Leontyne Kumukuai |

Leontyne Kumukuai

I ka nīnau ʻia ʻana inā hiki i ke kala o ka ʻili ke hoʻopilikia i ka ʻoihana o ka mea hoʻokani keaka, ua pane ʻo Leontina Price penei: "No ka poʻe mahalo, ʻaʻole ia e hoʻopilikia iā lākou. Akā noʻu, ma ke ʻano he mele, ʻoiaʻiʻo. Ma ka "fertile" gramophone record, hiki iaʻu ke hoʻopaʻa i kekahi mea. Akā, ʻo ka ʻoiaʻiʻo, ʻo kēlā me kēia hiʻohiʻona ma ke kahua opera e lawe mai iaʻu i ka hauʻoli a me ka hopohopo e pili ana i ka make-up, ka hana a pēlā aku. ʻOiai ʻo Desdemona a i ʻole Elizabeth, ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi o koʻu manaʻo ma ke kahua ma mua o Aida. ʻO ia ke kumu ʻaʻole nui kaʻu repertoire "ola" e like me kaʻu i makemake ai. ʻAʻole pono e ʻōlelo, paʻakikī ka ʻoihana o ka mea mele mele ʻeleʻele, ʻoiai inā ʻaʻole i hoʻonele ka hopena iā ia i kona leo.

Ua hānau ʻia ʻo Mary Violet Leontina Price ma Feberuari 10, 1927 ma ka hema o ʻAmelika Hui Pū ʻIa, ma ke kūlanakauhale ʻo Laurel (Mississippi), i loko o kahi ʻohana Negro o kahi mea hana ma kahi hale ʻili.

ʻOiai ka liʻiliʻi o ka loaʻa kālā, ua hoʻāʻo nā mākua e hāʻawi i kā lāua kaikamahine i ka hoʻonaʻauao, a ʻo ia, ʻaʻole like me ka nui o kona mau hoa, ua hiki iā ia ke puka i ke kula ma Wilferforce a lawe i kekahi mau haʻawina mele. Eia kekahi, ua pani ʻia ke ala iā ia inā ʻaʻole no ka ulia hauʻoli mua: ua koho kekahi o nā ʻohana waiwai iā ia i haʻawina e aʻo ai ma ke kula kaulana ʻo Juilliard.

I kekahi manawa, ma kekahi o nā ʻaha mele a nā haumāna, ua lohe ka dean o ke kumu leo ​​leo iā Leontina e hīmeni ana i ka aria a Dido, ʻaʻole hiki iā ia ke kāohi i kona hauʻoli: "E ʻike ʻia kēia kaikamahine e ka honua mele holoʻokoʻa i kekahi mau makahiki!"

Ma kahi haʻawina haumāna ʻē aʻe, ua lohe ʻia kahi kaikamahine ʻōpio Negro e ka mea hoʻohewa kaulana a me ka haku mele ʻo Virgil Thomson. ʻO ia ka mea mua i manaʻo i kāna kālena kupaianaha a kono iā ia e hoʻomaka i kāna hana mua ma ka hoʻomaka mua o kāna mele mele ʻO The Four Saints. No nā pule he nui, ua kū ʻo ia ma ke kahua a ua huki ʻia ka manaʻo o ka poʻe hoʻohewa. I kēlā manawa, ke ʻimi nei kahi hui Negro liʻiliʻi "Evrimen-Opera" i kahi mea hoʻokani o ka hana wahine nui ma ka opera a Gershwin "Porgy and Bess". Ua hāʻule ka koho ma Price.

"ʻElua pule i ʻApelila 1952, hīmeni wau i kēlā me kēia lā ma Broadway," i hoʻomanaʻo ai ka mea pena, "ua kōkua kēia iaʻu e ʻike iā Ira Gershwin, ke kaikunāne o George Gershwin a me ka mea kākau o nā kikokikona o ka hapa nui o kāna mau hana. ʻAʻole i liʻuliʻu ua aʻo au i ka Bess aria mai Porgy a me Bess, a i koʻu hīmeni ʻana ia no ka manawa mua, ua kono koke ʻia au i ka hana nui ma kēia keaka.

I nā makahiki ʻekolu e hiki mai ana, ua hele ka mea mele ʻōpio, a me ka hui, i nā kūlanakauhale he nui o ʻAmelika Hui Pū ʻIa, a laila nā ʻāina ʻē aʻe - Kelemānia, ʻEnelani, Farani. Ma nā wahi a pau ua hoʻopio ʻo ia i ka lehulehu me ka ʻoiaʻiʻo o ka wehewehe ʻana, nā mana leo maikaʻi loa. Hoʻomaopopo mau ka poʻe hoʻohewa i ka hana maikaʻi a Leonty ʻāpana o Bess.

