Brava! The Challenges and Triumphs of African-­‐American Female Opera Singers Lauren Hensley Teaching Project, Spring 2011 The Ohio State University, EPL 834, Professor Beverly Gordon OVERVIEW Marian Anderson, Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry, Barbara HendricksͶthese remarkable women, born decades apart, have in common soaring voices, talent and presence, and great resilience. The life of each singer uniquely contributes to a shared legacy that provides inspiration for countless others through the present day. Through the curricular unit on the challenges and triumphs of African-­‐American female opera singers, teachers will have the opportunity to address history, music, art, foreign language, and literature through a range of investigative, reflective, and interactive activities. The unit will guide students through in-­‐depth biographical study, synthesis and evaluation of historical events and trends, and music appreciation. This overview provides a glimpse into the lives of two influential African-­‐American opera singers with the expectation that students will have much more to learn and to express through participation in the related curricular activities. Contralto Marian Anderson, born in Philadelphia three years before the turn of the twentieth century, was a pioneering figure in the world of classical vocal music. tŝƚŚŚĞƌĂƵŶƚ͛Ɛ
encouragement, six-­‐year-­‐old Anderson had her start singing in her ĐŚƵƌĐŚ͛ƐũƵŶŝŽƌĐŚŽŝƌ͘ƐĂ
child and then as a young teen, she sang a number of solos in various choirs and also received payment for solo performances at community events. Though her father and then grandfather tragically passed away when Anderson was twelve and thirteen, respectively, she continued to Brava! p. 1 have the support of the women in her family. i At fifteen years of age, she graduated from grammar school but was unable to progress to high school or undertake voice lessons due to ŚĞƌĨĂŵŝůLJ͛Ɛfinancial constraints. With the generous fundraising efforts of her church and community, she received the monetary support necessary both to attend high school and to study voice.ii In her pursuit of singing, Anderson faced discrimination on various fronts. Her application to the Philadelphia Music Academy, an all-­‐white institution, was rejected on the basis of her skin color rather than upon appraisal of her musical abilities.iii She continued private vocal lessons and sought to develop her skills by performing publicly, though a poor showing at the Town Hall of New York in 1924 caused her to break from singing for a few months as she reassessed her desire to become a renowned classical singer. With the personal support of her mother and artistic support of her voice instructor, she continued to train her voice and increased her diligence in foreign-­‐language study. An important performance with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in 1925 featured Anderson on the national level and was very well reviewed, but over the next several years her career did not take off in the United States, due partly to prejudice and partly to the Great Depression.iv In the early-­‐ and mid-­‐
thirties, Anderson͛ƐĐĂƌĞĞƌďĞŐĂŶƚŽƚĂŬĞŽĨĨŝŶƵƌŽƉĞ͘Toward the end of that decade, Anderson was performing approximately 70 times annually for audiences in the United States and abroad.v Despite Anderson͛s growing prominence, in 1939 the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) ǁŽŵĞŶ͛ƐŽƌŐĂŶŝnjĂƚŝŽŶblocked plans for her to perform for an interracial audience at Constitution Hall, a move for which the organization is still remembered today. As a Brava! p. 2 testament to the support that Anderson was beginning to gain with other segments of the population, though, Eleanor Roosevelt arranged a concert at the Lincoln Memorial, which 75,000 people attended and millions of others heard over the radio.vi This triumph is one of the ďĞƐƚƌĞŵĞŵďĞƌĞĚĞǀĞŶƚƐŝŶŶĚĞƌƐŽŶ͛ƐĐĂƌĞĞƌ͘ Embodying hope, grace, and wisdom, Anderson famously stated, ͞I forgave the DAR many years ago. You lose a lot of time hating people͟ and, on a separate occasion, ͞I have a great belief in the future of my people and my country.͟vii In 1955, Anderson performed the role of Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball, sĞƌĚŝͿĂƚEĞǁzŽƌŬŝƚLJ͛ƐDĞƚƌŽƉŽůŝƚĂŶKƉĞƌĂ, considered to be tŚĞhŶŝƚĞĚ^ƚĂƚĞƐ͛ƉƌĞŵŝĞƌ
