In the autumnal years of her illustrious performing career that spanned nearly five decades, Leontyne Price sang a special guest artist recital in Ann Arbor at The University of Michigan's "other Big House", Hill Auditorium (c.November 1983).
In September 1982 I arrived in Ann Arbor, Michigan to continue my professional training and musical education as a first-year master's degree student at The University of Michigan. Having come directly from a smaller private college out of state, there remained much for me to explore, learn, grasp, absorb and add to my artistic "package". Little did I realize that this development would take much longer than I originally anticipated, but nonetheless I was poised to begin the next phase.
Once I gradually became more familiar with the performing artists, ensembles, venues and concert opportunities which are an important component of our educational, artistic and " professional conditioning " I paid closer attention to the annual calendar of events of the University Musical Society (UMS), which in conjunction with the U-M School of Music, Theater and Dance collaborates in the production of over five hundred (500) concerts, recitals, opera and theater productions annually.
The UMS advertises its concert season the better part of a calendar year in advance. Opportunities to hear legendary vocalists perform in recital are often fleeting, since so many of them are also juggling operatic roles and contractual production obligations. So when Ms. Price's recital was announced, I made a beeline to the UMS ticket office (in Burton Memorial Tower!!) to purchase a pair of tickets for my roommate and me.
The entire evening was electric with anticipation, welcome and wonder at the return of "La prima donna assoluta"!! Over 4000 people packed the auditorium to hear Leontyne Price's recital program of operatic arias and artsongs, all of which would've been most familiar to the vocalists and pianists, but less to those who hadn't done their repertory homework!! The highlight of the first half of her program, accompanied by her longtime collaborative partner David Garvey at the piano--was "Pace, pace, mio Dio" from Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il trovatore, which wiped out the entire audience!!
Between the peaks of that evening's musical ecstasy were nuanced moments which are now lifelong memories. The moment that still captivates me is the climax of Margaret Bonds's art song "Minstrel Man". Bonds's extraordinary setting of the poetry of her longtime friend, Langston Hughes--was transformed by Leontyne into both high art and transcendent commentary on American culture and skin color relations. The poetry and musical setting of "Minstrel Man" climaxes at its closing line, "You do not know, I die". In that moment of Leontyne's performance the audience could've easily been devoured by the angry, passionate and even vicious manner of her delivery. As quickly as that moment of potential murderous expression (or at least artistic involuntary manslaughter!!) arrived, it subsided and disappeared. That moment, the entire evening spoke multiple volumes to me in ways requiring years of living, loving, losing, practicing, developing, and releasing to understand.
The main program closed with the customary group of Negro spirituals, which "brought down the house while bringing us to our feet" in endless ovations and curtain calls. Seven (7!!) encore songs would ensue, the final song performed with the house lights UP!! We, the audience all but refused to go home that evening, and by all visual means of communication Leontyne certainly relished the generous welcome "we" greeted her and showered her program with the entire evening. We, the audience REALLY... didn't wish for it to end. As Langston MIGHT also have written (were he a corny musician like me!!): "And I went forth in the morning to seek a new (brown) BEAUTIFUL musical experience and expression"!!
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