I had the great privilege of speaking with her by phone on several occasions during the years I worked at San Francisco Opera and the Ravinia Festival in the Chicago area. In addition to her beauty and talent, her reputation at San Francisco Opera was as one of the most gracious and professional artists anyone had worked with.. After helping her with a research project while in San Francisco, I received a beautiful thank-you note in what is the most gorgeous handwriting I've ever seen, and when I decided to frame it and asked her for a photograph, she sent me five autographed photos and several DVD dubs of some of her television appearances, as well as a dub of her wonderful performance as Jetty Treffz in the film The Great Waltz. In gratitude I had a Sacher torte sent to her from Vienna, and she called back to thank me profusely, saying it really made her feel like a Princess! I was thrilled.
Mary Costa, the greatest Disney Legend, her talent is extraordinary! I wish she had recorded some albums. Her voice was magnificent, but she's a very humble lady.
There is a live recording she did as Juliet in Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi on the Grand Tier label, and she was Musetta in Erich Leinsdorf's recording of La Boheme for RCA.
@@revivalharpsichord5078I have the early-60s studio recording of "Boheme" in my collection. Mary's beautifully-sung Musetta is a pleasure to hear, and she's joined by the legendary Richard Tucker as Rodolfo, Anna Moffo as Mimi, Robert Merrill as Marcello and Giorgio Tozzi as Colline.
A wonderful tribute on the occasion of Ms Costa’s 90th Birthday. An outstanding performance from Ms Costa. Jacqueline Kenny personally asked Ms Costa to perform at the memorial tribute for JFK. What a great honour, and a way to show appreciation for country .
This is glorious! Bravo Mary Costa/Aurora! :-) I know this was in honor of President Kennedy, but do you know if they did the full Verdi Requiem? I would love to hear Costa sing the rest of it. She is amazing.
Indeed, the picture and sound quality of this clip are poor, but the quality of TV in the 1960s left much to be desired. Nonetheless, Mary Costa delivers a passionate performance, with excellent singing and playing by the Roger Wagner Chorale and yhe Los Angeles Philharmonic, all under the baton of the great Zubin Mehta.
Thanks for this historical document of a perfect performance ... Where was it held? Also, where was the London premiere of Candide held, to which you refer?
The first London production debuted at the Saville Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue on 30 April 1959 (after playing for a short time at the New Theatre Oxford and the Manchester Opera House).
Brian CastlesOnion - Thanks! I did know those details but had forgotten. The Saville, where I saw a few shows later on, was a handsome Art Deco house which was at the wrong end of the Avenue and too large to work financially, about 1600 seats on three levels if I remember rightly, so it was irreparably converted into four much smaller cinemas, now the Odeon Covent Garden. I now live about seven minutes’ walk away. Whoever invested in that commercial production must have lost a fortune on it. I wonder if Ms Costa remembers who it was, who else was in the cast, and who conducted and directed. I have seen several productions of this great piece but the most outstanding was two or three winters ago by the resuscitated New York City Opera at the splendid new Rose Theatre, a predominantly jazz venue at Lincoln Center, which works equally well for medium-scale opera.
@@PGF2010 The production used Lillian Hellman's book with an additional credit 'assisted by Michael Stewart', and it was directed by Robert Lewis with choreography by Jack Cole. The cast included Denis Quilley as Candide, Mary Costa as Cunegonde, Laurence Naismith as Dr. Pangloss and Edith Coates as the Old Lady. The Musical Director was Alexander Faris. It ran for 60 performances
I had the great privilege of speaking with her by phone on several occasions during the years I worked at San Francisco Opera and the Ravinia Festival in the Chicago area. In addition to her beauty and talent, her reputation at San Francisco Opera was as one of the most gracious and professional artists anyone had worked with.. After helping her with a research project while in San Francisco, I received a beautiful thank-you note in what is the most gorgeous handwriting I've ever seen, and when I decided to frame it and asked her for a photograph, she sent me five autographed photos and several DVD dubs of some of her television appearances, as well as a dub of her wonderful performance as Jetty Treffz in the film The Great Waltz. In gratitude I had a Sacher torte sent to her from Vienna, and she called back to thank me profusely, saying it really made her feel like a Princess! I was thrilled.
