Henry Price (tenor)
Encyclopedia
Henry Price is a well-known American opera
tic tenor
, who was a pupil of the tenor Eugene Conley
. He made his formal debut with the Goldovsky Opera Theater in 1970, as Alfredo Germont in La traviata
.
, he sang St Chavez in the company premiere (directed by Alvin Alley) of Four Saints in Three Acts (opposite Barbara Hendricks
, also in her Met debut), at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre
, Forum. In the fall of 1975, he first appeared at the New York City Opera
, in La traviata
, with Maralin Niska
in the title role. Through 1980, he was seen with that company in H.M.S. Pinafore
, Lucrezia Borgia
(opposite Beverly Sills
and Susanne Marsee
, in Tito Capobianco
's production), La belle Hélène
(as Paris, with Karan Armstrong
), Il barbiere di Siviglia, Die Fledermaus
(as Alfred), Manon, Die Zauberflöte, The Pirates of Penzance
, Die lustige Witwe (as Camille de Rosillon), Il turco in Italia
, The Student Prince
, and Les contes d'Hoffmann
(with Justino Díaz
as the Villains). He later returned to the City Opera for Prince Félix Youssoupov in the world premiere of Jay Reise
's Rasputin.
Dr Price appeared with opera companies throughout North America, and, from 1982 to 1988, was resident tenor with the state operas in Mainz, Germany, and Linz, Austria. In 1993, he joined the faculty of Pepperdine University
in Malibu, California, where he is Professor of Voice and Opera.
The singing-actor is perhaps best known for his national telecasts opposite Sills: La traviata (from Wolf Trap Opera Company
, 1976), Il barbiere di Siviglia (City Opera, 1976), Die lustige Witwe (San Diego Opera
, 1977), Manon (City Opera, 1977) and Il turco in Italia (City Opera, 1978). Their EMI
recording of Die lustige Witwe (in English translation, 1978) won a Grammy Award
. In 1978, he also appeared in the televised Vanessa, from the Spoleto Festival USA
.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, who was a pupil of the tenor Eugene Conley
Eugene Conley
Eugene Conley was a celebrated American operatic tenor.Born in Lynn, Massachusetts, Conley studied under Ettore Verna, and made his official debut as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1940...
. He made his formal debut with the Goldovsky Opera Theater in 1970, as Alfredo Germont in La traviata
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
.
Career
In 1973, under the auspices of the Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
, he sang St Chavez in the company premiere (directed by Alvin Alley) of Four Saints in Three Acts (opposite Barbara Hendricks
Barbara Hendricks
Barbara Hendricks is an African American operatic soprano and concert singer. Hendricks has lived in Europe since 1977, and in Switzerland on Lake Geneva since 1985, She is a citizen of Sweden.-Early life and education:...
, also in her Met debut), at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre
Vivian Beaumont Theatre
The Vivian Beaumont Theater is a theatre located in the Lincoln Center complex at 150 West 65th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The structure was designed by Finnish American architect Eero Saarinen, and Jo Mielziner was responsible for the design of the stage and interior.The Vivian...
, Forum. In the fall of 1975, he first appeared at the New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
, in La traviata
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
, with Maralin Niska
Maralin Niska
Maralin Niska is an acclaimed operatic soprano, well known as a singing-actress.Born in San Pedro, California, Niska studied under Louise Mansfield, Lotte Lehmann, and primarily Ernest St. John Metz...
in the title role. Through 1980, he was seen with that company in H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore
H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, England, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which was the second-longest run of any musical...
, Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia
Lucrezia Borgia [luˈkrɛtsia ˈbɔrʤa] was the illegitimate daughter of Rodrigo Borgia, the powerful Renaissance Valencian who later became Pope Alexander VI, and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia...
(opposite Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
and Susanne Marsee
Susanne Marsee
Susanne Marsee is an American mezzo-soprano of note. She was one of the New York City Opera's leading mezzo-sopranos from 1970, when she debuted opposite Beverly Sills, Plácido Domingo and Louis Quilico, in Donizetti's Roberto Devereux, with Julius Rudel conducting Tito Capobianco's...
, in Tito Capobianco
Tito Capobianco
Tito Capobianco is a noted stage director of opera.He made his official debut with Aïda, at the Teatro Argentino, La Plata, in 1953, then worked at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires...
's production), La belle Hélène
La belle Hélène
La belle Hélène , opéra bouffe in three acts, is an operetta by Jacques Offenbach to an original French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy...
(as Paris, with Karan Armstrong
Karan Armstrong
Karan Armstrong is an American operatic soprano who has had an active international career since the 1960s.-Biography:...
), Il barbiere di Siviglia, Die Fledermaus
Die Fledermaus
Die Fledermaus is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée.- Literary sources :...
(as Alfred), Manon, Die Zauberflöte, The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
, Die lustige Witwe (as Camille de Rosillon), Il turco in Italia
Il turco in Italia
Il turco in Italia is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The Italian-language libretto was written by Felice Romani...
, The Student Prince
The Student Prince
The Student Prince is an operetta in four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play Alt Heidelberg. The piece has elements of melodrama but lacks the swashbuckling style common to Romberg's other works...
, and Les contes d'Hoffmann
Les contes d'Hoffmann
Les contes d'Hoffmann is an opéra by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on short stories by E. T. A...
(with Justino Díaz
Justino Díaz
Justino Díaz is an internationally renowned bass-baritone opera singer. In 1963, Díaz won an annual contest held at the Metropolitan Opera of New York, becoming the "first" Puerto Rican to obtain such an honor and as a consequence, made his Metropolitan debut on October 1963 in Verdi's Rigoletto...
as the Villains). He later returned to the City Opera for Prince Félix Youssoupov in the world premiere of Jay Reise
Jay Reise
-Biography:Reise spent his childhood surrounded by classical music and jazz, but began his composition studies with Jimmy Giuffre and Hugh Hartwell in 1970...
's Rasputin.
Dr Price appeared with opera companies throughout North America, and, from 1982 to 1988, was resident tenor with the state operas in Mainz, Germany, and Linz, Austria. In 1993, he joined the faculty of Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
in Malibu, California, where he is Professor of Voice and Opera.
The singing-actor is perhaps best known for his national telecasts opposite Sills: La traviata (from Wolf Trap Opera Company
Wolf Trap Opera Company
The Wolf Trap Opera Company produces a summer opera festival as part of the program of the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Virginia....
, 1976), Il barbiere di Siviglia (City Opera, 1976), Die lustige Witwe (San Diego Opera
San Diego Opera
The San Diego Opera Association is a professional opera company located in the city of San Diego, California and is a member of OPERA America. It was founded in 1950 to present productions by San Francisco Opera in the San Diego area...
, 1977), Manon (City Opera, 1977) and Il turco in Italia (City Opera, 1978). Their EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
recording of Die lustige Witwe (in English translation, 1978) won a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
. In 1978, he also appeared in the televised Vanessa, from the Spoleto Festival USA
Spoleto Festival USA
Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, is one of the world's major performing arts festivals. It was founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who sought to establish a counterpart to the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy...
.
Videography
- Verdi: La traviata (Sills, Fredricks; Rudel, Capobianco, 1976) [live] VAI
- Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia (Sills, Titus, Gramm, Ramey; Caldwell, Caldwell, 1976) [live] Paramount
- Massenet: Manon (Sills, Fredricks, Ramey; Rudel, Capobianco, 1977) [live] Paramount
External links
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HR-VZy7_6oI YouTube: Henry Price in an excerpt from Manon, with Beverly Sills (1977).