Leonard Warren would be 100 today. He was undisputibly one of--if not THE greatest operatic baritones of the 20th century. He had a flinty, masculine voice and an amazing range of notes and emotions. One of the towering American performers of all time. Yet he is perhaps best remembered for how he died. He was in the midst of a performance of Verdi's La Forza del Destino (The Forces of Destiny) at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and had just completed the major baritone aria, "Morir...tremenda cosa" (Death...a momentous thing) when he fell to the floor, dead of a massive cerebral hemorrhage. He was only 48 years old. Reportedly, the audience initially thought it was part of the drama, but when management immediately brought down the curtain and cancelled the rest of the performance, the horrified audience realized what had really happened. There now exists a Leonard Warren Foundation, to benefit the cause of struggling young musicians. A fitting tribute to an amazing artist whose centenary is today.
Charlotte Brontë would be 195. She was the eldest of the three British literary sisters (along with Emily and Anne) who wrote under assumed pen names that sounded male (at that time, women were not generally taken seriously as writers). When her book, Jane Eyre, came out and was an enormous success, there was much curiosity as to who this "Currer Bell" was (the name under which she first published the book). When her identity was revealed, it went a long way in promoting the abilities of female writers.
Anthony Quinn would be 96. He was a thunderously powerful actor when given the right vehicle...and a bit over the top in the wrong one. He'll forever be known as the free-spirited Zorba, the Greek, one of his two Oscar-winning performances (the other, as Paul Gaugin in Lust For Life).
No comments:
Post a Comment