William Warfield, American baritone

I’ve been lucky sufficient to have seen dwell performances by a number of the biggest singers of the final century – artists like Leontyne Worth, Richard Tucker, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Robert Merrill, Birgit Nilsson, Grace Bumbry, Jon Vickers, Dolora Zajick and a handful of others.

However of all of them, the American baritone William Warfield was actually among the many biggest. I solely heard him dwell as soon as, in a live performance that he gave for a bunch of college kids in New Haven. His singing was extraordinary. However along with that, I noticed him do one thing that I’ve by no means seen every other singer do. He really obtained each single individual within the viewers of possibly 300 individuals to cry on the similar time. The recital went from one richly rewarding, excellent efficiency to the following. He sang “Ol’ Man River” from Present Boat by Jerome Kern. He sang a few of Aaron Copland’s “Early American Songs.” I’ve by no means seen one other efficiency prefer it.

On this Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, I wish to invite you to share in that have. To make it simple so that you can benefit from the artistry of this extraordinary singer, I’ve created the next playlist which you can hear with only one click on in case you are a member of Classical Archives.

CLICK HERE to hearken to William Warfield. On this playlist, you’ll hear him sing “Ol’ Man River” from Present Boat by Jerome Kern, adopted by 5 songs from Early American Songs by Aaron Copland, adopted by the recitative “Behold, I Inform You a Thriller” and “The Trumpet Shall Sound” from Messiah by George Frideric Handel.

I feel you’ll agree that singing doesn’t get any higher than this. All of us at Classical Archives hope it’s going to enrich this very significant weekend.