I ʻOkakopa 1953, ma ke keʻena o ka Hale Waihona Puke o ka ʻaha kūkā ma Wakinekona, ua hoʻokani ka mea mele mele no ka manawa mua i ka pōʻai leo "Songs of the Hermit" na Samuel Barber. Ua kākau kūikawā ʻia ka pōʻaiapuni ma muli o nā mana leo o Price. I Nowemapa i ka makahiki 1954, ua hoʻokani ʻo Price no ka manawa mua ma ke ʻano he mele ʻahamele ma Town Hall ma New York. I ka manawa like, hīmeni ʻo ia me ka Boston Symphony Orchestra. Ua ukali ʻia e nā hana me ka Philadelphia Orchestra a me nā hui symphony alakaʻi ʻē aʻe o ʻAmelika ma Los Angeles, Cincinnati, Wakinekona.

ʻOiai ʻo kāna mau kūleʻa maopopo, hiki wale iā Price ke moeʻuhane i ke kahua o ka Metropolitan Opera a i ʻole Chicago Lyric Opera - ua pani ʻia ke komo ʻana i nā mele mele Negro. I kekahi manawa, ma kāna ʻae ʻana, ua noʻonoʻo ʻo Leontina e hele i ka jazz. Akā, i ka lohe ʻana i ka mea mele Bulgarian ʻo Lyuba Velich ma ke kuleana o Salome, a laila ma nā hana ʻē aʻe, ua hoʻoholo hope ʻo ia e hāʻawi iā ia iho i ka opera. ʻO ka launa pū ʻana me kahi mea pena kaulana i lilo i mea kākoʻo pono nui nona.

ʻO ka mea pōmaikaʻi, i kekahi lā maikaʻi, ua ukali ʻia kahi kono e hīmeni iā ​​Tosca ma kahi hana kīwī. Ma hope o kēia hana, ua maopopo ua hānau ʻia kahi hōkū maoli o ke kahua opera. Ua ukali ʻia ʻo Tosca e The Magic Flute, ʻo Don Giovanni, ma ke kīwī hoʻi, a laila he hoʻomaka hou ma ke kahua keaka ma Kapalakiko, kahi i komo ai ʻo Price i ka hana ʻo F. Poulenc's opera Dialogues of the Carmelites. No laila, i ka makahiki 1957, ua ho'omaka kāna 'oihana akamai.

Ua hoʻomanaʻo ka mea mele kaulana ʻo Rosa Ponselle i kāna hui mua ʻana me Leontina Price:

"Ma hope o kona hīmeni ʻana i kekahi o kaʻu mele mele punahele ʻo "Pace, pace, mio ​​​​Dio" mai "The Force of Destiny", ʻike wau e hoʻolohe ana wau i kekahi o nā leo maikaʻi loa o ko mākou manawa. Akā, ʻaʻole nā ​​mea a pau o ka hana akamai i ka leo. Ua hoʻolauna ʻia au i nā manawa he nui i nā mele ʻōpio maikaʻi ʻole i ʻike ʻole i ko lākou waiwai kūlohelohe.

No laila, me ka hoihoi a - ʻaʻole au e hūnā - me ka hopohopo o loko, ua hoʻāʻo wau i kā mākou kamaʻilio lōʻihi e ʻike i kona ʻano, he kanaka. A laila, ʻike wau ma waho aʻe o ka leo maikaʻi a me ke mele, he nui kāna mau pono ʻē aʻe i waiwai nui no ka mea pena - ka hoʻohewa ʻana iā ia iho, ka haʻahaʻa, ka hiki ke hana i nā ʻālana nui no ka pono o ke akamai. A maopopo iaʻu ua hoʻoholo ʻia kēia kaikamahine e haku i nā kiʻekiʻe o ke akamai, e lilo i mea pena kiʻi maikaʻi loa.

I ka makahiki 1958, ua lanakila ʻo Price iā ia ma ke ʻano he Aida ma nā kikowaena nui ʻEulopa o ka opera - ka Vienna Opera, London's Covent Garden Theatre a me ka Verona Arena Festival. Ma ka hana like, ua piʻi ka mea mele ʻAmelika ma ke kahua o La Scala no ka manawa mua i ka makahiki 1960. Ua hoʻoholo like ka poʻe hoʻopaʻi: ʻO ke kumukūʻai ʻo ia kekahi o nā mea hoʻokani maikaʻi loa o kēia hana i ke kenekulia XNUMX: "ʻO ka mea hana hou o ka hana o Hoʻohui ʻo Aida, Leontina Price, i kāna wehewehe ʻana i ka pumehana a me ke aloha o Renata Tebaldi me ke mele a me ka ʻoi o nā kikoʻī e hoʻokaʻawale i ka wehewehe ʻana o Leonia Rizanek. Ua hoʻokumu ʻo Price i kahi hui kūlohelohe o nā kuʻuna hou o kēia manawa o ka heluhelu ʻana i kēia kuleana, e hoʻonui ana iā ia me kāna ʻike noʻonoʻo a me ka noʻonoʻo noʻonoʻo.

