The Second Coming: The Story of Leona Mitchell | Documentary
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- Hailed as, "The Second Coming of Leontyne Price," for 18 seasons Leona Mitchell reigned as a leading soprano at the Metropolitan Opera House before suddenly disappearing from the spotlight. Many years later, she has finally come forth to tell her story.
This presentation has been seen and approved by the artist.
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Credits
Director - Milik Kashad
Executive Producer - Milik Kashad
Interviewers - Milik Kashad
Video Editor - Milik Kashad
Motion Graphics - Milik Kashad
Script - Milik Kashad
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#LeonaMitchell #LeontynePrice #Opera #PlacidoDomingo #LucianoPavarotti
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black people outshine in classical field as well! we love to see it!
Let’s talk about it!
We are not surprised! We created music, UGH WE ARE SO TALENTED!
The biggest Opera divas have been black for the past 80 years.
I have a theory that all the classical greats were either black or they were heavily influenced by Black musicians and prodigies of their time. 🤷🏽♂️
It's shocking, and very sad, to see that a soprano who is as great as Leona is, could somehow fall between the cracks. I saw her at the Met in Ernani, many years ago. I remember overhearing an audience member say how impressed he was with her, almost with an element of surprise in his voice. I remember the performance vividly. It was elegant, musical, and perfect, every note, with no mannerisms or "glottal scoops."
I have also known some very fine black tenors who could not rise in their careers, because that was simply not done. In particular, a tenor who sang the best "Che gelida manina" I have ever heard, with fearless high C's, musicality, and technique. He sang an audition for Levine, and was not accepted.
Opera is a very nonsensical, transactional, and dirty business, run by heartless ignorant people who actually know very little about opera, about the voice, and don't care to know what it is to be a singer. I know of many tragic examples of singers who were not able to find their rightful footing, and some who sang everywhere that did not deserve to be where they were.
I can only extend my thanks to Ms. Mitchell for her invaluable contributions to the art form.
Racism and Misogynoir is so disgusting. It’s so evil and has taken away so much Black talent. I hate it so much.
What you say surprise me because my ex-wife wanted to audition in 1991 at the Met , her teacher was Louis Quilico a great baritone Levine ask him your student is she black? No! at this moment we know she is refused !
When I was singing, back in the eighties, there was much discussion that it was generally OK for females to be black, but not males. Companies were reluctant to pair white females with black males, generally. @@marcandregingras992
She didn't "somehow" feel between the cracks. She was purposely and deliberately kept out by white people.
She didn't "somehow" fall between the cracks. She was purposely and deliberately kept out by the mayonnaise people
I must confess that I have loved opera (and the operatic voice) since the 50's. I must also confess that I had not heard Leona Mitchell until the 100 year gala in the early 80's. That young lady can sing well or better than most. Absolutely a gorgeous voice. What a shame she had to endure such stupid people
One of the stellar voices of the century
💯 Facts! An extraordinary lady with a brilliant God given vocal instrument!
Thank you for this! How doesn't the world know Leona Mitchell? I didn't. This is so important what you're doing. What a gracious and humble person Leona Mitchell is, despite everything. Glad to know her. What a voice and career.
Keep blessing people my sister! This is your time!
seriously. i cried when she recalled the time she was doubting herself and then she watched her performance & realized how much she was loved by the audience . she is magnificent!! i will tell everyone about her !!!!
It’s so sad the pressure put on our people to always have to go above and beyond and it still often goes unacknowledged. Thank you Malik for champion our greats!!!
What a great loss to the world that this woman was not recorded and celebrated for her incredible talent. She was forced to quit when she should have been coming into her own!!! I was privileged to hear her several times and could not understand what happened to shorten such an amazing career.
It's always some racist ish smd.
Leona Mitchell!!! Aw thank you for bringing an interview with her. My son takes classical music classes at a conservatory. There’s a group of black classical music musicians, singers and ballet dancers that we regularly see and many of the professional elders mentor the young black students. We love all music and art forms so it’s so great to see black excellence in every genre.
Thank you. What a pleasure. Leona Mitchell never gave a bad performance. She was the best Liu of her generation. She brought so much joy to her listeners. Glad to see she's healthy and happy. Cheers.
I heard her live a few times. She was magnificent and highly regarded by Australian audiences, which appreciated her long-term loyalty to us. It was odd though, that she got to make so few records. Not sure what happened there. It would be interesting to know.
