Grace Bumbry at 21 years old: Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air - Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix

This is a recording of Grace Bumbry at the age of 21, when she was a joint winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air along with Martina Arroyo.
She dazzles in this rendition of Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix from Samson et Dalila by Camille Saint-Saëns. The level of talent at such a young age is remarkable!
She was definitely sangin' at a young age ;)
#Opera #GraceBumbry #Singing

[@jlb9368]

One of those magnificent instantly recognizable sounds that never disappoints. Where are these kinds of singers now?

[@Keiwon.X.Lambert]

This completely took my breath away, as I assumed that it would. Tears fell down my face, and I’m not moved OFTEN. The talent… the timbre… the chest voice…. The consistency throughout. The beautiful lines and support. At 21! The grooming of a star is so different nowadays… I wish to witness and be apart of the heights of Opera in my lifetime. we shall see!!!

[@josephlewis6181]

I loved the voice and the singer. She lives forever. Bumbry, Verrett, Price, Anderson. Goddesses

[@guyritchie7504]

AND Norman.

[@classicaldame4372]

My God. She's only 21. My God. GORGEOUS.💙💙❤❤

[@filippofontana-baritono1440]

Some great singing, wow! ❤

[@utube0803]

Thank you for this! DIVA GRACE BUMBRY was cast as Venus in 1961, performed alongside Wieland Wagner and at the end, she received 30 minutes of applause with 42 curtain calls! Her voice is transcendent and her performances sublime. Bravo Diva!

[@gerhardrohne2361]

And elisabeth was sung by the 20 year old AnjaSilja..

[@KurtOz100]

Thanks for that clip. I was lucky to experience the artistry of this great singer as a young men between 1962 and 63. During that time she had a contract at the Opera Basel for 4 years and I have seen her in roles of Bizet's Carmen, Ficka in Die Walküre, Dalila in Samson et Dalila by Saint-Saëns, Orfeo in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, Antigone and Verdi's Lady Macbeth and Azucena. I will always remember her beautiful voluminous voice and her acting ability.

[@emeseimre5252]

What an exceptional piece of luck you had!

[@baritoneblazzin1965]

Oooh I would love to have heard her as Fricka in Die Walküre

[@sutherland9]

The voice is very rich at 21 years of age. Also she has her own distinctive sound. Onc can immediately identify the voice as that of Grace Bumbry.

[@blkmichaux]

Absolutely!

[@dantewalston2755]

Simply beautiful, it’s amazing that Bumbry kept the natural temper of her voice throughout her long career!

[@liedersanger1]

timbre

[@heurtemattefrancois4160]

Beautiful. An interesting supporting appearance by Lotte Lehmann on the photographs.

[@sorinion61]

RIP, a great voice!

[@jacksonrichards-jarvis4482]

I like how she keeps it moving! Definitely something to remind young singers

[@jrthiker9908]

Agreed. If you listen to all the greats sing this live back in the 1940-1965 period, it always moved. Listen to the great live Oralia Dominguez from the early 1960's with Fournet conducting (Vickers also). She and the maestro keep it moving...it's more French. Everyone sits and wallows now in Delila and Carmen, in an effort to be "expressive", which is a hallmark of a lot of singing and opera conducting from the 1970's onward. The old singers knew how to lead the orchestra and communicate what they needed vocally and tempo-wise, not wait and sing along with the orchestra.

[@direfranchement]

More likely that she didn’t yet have the breath control to support those longer phrases. It certainly sounds like it. You can hear her running out of breath in a number of places here, as well as taking breaths in the middle of phrases.

[@1968KWT]

RIP Grace Bumbry 🌹🌹🌹

[@RichardJosephSeymourMrSeymour]

Breathtaking!!! I was in the LA OPERA production of Macbeth with her several years ago - a gloriously large voice!

[@lilymti8635]

This is a remarkable rendition of the aria, the voice flows freely without difficulty, the interpretation is clear. Lovely

[@liedersanger1]

Interesting that this was the aria she sang in her final Met performance, at the Levine gala in 1996. That was probably deliberate!

[@jointheleanrat]

It's been a signature aria for her's , this early version, a good 15 seconds short than her 1996 version. It got even longer in later performance. One senses the desire in this early version.

[@edivaD62]

most beautiful female voice color ever

[@lungdoc]

edivaD62 Don’t know if the “ most beautiful “ but certainly one of the best singers ever and “ the best” Amneris and Eboli.

[@josephcollins6033]

@@lungdoc I like you.

[@Pachinanonim]

No más lindo q Tebaldi, Flagstad o Traubel.

[@marcandreg.4394]

Oh my God a realy ready singer young and powerful I never been listen that before !!!!!😲😍💖 Be blessed eternaly Grace

[@wiesawrudnicki5303]

STUPENDA GRACE

[@cappycapuzi1716]

Wonderful performance, though I have never heard this aria conducted so quickly!

[@BartBosman-abc]

Too quickly. It's supposed to be seductive.

[@rogerbrett-freeman5411]

Apart from "Salomé", I saw her in "Candide" as the Old Lady at the Deutche Oper. In spite of being a very small role, she was cheered to the rafters. Was this her last role? I think so. Brava Grace!

[@СветланаКоломыйченко-ц1ж]

Браво, браво, браво!!!