"ʻO Aida ke kiʻi o koʻu kala, hoʻohālikelike a hōʻuluʻulu i ka lāhui holoʻokoʻa, kahi ʻāina holoʻokoʻa," wahi a Price. - Ua pili loa ʻo ia iaʻu me kona mākaukau no ka ʻālana ponoʻī, ka lokomaikaʻi, ka psyche o ka heroine. He liʻiliʻi nā kiʻi i loko o nā puke operatic kahi e hiki ai iā mākou, nā mele ʻeleʻele ke hōʻike iā mākou iho me ka piha. ʻO ia ke kumu i aloha nui ai au iā Gershwin, no ka mea, hāʻawi ʻo ia iā Porgy a me Bess.

Ua hoʻopio maoli ka mea mele ikaika i ka poʻe ʻEulopa me ia, piha i ka leo o kāna soprano ikaika, ikaika like i nā papa inoa a pau, a me kona hiki ke hiki i nā kiʻekiʻe hoihoi, maʻalahi o ka hana a me ka ʻono impeccable maoli.

Mai ka makahiki 1961, ua lilo ʻo Leontina Price i mea mele me ka Metropolitan Opera. Ma Ianuali XNUMX, e hoʻomaka ʻo ia ma ke kahua o ka hale kiʻiʻoniʻoni kaulana ʻo New York ma ka opera Il trovatore. ʻAʻole i emi iho ka hoʻomaikaʻi ʻana o ka mea paʻi mele: "Leo Akua", "Ka nani lyrical maikaʻi loa", "Incarnate poetry o ke mele a Verdi".

ʻO ia ka manawa, ma ka huli ʻana o nā makahiki 60, ua hoʻokumu ʻia ka iwi kuamoʻo o ka repertoire o ka mea mele, e komo pū ana me Tosca a me Aida, ʻo ia hoʻi nā ʻāpana o Leonora ma Il trovatore, Liu ma Turandot, Carmen. Ma hope aku, i ka wā i kū ai ʻo Price i ka zenith o ka kaulana, ua hoʻonui mau ʻia kēia papa inoa me nā pāʻina hou, nā Arias hou a me nā mele aloha, nā mele mele.

ʻO ka ʻoihana hou aʻe o ka mea pena he kaulahao o ka lanakila mau ma nā pae like ʻole o ka honua. I ka makahiki 1964, hana ʻo ia ma Moscow ma ke ʻano he ʻāpana o ka hui ʻo La Scala, hīmeni ʻo Verdi's Requiem i alakaʻi ʻia e Karajan, a mahalo ʻo Muscovites i kāna kiʻi. ʻO ka hui pū ʻana me ka Austrian maestro ma ka laulā ua lilo ia i kekahi o nā ʻaoʻao koʻikoʻi o kāna moʻolelo biography. No nā makahiki he nui i hiki ʻole ke hoʻokaʻawale ʻia ko lākou mau inoa ma ka ʻaha mele a me nā kiʻi kiʻiʻoniʻoni, ma nā moʻolelo. Ua hānau ʻia kēia pilina makamae ma New York i kekahi o nā hoʻomaʻamaʻa, a mai ia manawa ua kapa ʻia ʻo ia ʻo "Karajan's soprano". Ma lalo o ke alakaʻi akamai a Karayan, ua hiki i ka mea mele Negro ke hōʻike i nā hiʻohiʻona maikaʻi loa o kāna talena a hoʻonui i kāna ʻano hana. Mai ia manawa a mau loa aku, ua komo kona inoa i ka elite o ke ao leo leo.

ʻOiai ka ʻaelike me ka Metropolitan Opera, ua hoʻohana ka mea mele i ka hapa nui o kona manawa ma ʻEulopa. "No mākou, he mea maʻamau kēia," i haʻi aku ai ʻo ia i nā mea hoʻolaha, "a ua wehewehe ʻia e ka nele o ka hana ma ʻAmelika Hui Pū ʻIa: he liʻiliʻi nā hale opera, akā he nui nā mea mele."

