Classical Music Pays Tribute

NEW YORK (AP) - Soprano Leontyne Price sang "America The Beautiful.'' Cellist Yo-Yo Ma played a poignant and melancholy Bach suite. Pianist James Levine rippled the keys with a mournful rag.

New York's classical music community paid tribute Sunday night to the more than 6,000 victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with "A Concert of Remembrance'' at Carnegie Hall.

The musical tribute was free, but the thousands of concertgoers were urged to contribute to one of the many organizations helping families of the victims.

Robert Harth, executive and artistic director of Carnegie Hall, told the audience he hoped the music would provide "a measure of comfort and hope'' and "move our spirits and ease our burdens.''

Ma opened the 90-minute program with Mark O'Connor's "Appalachia Waltz'' and followed with Bach's Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor. Earlier Sunday, Ma played at the funeral of violinist Isaac Stern, who during the 1960s fought to save Carnegie Hall from being demolished.

Levine, artistic director of the Metropolitan Opera, played the piano in Mozart's Quintet for Piano and Winds in E-flat Major and then performed William Bolcom's "Graceful Ghost Rag.''

Price, 74, the first black opera superstar, got a standing ovation when she walked onstage, accompanied by Levine. She sang an uplifting spiritual with the words, "Don't give up hope - we're going to let it shine,'' followed by several verses of "America The Beautiful,'' her voice rising faultlessly to a high soprano.

The audience gave her a thunderous ovation and more than half a dozen curtain calls.

Carnegie Hall also announced that it will give a portion of the proceeds from its opening-night concert on Oct. 3 to disaster relief efforts.

The season is still scheduled to open with the Berlin Philharmonic, conductor Claudio Abbado and bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff, but the gala black-tie dinner has been changed to a light dinner with business attire recommended.