Leontyne Price White House recital

Leontyne Price Rising Stars, Already Shining By Lon Tuck September 21, 1983 It was taped in the East Room last Sunday before an invited audience and is hosted by Leontyne Price, whom the company’s newly designated artistic director James Levine--who does the piano accompaniments--describes without fear of exaggeration as “one of the greatest singers of all time.“ At least two of them, dramatic tenor Timothy Jenkins and soprano Marvis Martin, are close to being stars already. Jenkins was the splendid Macduff here last spring in the Met’s “Macbeth“ and Martin sang ethereally last fall at St. Matthew’s Cathedral in the world premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti’s “Cantata“ on a text by St. Teresa. In the White House concert Jenkins sings a noble, sonorous performance of Samson’s lament from Saint-Saens’ “Samson et Dalila.“ He is hailed by Levine, who cast him successfully in the title role of “Parsifal“ last season, as “the finest dramatic tenor on the scene.“ Likewise, Martin is genuinely radiant in “Depuis le jour“ from Charpentier“s “Louise.“ Her ravishing soft high notes have been reminiscent of Price herself in the past, and she must have been thrilled to hear the ultimate judge herself tell the White House that Martin’s voice is “something special“ and that she has a “most marvelous future.“ Karen Bureau, Marvis Martin, Gail Dubinaum, Timothy Jenkins, Brian Schexnayder, Terry Cook