Leonard Warren

Leonard Warren ( * April 21, 1911 in New York City; † March 4, 1960 ) was an American baritone.

Life

Warren was born in the U.S., but was descended from Russian ancestors, whose last name was Americanized Warenoff, as Leonard Warren's father moved to the United States. Warren was from 1935 a member of the Radio City Musical Choir; In 1938 he was awarded a scholarship that enabled him to study in Italy. In the same year he made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera with excerpts from La Traviata and Pagliacci, his first real opera role was 1939 Paolo in Simon Boccanegra. Warren quickly became an audience favorite and appeared in many American opera companies, but also at La Scala in Milan (1953) and on a tour of the USSR in 1958. He was regarded as an excellent interpreter of Verdi. Successes came as Tonio in Pagliacci, inter alia, as Escamillo in Carmen, and Scarpia in Tosca. A colleague said to characterize him, Warren had caused pain - namely, by his insistence on his own will in all artistic matters, which he imposed upon its surroundings - but his great voice have compensated the victims for it.

In 1960, he broke out in New York on stage when he - was singing the aria Urna fatale dal mio destino La forza del at the opera destino, and died of a brain hemorrhage - irony of fate.

• Opera singer
• Baritone
• American musician
• Born in 1911
• Died in 1960
• Man