Dorothy Kirsten Sings "Vissi D'Arte," From Tosca

The great American soprano Dorothy Kirsten (1910-1992) sang almost all her life, starting—like Beverly Sills—when she was essentially still a girl and giving her last operatic performance when she was nearly 70. Her longevity consisted of many things; determination, persistence, and both an ability and a willingness to sing a lot of popular music, both on the radio, where she had a significant career, and on TV, with popular stars such as Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, and others. Her Met debut was in 1945, as Mimi, one of her most popular roles. The Met became her artistic home, and she was there for a very impressive 30 years. Here she sings Tosca's "Vissi D'Arte."