WARREN, LEONARD (1911 - 1960)

Leonard Warren (1911-1960) was born in New York of Russian immigrant parents and began his career in the chorus of Radio City Music Hall. After winning the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air in 1938, he then studied briefly in Italy, before his formal début as Paolo in Simon Boccanegra in January 1939. During 22 seasons at the Met, Warren sang in over six hundred performances with the company, with whom he became the principal in the Italian repertoire.

His overseas appearances included Rio de Janeiro (between 1942 and 1946), Mexico City (1948-49), Milan (1953- 54) and a concert tour of the Soviet Union in addition to three operatic appearances. He collapsed on stage during a performance of La forza del destino in March 1960 and died in the wings almost immediately.

His huge, resonant voice with easy ringing upper register was ideally suited to the music of Verdi, a number of whose operas he recorded, including Rigoletto (Naxos 8.110148-49) and Il trovatore (Naxos 8.110240-41).

Albums featuring this artist are available for download from ClassicsOnline.com
LEONCAVALLO: Pagliacci (Bjorling / Angeles) (1953)	8.110258
PUCCINI: Boheme (La) (Tebaldi) (1951)	8.110252-53
VERDI: Aida (Milanov, Bjorling, Perlea) (1955)	8.111042-44
VERDI: Forza del destino (La) (Callas, Tucker, Serafin) (1954)	8.111322-24
VERDI: Rigoletto (Bjorling, Sayao, Warren) (1943)	8.110051-52
VERDI: Rigoletto (Warren, Berger) (1950)	8.110148-49
VERDI: Trovatore (Il) (Bjorling, Milanov, Cellini) (1952)	8.110240-41