It’s amazing to finally see the man behind the voice. Handsome, handsome. Love your content keep up with the good work.
Right? He kinda fine 😍
Oh my gosh !! That opening clip had me gasping for air !!😮👏🏾
This was excellent. Miss Mitchell your voice is exquisite. Your gift stands alone. Hats off to you Milik for a thoughtful and unobtrusive interview.
Ms. Leona, please consider opening up a school. Or teach private. Not enough, if any at all, black Opera teachers or coaches
Leona Mitchell is the "Liu" (in the opera Turandot) for the ages. Thank you for this documentary.
Great video! She looks fantastic! Thanks for the re-upload.
Welcome! There was a TH-cam uploading issue, but it’s corrected now. Thanks for watching ♥️
Thank you for your brilliant legacy Mrs. Leona Mitchell and thank you for this fantastic interview Black Music Archive.
Dear Ms. Mitchell, you are a jewel - beautiful and talented! I hope you'll return to opera. I would love to see you sing and share your voice with this generation.
Leona touched me deeply with her beautiful, sincere spirit. Her ancestors and the higher energies got her back as she now regains fame and fortune. 😍
I remember well a spectacular Mefistofele by Boito with Samuel Ramey in Paris Opera ( not to mention her Liu facing Caballé's Turandot in 1979 or 80).
I remember the way her voice was filling the space, such a voluptuous sound, and this royal black and Fushia gown. Thank you Leona Mitchell for the deep beauty and joy you gave us.
Best Liu ever! Phenomenal voice but also a great actress. I’ve shown the Zeffirelli Turandot to my students for many years, and they always wonder why Calaf doesn’t dump Turandot and run away with Liu.
Omg this story. This voice!!! Thank you for this interview. What an incredible incredible artist that we all need to hear more of.
I had the good fortune to hear Leona Mitchell sing in a concert in 1970. She was a star on the rise and it was no surprise to me when she sang with the SFO and soon after the Met. I was curious to know why she made so few recordings, a fate, unfortunately, for some other notable singers. This interview does much to provide some answers. Yet, it’s so sad. I have in my own collection a few broadcasts and there are these videos (!) ... What a splendid artist she is. I will treasure even more the few documents I have of her illustrious career. ❤️👏💐
Never knew I needed this until I received it. I can honestly say that she should have been protected and cherished as the jewel that she is. She deserved so so sooo much more.
Thanks for helping tell this story! This should be a movie
OMG. This is one of best thur far. Still learning about classical music. Wow. Beauty story. Take away don’t let the forces keep you down.
Wait a minute! Ms. Mitchell is 72! She looks good!
Yes, she's actually 73 years old born in 1948, ,although most online sources have her birth year as 1949. Either way, she is a stunningly gorgeous lady both inside and out..😊👍🏾
This channel really inspires me to be the best I can be.
I am so ecstatic that you featured the legendary and gracious Leona Mitchell! She IS and ALWAYS will be one of my favorite operatic sopranos. I already knew much about her life and career, but you asked questions that other interviewers had not which allowed her to share the full truth without reservation!! Thank you so much, Milik for the great work you're doing with this channel. Keep the legends coming!!
What a great interview! I bought Introducing Leona Mitchell as a young singer growing up in ND, but was not fortunate enough to hear her live. I would have walked over hot coals to hear that Verdi Requiem. God bless this charming, amazingly gifted woman! Thank you for this channel.
Such a shame her career impeded. So happy to hear her version of events. Love her jazz version of Sway. Her museum is a blessing. 🥰
One of the greatest.
I have been lucky to see and hear all the greats for the last 50 years from Pavarotti to Fabiano or Caballè to Sierra but LM was very special. Saw Ms Mitchell at the Met many times. She was always amazing.
Her recital in Orlando in the late 80’s was unforgettable. She closed it with an encore (one of several) of “He’s got the whole World “ with arms stretched and interpolated high note right on the mark. The audience went crazy.
She was also very approachable and down to earth. Perhaps she was not “ difficult enough” to be treated like a crazy prima donna.
Her point about recordings is questionable. Her career coincided with the decline of the industry but she was “ the” soprano featured by the Met when broadcasts were becoming popular. She was given important broadcasts with the three tenors : Ernani with Pavarotti, Turandot with Domingo and Carmen with Carreras. As much as I admire her, it seems to me that her whining in this regard is not justified.