[@lungdoc]

In case anyone doubted she was a mezzo all along ( apparently she and a few Maestri thought otherwise ) Pure vocal gold since the very beginning

[@joemiller6975]

Grace was Grace ! She sang everything with a wonderful timbre and tone and true artistry! Her Gioconda, Lady Macbeth and Elvira in Ernani were splendid, as was her Turandot and Tosca. She had her nights when Norma came together also! She was no worse than say soprano Elinor Ross in the part .I loved her Amneris, Eboli, Dalila, Carmen but her soprano career was full of thrilling ladies also!

[@blowtheartofsangin8596]

She is a gem. Voice categories exist as guides but most singers can dabble across them within reason.

[@iestynovich]

@@joemiller6975 I saw her Turandot at Covent Garden. It was incredible. SO beautiful.

[@joemiller6975]

Two of the best Turandot's I ever heard were women I never had thought of in the role Grace Bumbry was one and Martina Arroyo was the other! Both gave the Chinese Princess something special. Bumbry's Turandot had high notes that were fired like cannon balls and should have been heard at the Met it was far more potent and powerful than some of the bland and pedestrian singing and acting of women they featured in the role.

[@jeffreymiller4814]

@@joemiller6975 you are right on the money about Arroyo’s Turandot. She didn’t do it often, but the Canadian production was broadcast. She had warmth, beauty, and fearless high notes.

[@illyaismaili6413]

RIP ❤

[@ALEXISVASSILIEV]

Très beau et intéressant au point de vu vocale! Bravissima!

[@YDVDNVRR]

RIP 🕊️

[@jhm22164]

What a pity that Bumbry never recorded the role of Dalila--hers could have been the definitive account. Hers or Callas's: take your pick.

[@carmenclaure7614]

Maravillosa ❤❤❤

[@Twentythousandlps]

Announcer is Milton Cross. Bumbry's voice was never better.

[@leuzileianazareth7738]

Maravilhoso

[@ransomcoates546]

She worked with Lotte Lehmann?

[@rrgallo967]

She did

[@williamstadel6113]

😢Rest in Peace 😢

[@christophehorton1070]

BLACK GIRLS ROCK BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE. BLACK WOMEN BEEN DOING WELL OUT IN FRONT WHILE THE MASSES OF BLACKS WERE SUFFERING IN NORTHERN GHETTOS. OF COURSE IT'S MUCH WORSE NOW. STILL CAN'T GET RID OF THE PASTA. EVEN STILL MISS BUMBRY, HERE AT LEAST, SOUNDS SO WONDERFULLY FRESH.

[@MrTrackman100]

Discuss music here, not social issues.

[@Rapicienta]

Divina

[@liedersanger1]

1958. (Im guessing. Am I right? This is not labeled.)

[@danawinsor1380]

That's right (I looked it up).

[@williamstadel6113]

Rip😢

[@ЭлеонораЦаликова-ъ4я]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@mollystater9803]

Please tell me: is that Estelle Liebling teaching her in your photo?

[@SeanPi314]

I thought I heard Gerhardt or Ferrier… unbelievable

[@christophehorton1070]

She was chosen and doesn't come from trash. Twenty one with a whole bunch of support.

[@BellaFirenze]

Grace Melzia Bumbry (January 4, 1937 - May 7, 2023)

[@gerardcohen7780]

Et dans un français exemplaire !

[@lpabildgaard]

right channel missing.

[@edivaD62]

I LOVE GRACE BUMBRY as a singer, but I must say that she sounds a little short of breath here at times. On the other hand, her sound pours out free and shining as a stream of hot, liquid gold.

[@SoLNaTaL555]

21 years old...

[@deadwalke9588]

@@SoLNaTaL555 Not really an excuse to be frank. Many people her age had a surplus of breath (Montserrat Caballe comes to mind).

[@Yves_Ka]

She never had great breath control - she was however very clever in working around that

[@SilfredoSerrano]

Yes, that was always the case throughout her career, but as someone else mentioned here, she was able to work around that most of the time.

[@operazine]

@@deadwalke9588 What recording on Montserrat Caballe from 1954 (when she was 21 years gold) are you referring to?

[@juniorbramble7760]

Wow.....Nowadays most 21 year old would find it difficult to tidy their bedroom🇻🇨🇻🇨✍🏿

[@krochelle2619]

WOW....SMH...21.

[@johnnybeaheaubahg1570]

Not that baby Grace!

[@josephcollins6033]

A voice in there, for sure. Hard to believe she got that far, however; such cloddy singing. All one color, one level. I'm not talking about the scale before the girls here castrate me. She can "belt", and that is pretty much all she ever did. Exciting belting, though! Her color certainly did not hurt her.

[@WESTFREE2]

As a young singer, Grace would sing with so much power that she'd pass gas on stage. She avoided beans for the majority of her career.

[@MOV1983]

How would you know that?

[@WESTFREE2]

@@MOV1983 She's my relative.

[@MOV1983]

@@WESTFREE2 Alright, but one has to admit it is a peculiar piece of information to share about the great Diva.

[@joseabraham8038]

@@WESTFREE2 you are a rude and untrustworthy relative then

[@WESTFREE2]

@@joseabraham8038 How pitiful that we've evolved to be ashamed of bodily functions so essential to life. Nana Mel had the same issue, so it's hereditary. Don't you fart?