang many arias from opera on her concerts and even recorded a few of them, she never appeared on the operatic stage.  This writer grew up with a recording of her "Depuis le jour" and the beauty of that disc is mirrored in this live performance.  I think Kutsch and Riemens summed up Dorothy Maynor's art best when they noted in their book: A Concise Biographical Dictionary of Singers, "Dorothy Maynor, without doubt, possessed the most beautiful soprano voice of her generation in the United States; to some it was outstanding for its sumptuous quality, to others for the variety of shading which she could bring to bear in her presentations."

Leona Mitchell

Born in Enid, Oklahoma, Leona Mitchell made her Metropolitan Opera debut in December of 1975 as Michaela in Bizet's Carmen.  Her many roles include such diverse parts as Bess, Nanetta, Donna Elvira, Mimi, Liu, Tatiana, Musetta, Pamina and Mme. Lindoine (Dialogues of the Carmelites).  Becasue of the outstanding vocal quality she brings to these roles, Leona Mitchell is quickly becoming one of the most sought after operatic lyric sopranos in America today.  This aria from Meyerbeer's rarely revived Robert le Diable, displays most amply Mitchell's warm, vibrant voice and luminous top register as well as solid phrasing and sensitive vocal nuances.

Leontyne Price

Since her beginning as a concert singer in 1950, Leontyne Price has charmed as well as thrilled her audiences with the sincerity of her performances and lush vocal sheen.  Since that time she has developed into one of the most beloved operatic divas in the world.  Renowned for her Verdi and Puccini as well as Strauss, she has made an indelible mark on the roles of Aida and Leonora (both Forza del Destino and Il Trovatore).  As this particular excerpt shows, the art of Leontyne Price can also be enjoyed in the works of Handel.  This is taken from her first concert with Herbert von Karajan in 1960.

Paul Robeson

Born in 1898, in Princeton, New Jersey, Paul Robeson was originally a practicing lawyer.  He gave up this profession, however, and became an actor, making his debut in 1921 in Eugene O'Neil's play "All God's Chillun Got Wings." He began concertizing in 1925 and in 1926 made a long concert tour of the United States continuing throughout the world.  During this time he continued to act in various plays and the climax of his theater career came with his historical portrayal of Shakespeare's Otello for which he received unanimous critical and public acclaim in London (1930) and on Broadway (1943-45) - a performance that established the all-time record of 296 performances - the longest run of any Shakespeare play on Broadway.  Robeson also made a number of motion pictures, including The Emperor Jones, Jericho, Proud Valley and Showboat, in which he played the role of Joe.  Joe was originally written with him in mind, but he was unable to appear in the original New York premiere due to many production delays, but did appear in the original London production and the Broadway revival in 1932.  His voice - a deep dark bass, was admired for its power and capability for subtle expression.  Although primarily known for his singing of Spirituals and Lieder, his performance of the Monologue from Boris Godunov shows a power of expression that is most impressive.  He died in Philadelphia on January 23, 1976.

Shirley Verrett

Born in New Orleans and raised in California, Shirley Verrett first began her vocal studies as a contralto in 1955 with Anna Fitzsiu, later studying at the Juilliard School of Music in New York.  After she won the Marian Anderson award, she made her stage debut at the Spoleto Festival as Carmen in 1963 - the role which also introduced her to the Metropolitan Opera in 1968.  Coinciding with her stage debut was her debut as a concert singer and recitalist in the United States and Europe.  She quickly became much in demand for her dramatic interpretations of Dalila, Azucena, Amneris and Eboli.  During the 1970s she began to make the transition to soprano and essayed such roles as Lady Macbeth, Norma, Tosca and most recently, Aida.  Like her colleague, Grace Bumbry, she has been most successful in the delicate transition to the soprano repertoire.  Her voice is noted for its vibrancy and the soaring power of its top register - as this aria from Forza displays.