Thank you so much for this interview with the divine Leona Mitchell. I remember her very fondly as a great artist, and I have often wondered what became of her. I never knew of the difficulties that she experienced in her career. This was so unfair, but we true fans know her tremendous value and that will never be diminished. God bless her.
My dearest Aunt Leona, I love you so much and I’m so proud of you for of your accomplishments. In my eyes you are and will always be the GREATEST, there’s NO ONE like YOU!!! ❤️Dawn
Thank you so much for this!! The things we experience which are unknown to us as being what is needed...
@Black Music Archive I did not know about this beautiful woman and now I am so grateful for what I have learned through your channel. This was life changing for me. Again, thank you.🤗🥰
I was lucky to see her in Paris with Caballe as Turandot and Ozawa conducting.
WONDERFUL Performance.!!
Then I kept wondering WHY she did not have LPs and a bigger career...
Years later, she was in Mexico City for the Verdi Requiem. She got an incredible ovation and started to cry !! Unforgettable !!
Man thank you for the work you do! I am one of those who sadly had never heard of this Queen until being introduced via this video. Now I feel blessed to have been exposed to her even though I'm late to the party! Keep doing what you're doing! 💪
One of the most naturally beautiful voices to ever grace the world stage...and one of the most stunningly gorgeous women on the planet.
Wow, what an amazing talent and to hear all of her career. I love her voice. More!! More!! ♥️
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
This was a interesting video even though i don't listen to classical music so this is my first time hearing about Leona Mitchell. If she would've become a house hold name, she would've been a legendary opera singer. She has a natural talent thats amazing.
She is a major talent of her generation. It’s sad that younger people nowadays do not know about her. Her Liu in Turandot is stunning, so are her Amelia in Ballo and Manon Lescaut.
@@jeffk5142 We don’t listen to Opera these days. 💀
Thank you Leona for coming out of hiding. What a role model you are?! Keep singing until no note comes from that throat !!
Her voice is gorgeous.
This is just wonderful. Heard her in Australia. Wonderful singer and presence. Thank you.
What a wonderful outstanding human being…how lucky I and Australia were that she came here on a number of occasions…her Ballo in Maschera in Sydney 1989 was pure gold ❤
This was absolutely exceptional! Recording industry we want recordings!!!
Great to hear Ms. Mitchell in this interview and session on her career. I was a member of Houton Grand Opera; when she sang Madama Butterfly years ago.
That note in the first video will never not amaze me👏👏👏
I love this! Thank you so much for doing this! I only learned about her a few years back and was wondering why I hadn't heard of her before. Her voice is amazing!
She looks like my sister and aunt Lynn…. She had the ideal voice and time to begin so successfully. Brava!
This channel is my go to of All Black music. Thank you again for this content and introduction to Ms. Leona Mitchell. What a blessing.
Same! I just wish it could be more active and consistent, but I’ll always wait for it!
This is the exact same video as the other one but this one has video clips of her in her prime which makes this so much more interesting.
Thank you for this!! LEONA is my fave Liu.
I'm speechless. Thank you!
OMG how ,How,HOW Is it that she looks that dam good without professional lighting wtf how is that possible?
Wow Leona Mitchell 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 I really enjoyed her story , she is brilliant ✊🏾
So thankful for this channel! You’re doing God’s work. I’ll be sharing your documentaries with the little ones in my family that love music as much as I do!
Amazing voice and artistry. Love listening to her. Saw her many times at the Met. Fascinating singer.
I'd love to hear Leona Mitchell again in concert. I heard her in the Tampa Bay area through Commons Concerts via Columbia Artists and in Atlanta on tour with the Metropolitan Opera singing Elvira in Ernani. If memory serves me, she was pregnant during that run.
I enjoyed learning about Leona but then again I love all of your videos!
Leona has a beautiful voice. Enjoyed watching and learning some history. Thank you for this video.
My beautiful aunt leona such a legendary woman ❤️😍
Thank you for shining the light on her, she definitely deserves it😊💕
I second that! Upon hearing or seeing her name, I get a rush of emotion and connection to vocal greatness.
dude i love ur work/vids .... DO MORE
As a young college student I heard Leona Mitchell sing in the Metropolitan Opera Regional competition in Los Angeles. I commented-- this is a real voice-- However, she did not win or place in the competition. There's a lesson in that-- competitions are not the know all and end all. They can be helpful for scholarships etc. but aren't everything. Often singers do repertoire in competitions that they would never do on the professional stage.
