OBIT: William Warfield

Subject: William Warfield
From: GUEST,Just Amy
Date: 28 Aug 02 - 02:06 PM

I just read in the trades today that William Warfield has died. He was the bass baritone who who is best remmembered for singing "Ol' Man River" in the movie version of "Show Boat" 1951. He was married to Leontyne Price for 6 years. He performed Aaron Copeland's "Old American Songs" and other classic pieces. He toured in "Porgy and Bess." He was a professor of music at U of Illinois and Northwestern U. He was 82 at the time of his death.

Subject: RE: OBIT: William Warfield
From: Genie
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 01:11 AM

What a voice!

Subject: RE: OBIT: William Warfield
From: SharonA
Date: 29 Aug 02 - 10:24 AM

Thanks, Amy, for letting us know about this; I hadn't heard about it from the mainstream media. Another great voice silenced. It seems we have no one of this generation to "carry the standard", so to speak, for the likes of Robeson and Warfield. The "three tenors" have gotten plenty of publicity over the last decade, but who's filling in the bass – and why isn't the bass the same sort of media star?

Subject: RE: OBIT: William Warfield
From: sed
Date: 30 Aug 02 - 07:56 AM

So, what was the story about Warfield assuming Robeson's former role in 'Showboat?' Was Robeson fired for his politically-unpopular opinions/activities and then Warfield was hired? Didn't the opening Broadway cast for 'Showboat' include Robeson? What year was Robeson's passport revoked preventing him from earning his living as a popular concert artist in Europe? Robeson sure didn't live to be 82!

Finally, was Robeson a Christian as well as a Communist? I remember Lee Hay's mentor Claude Williams claimed to be both. 'Twas an interesting period of music and politics that still touches our voices and minds.

Subject: RE: OBIT: William Warfield
From: SharonA
Date: 30 Aug 02 - 09:00 AM

Actually, Paul Robeson did play the role of Joe in the movie version of "Showboat"... the 1936 version! Here's a page with a side-by-side comparison of that Universal Studios picture and MGM's reworking of the show in its 1951 movie: http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Studio/8849/Moviemusicals/Riverboat/oleman.htm#stage

Also, here is an obituary of Mr. Warfield: http://www.dallasnews.com/obituaries/stories/082702dnovewarfield.5c2a0.html The cause of his death is not known, but there will be an autopsy. He died at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where he was recuperating from a fall at his home.

Subject: RE: OBIT: William Warfield
From: JJ
Date: 30 Aug 02 - 09:55 AM

I still have that old Columbia LP of Warfield singing Aaron Copland's "Old American Songs," conducted by the composer. Copland set ten of these for baritone and orchestra. They might not be folk, but they sure are good.

Paul Robeson was not in the original Broadway cast of SHOW BOAT. Other commitments intervened, and in that production the role of Joe was played by Jules Bledsoe. Robeson first played Joe in the 1928 London production.

Robeson's passport was lifted in August, 1950. He died on January 23, 1976, at the age of 77.