Born in New York in 1911 to Russian Jewish parents, Leonard Warren studied in Milan and New York under De Luca and Sidney Dietch. Following his début in Simon Boccanegra at the Metropolitan Opera in 1939, he soon became the company’s leading baritone. He performed in South America and Europe, and made a highly successful tour of the USSR during the height of the Cold War. As well as his impeccable technique and wide range, Warren was a superb actor. Tragically, he collapsed and died at the age of only 49 on the Met stage during a performance of Forza. This 2-CD set features Warren’s complete Victor recordings from 1939–47. As well as duets from La forza del destino and La bohème with Jan Peerce, this set includes arias from Faust, Carmen, Rigoletto, I Pagliacci, Otello and Il trovatore. It also includes eight sea shanties including ‘Shenandoah’, and such popular songs as ‘On the Road to Mandalay’.