Wow, Awesome ❤
Happy Birthday my dear 💚
Excellent content. Learned so much about Leona Mitchell!!! Amazing voice!
Wonderful! Thanks for this wonderful interview and for keeping the light shining on such magnificent talent. Black voices contribution to opera are not to be overlooked.
Gorgeous vocals all the way through! So much virtuoso! I must say! Brilliant interview. Thank you for sharing.
SHE’S 72?!?!????? Black don’t crack!!!!
I remember you VERY well, Leona Mitchell. Brava! Nice to see you are well. 💖🌹
thanks so much for rhis wonderufl itn erview
When I was studying music at a little liberal arts college in Enid, Oklahoma, back in the 70's, Ms Mitchell came to our campus. She was magnificent. I always wondered what happened to her career. I couldn't find any albums of hers. Now I know. I am sorry.
Thank you for this introduction to Mrs. Leona Mitchell.
9:38 to 11:00
Still happens to this very day. They keep you under wraps and hide you from the spotlight because allowing you to flourish will likely interfere with that which they want to promote!
They do this to Black Artist mostly too! Then pass their material off to none-Black ppl 🤢
Queen Leona!
Love this channel!!!!
You and your channel is the TRUTH!!!
❤️💯
Bishop Mason would have LOVED to hear "Yes Lord Praise" sung in such a manner. 💪
OMG Yes!
I LOVE MUSIC LIKE THIS SO MUCH !!!
La seule chose qui puisse rivaliser avec son incroyable talent c’est son charme…
Très bon interview, merci 🙏🏻
TH-cam guided me to her "Son pochi fiori" by Pietro Mascagni, the best ever. Regarding "The Second Coming" I would keep it as it is written. PSALM 92: 1 "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: 2 To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night, 3 Upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery; upon the harp with a solemn sound."
The racism. The white supremacy. And in spite of it all...Leona Mitchell. She is truly a great diva and she suffered immensely from those who hated her. Eartha Kitt, Kathleen Battle, Paul Robeson...the list is endless of Black entertainers who were punished severely for whatever reason whether real or imagined. She could've done thousands of albums if they would've let her.
Thank you.
Legendary, that Yahway bin Yahway ordeal was astounding showing Leona Mitchell in Ernani clips. His sister, a fashionable PRIMA DONNA del MONDO!!!!💋I just love Leona!!!
Thanks!
Could you please do Lena Horne next ? , absolutely love her voice lol
Grande artista!!!
Ms. Mitchell is one of the most outstanding voices of the 20th century. I think the issue3 centers aroudn her brother Yahweh ben Yahweh. One of the University, OU or OState should hire her immediatly as Distinguished Professor of Voice.
A one-in-a-million vocal talent and a true, feral stage animal. Saw her live mostly on her way up. It's too bad that the recording industry changed underneath her feet (it did). Still...that sound.
This was lovely. She's a sweetheart, and she looks great! I saw her Butterfly at the Met.
People don't realize it wasn't that long ago that the Black Male opera singers could only get so far, (not like today).
I'm so saddened to think that they would blacklist her, but I'm not surprised...she only said what all the others were thinking.
Thanks
I studied opera and never heard of her😢😢😢
💗💗💗
19`51 just LOVE
Now let's be fair. Certainly one of the great talents to follow Ms Price. Essentially a lyric...-spinto voice, and a beautiful one at that. But you are going to find it hard to join the top 10 Sopranos of your time if your top only consists of two vowels. A good example to listen to is the Butterfly duett at the Met Gala 83 with Ciancella. Listen to the the tenor's every word, and glorius top.
❤❤❤
What performance is that at the beginning of the video
It's "Tosca" by Puccini.
That was the problem in the Opera business, they kept comparing her to Leontine Price. I quit singing for the same reason, coz Im Asian tenor. The industry only dominated by Italian, Spanish or German. Even the French don't like to be part of the prejudiced career. Now, Opera is a dying career. Many audience is to critique you from head to toe not to enjoy music. I like to sing to people less educated in music. They appreciated great talent.