The 1966 Grammy for Best Classical Vocal Soloist recording went to Leontyne Price for her Prima Donna album. This would become the first of five albums of soprano arias recorded by Miss Price. I bought them when they were released on CD and for years they were the first and only recordings of those arias I knew.
I'm choosing two arias from that first collection as my diva and mensch:
Diva: "Ecco, respiro appena... Io son' l'umile ancella" from Adriana Lecouvreur by Cilea
Mensch: "Thy hand, Belinda... When I am laid in earth" from Dido and Aeneas by Purcell
The Adriana aria is luscious beyond compare. This is the first music that the audience hears Adriana sing and it sets the tone of opulence, grand tragedy, and diva worship to the hilt. The Dido aria is also grand tragedy but it's an austere kind of tragedy. A great Adriana is a lot of trashy fun - - a great Dido is devastating.
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