I was moved ❤❤❤❤ Absolutely stunning performances by Costa, the choir, and orchestra.
Mary Costa, the greatest Disney Legend, her talent is extraordinary! I wish she had recorded some albums. Her voice was magnificent, but she's a very humble lady.
There is a live recording she did as Juliet in Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi on the Grand Tier label, and she was Musetta in Erich Leinsdorf's recording of La Boheme for RCA.
@@revivalharpsichord5078I have the early-60s studio recording of "Boheme" in my collection. Mary's beautifully-sung Musetta is a pleasure to hear, and she's joined by the legendary Richard Tucker as Rodolfo, Anna Moffo as Mimi, Robert Merrill as Marcello and Giorgio Tozzi as Colline.
Rest eternal grant unto the dead, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine on them.
Underrated as hell performance
I just watched Mary on TCM’s Film Noire presentation of “The Big Caper.” She was the best part of the movie.
A wonderful tribute on the occasion of Ms Costa’s 90th Birthday.
An outstanding performance from Ms Costa.
Jacqueline Kenny personally asked Ms Costa to perform at the memorial tribute for JFK. What a great honour, and a way to show appreciation for country .
Never more beautifully sung by a more beautiful soprano! Perfection!
Angelic! One of Tennessee's treasures! 🧡🧡
So funny you just posted this, I’m in Knoxville and just started watching her old videos today.
What a wonderful singer!!!!!!
This is glorious! Bravo Mary Costa/Aurora! :-) I know this was in honor of President Kennedy, but do you know if they did the full Verdi Requiem? I would love to hear Costa sing the rest of it. She is amazing.
I named my first child after Miss Costa; this is wonderful, despite the poor quality and bad mic placement,
Indeed, the picture and sound quality of this clip are poor, but the quality of TV in the 1960s left much to be desired. Nonetheless, Mary Costa delivers a passionate performance, with excellent singing and playing by the Roger Wagner Chorale and yhe Los Angeles Philharmonic, all under the baton of the great Zubin Mehta.
Just wonderful Brian thank you .
Wonderful!
Happy 93rd Birthday to the one only Aurora/Mary Costa. Although Kate Higgins is a good impersonator.
Thanks for this historical document of a perfect performance ...
Where was it held? Also, where was the London premiere of Candide held, to which you refer?
The first London production debuted at the Saville Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue on 30 April 1959 (after playing for a short time at the New Theatre Oxford and the Manchester Opera House).
Brian CastlesOnion - Thanks! I did know those details but had forgotten. The Saville, where I saw a few shows later on, was a handsome Art Deco house which was at the wrong end of the Avenue and too large to work financially, about 1600 seats on three levels if I remember rightly, so it was irreparably converted into four much smaller cinemas, now the Odeon Covent Garden. I now live about seven minutes’ walk away. Whoever invested in that commercial production must have lost a fortune on it. I wonder if Ms Costa remembers who it was, who else was in the cast, and who conducted and directed. I have seen several productions of this great piece but the most outstanding was two or three winters ago by the resuscitated New York City Opera at the splendid new Rose Theatre, a predominantly jazz venue at Lincoln Center, which works equally well for medium-scale opera.
@@PGF2010 The production used Lillian Hellman's book with an additional credit 'assisted by Michael Stewart', and it was directed by Robert Lewis with choreography by Jack Cole. The cast included Denis Quilley as Candide, Mary Costa as Cunegonde, Laurence Naismith as Dr. Pangloss and Edith Coates as the Old Lady. The Musical Director was Alexander Faris. It ran for 60 performances
A fine performance. Her voice is a little small for this work, but she makes up for most of it with good technique.