She made three recordings alone of the Verdi “Requiem” (led by Davis, Giulini, and Levine) and sang everything from Baroque to premieres she herself commissioned. But the center of gravity in her instrument was a note or two lower than what was needed to nail high-octane roles like Amneris or Azucena, and her vibe was always more “Bringer of Peace” than “Piece o’ Work.” She may therefore have missed out on traditional operatic superstardom, but who cares when an artist bequeaths such a rich legacy?

Her only solo album, a 1990 spirituals collection with pianist Larry Woodard and the Harlem Boys Choir, has stood the test of time handsomely. She’s in sumptuous voice and connects to the material in a way few have equaled and none have surpassed. Singing like this makes me reconsider my agnosticism (and in a fraction of the time and cost required to produce certain other spiritual extravaganzas: no huge orchestra or chorus, nor an onde martenot anywhere ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶i̶n̶ ̶s̶c̶r̶e̶a̶m̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶t̶a̶n̶c̶e̶ in sight). To paraphrase another spiritual, “You can have all the rest, give me Florence.”

Moe Rear is also a Florence Quivar fan:

Since Bumbry and Verrett are frequently mentioned on Parterre, I believe it is time to shine the light on another great American mezzo-soprano, Ms. Florence Quivar. I had the pleasure of seeing Ms. Quivar many times at the Met and in concert throughout her career. She was always on top of her game. Heck, she even succeeded in the treacherous role of Federica in Luisa Miller! The voice was big, lush, beautiful and even throughout its range. Her rock solid technique allowed her to sing everything from Rossini to Stravinsky. I have chosen to showcase her virtuosity in Fides great aria from Meyerbeer’s Le Prophète. I was fortunate to see her perform the role at the Met in 1979. It was unforgettable.