“Ua manaʻo ʻia ka nui o nā leo mele a ka mea hoʻokani e ka poʻe mākaʻikaʻi ma ke ʻano he hāʻawi koʻikoʻi i ka hana leo o kēia wā," wahi a ka mea hoʻokani mele ʻo VV Timokhin. - Ua hoʻopaʻa ʻo ia i kekahi o kāna mau pāʻina lei aliʻi - ʻo Leonora ma Verdi's Il trovatore - ʻekolu manawa. Loaʻa i kēlā me kēia o kēia mau hoʻopaʻa ʻana i kāna mau pono ponoʻī, akā ʻo ka mea kupaianaha paha ka hoʻopaʻa ʻana i hana ʻia i ka makahiki 1970 ma kahi hui pū me Placido Domingo, Fiorenza Cossotto, Sherrill Milnes. Ke manaʻo nei ʻo Price i ke ʻano o ke mele a Verdi, kona lele ʻana, ke komo ʻana a me ka nani. Piha ka leo o ka mea mele i ka ʻilikai ʻē aʻe, ka maʻalahi, ka ʻuhane haʻalulu. Nani ke kani o kāna aria o Leonora mai ka hana mua, kahi i lawe mai ai ʻo Price i ka manawa like i ka manaʻo o ka hopohopo, ka hauʻoli o ka naʻau. Ma ka laulā nui, hoʻomaʻamaʻa ʻia kēia e ke kala "ʻeleʻele" o ka leo o ka mea mele, he mea pono loa iā ia ma ke ʻano ʻo Carmen, a ma nā kuleana o ka repertoire Italia, e hāʻawi ana iā lākou i kahi ʻano hana i loko. ʻO ka aria a Leonora a me "Miserere" mai ka hana ʻehā o ka opera kekahi o nā hana kiʻekiʻe loa o Leontina Price ma ka opera Italia. Ma ʻaneʻi ʻaʻole ʻoe i ʻike i ka mea e mahalo nui ai - ke kūʻokoʻa kupaianaha a me ka plasticity o ka leo, i ka wā e lilo ai ka leo i mea kani maikaʻi loa, pili ʻole i ka mea pena, a i ʻole ka hāʻawi ʻana iā ia iho, ka ʻā ʻana o ke kiʻi, ke ʻike ʻia ke kiʻi, ke ʻano. kēlā me kēia ʻōlelo mele. Hoʻokani kupaianaha ʻo Price ma nā hiʻohiʻona hui a pau me ka waiwai nui o ka opera Il trovatore. ʻO ia ka ʻuhane o kēia mau hui, ʻo ke kumu hoʻopaʻa. Me he mea lā ua komo ka leo o Price i nā mele a pau, ka impetuosity dramatic, ka nani lyrical a me ka ʻoiaʻiʻo hohonu o nā mele a Verdi.

I ka makahiki 1974, i ka wehe ʻana o ke kau ma ka Hale Hōʻikeʻike ʻo Kapalakiko, ua hoʻohauʻoli ʻo Price i ka poʻe e ʻike i nā ala pololei o ka hana a Manon Lescaut i ka opera a Puccini o ka inoa hoʻokahi: hīmeni ʻo ia i ka ʻāpana o Manon no ka manawa mua.

I ka hopena o nā makahiki 70, ua hoʻemi nui ka mea mele i ka helu o kāna mau hana opera. I ka manawa like, i loko o kēia mau makahiki ua huli ʻo ia i nā ʻāpana, e like me ka mea ma mua, ʻaʻole i kūpono i ke talena o ka mea pena. Ua lawa ka haʻi ʻana i ka hana ma 1979 ma Metropolitan o ke kuleana o Ariadne ma ka opera a R. Strauss ʻo Ariadne auf Naxos. Ma hope o kēlā, nui nā mea hoʻohewa i hoʻokau i ka mea pena i kahi pā me nā mea mele Straussian koʻikoʻi i ʻālohilohi i kēia hana.

Mai ka makahiki 1985, ua hoʻomau ʻo Price ma ke ʻano he mele mele. Eia ka mea a VV i kākau ai i nā makahiki 80 mua. ʻO Timokhin: "ʻO nā polokalamu hou o Price, kahi mea mele keʻena, e hōʻike ana i ka ʻoiaʻiʻo ʻaʻole ʻo ia i hoʻololi i kona aloha mua no nā mele leo Kelemania a me Farani. ʻOiaʻiʻo, ʻokoʻa kona hīmeni ʻana ma mua o nā makahiki o kona wā ʻōpio. ʻO ka mea mua, ua hoʻololi ʻia ka "spectrum" o kona leo - ua lilo ia i "ʻeleʻele", ʻoi aku ka waiwai. Akā, e like me ka wā ma mua, ʻo ka maʻalahi, ka nani o ka ʻenekinia kani, ka manaʻo maʻalahi o ka mea pena i ka "fluidity" maʻalahi o ka laina leo he mea kupanaha loa ... "