stage. In this role, she became the first black person of any nationality to perform at the Met, opening doors for other black performers in the years to come. For the rest of her career, Anderson preferred to present recitals and concerts rather than performing in full-­‐staged operas, though her audiences often included dignitaries, presidents, and foreign leaders. Equally talented at singing both classical arias and spirituals, she demonstrated great range and depth.viii For her contributions, she earned recognition including a Presidential Medal of Honor, more than two dozen honorary doctoratesix, and a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.x ŶĚĞƌƐŽŶ͛Ɛ life and career provided inspiration for soprano Leontyne Price, who ƌĞĨůĞĐƚĞĚ͕͚͞Her example of professionalism, uncompromising standards, overcoming obstacles, persistence, resiliency and undaunted spirit inspired me to believe that I could achieve goals Brava! p. 3 that otherwisĞǁŽƵůĚŚĂǀĞďĞĞŶƵŶƚŚŽƵŐŚƚŽĨ͛͘͟xi Born in 1927, three decades after Anderson, Price encountered a somewhat different world as she forged her career, though racial discrimination was not absent. Growing up in Mississippi, piano accompaniment, choral music, and solo singing were part of PrŝĐĞ͛ƐůŝĨĞĨƌŽŵĞĂƌůLJĐŚŝůĚŚŽŽĚxii. WƌŝĐĞ͛ƐĂƵŶƚǁĂƐƚŚĞůĂƵŶĚƌĞƐƐ
for a white family, the Chisholms, who encouraged younŐWƌŝĐĞ͛Ɛmusical talents. After she received a degree in voice from Wilbeforce College/Central State University, Price attended the prestigious Julliard School of Music, made possible financially with the support of the Chisholm family and Paul Robeson, a renowned African-­‐American bass singer.xiii In the early 1950s, she performed in integrated Julliard productions as well as all-­‐black professional productions of Porgy and Bess and Four Saints in Three Acts, both in the United States and Europe. Price is often associated with her stunning performance of the eponymous lead role in Puccini͛s Tosca. Her first opportunity to embody this role came in a 1955 performance produced by NBC-­‐TV. In an act of unconcealed racial discrimination, several affiliate stations prevented the program from airingͶyet Price received acclaim for this performance. Her reputation grew substantially over the next few years, though one more than one occasion her opportunity to play a lead role on a major stage occurred only when she was called in as an understudy. Price͛s debut at the Met occurred in 1961, as Leonara in Verdi͛s Il Trovatore, a role in which she famously received a standing ovation that lasted for more than forty minutes.xiv With many leading operatic stage roles over the next twenty-­‐five years in such works as Verdi͛s Aida, Puccini͛s Madama Butterfly, Mozart͛s Die Zauberflöte, and Tchaikovsky͛s Eugene Onegin, Price attained the status of a ͞prima donna assoluta.͟xv In the decade following her retirement from Brava! p. 4 the opera stage in 1985, she went on to have a successful career as a recital and concert performer. A source of inspiration for others, she has stated ͞If you are going to think black, think positive about it. Don't think down on it, or think it is something in your way. And this way, when you really do want to stretch out, and express how beautiful black is, everybody will hear you.͟xvi As a testament to the recognition her life and her work have ultimately garnered, she has won 19 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and an array of other prestigious honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of the Arts.xvii Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price are two of the most widely recognized African-­‐
American female opera singers, but there are other singers whose lives and careers are worthy of appreciation. These historical and contemporary figures include: Marian Anderson (1897 ʹ 1993), contralto (low range) Camilla Williams (1919 ʹ present), soprano (high range) Mattiwilda Dobbs (1925 ʹ present), coloratura soprano (high range with exceptional agility) Betty Allen (1927 ʹ 2009), mezzo-­‐soprano (middle range) Leontyne Price (1927 -­‐ present), soprano Shirley Verrett (1931 ʹ 2010), mezzo-­‐soprano Reri Grist (1932 ʹ present), coloratura soprano Grace Bumbry (1937 ʹ present), mezzo-­‐soprano Martina Arroyo (1937 ʹ present), soprano Jessye Norman (1945 ʹ present), dramatic soprano (high range with exceptional fullness) Kathleen Battle (1948 ʹ present), coloratura soprano Barbara Hendricks (1948 ʹ present), soprano Leona Mitchell (1949 ʹ present), soprano Brava! p. 5 As the authors of the Afrocentric Voices in Classical Music website describe: African Americans have had a profound impact on the development of music in the United States. While their role in the history of American popular and folk music is now generally acknowledged and appreciated, their influence within the ͞classical͟ music world has received little attentionͶeven within the African American community.xviii The intent of this teaching project is to, one classroom at a time, foster greater awareness of and interest in the extraordinary contributions of African-­‐American singers. i
Marian Anderson: A life in song <http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/anderson>. Keiler, A. (2002). Marian Anderson: A singer's journey. New York: Scribner. iii
Grove music online <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com>. iv
Marian Anderson: A life in song <http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/anderson>. v
Women in history: Marian Anderson <http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/ande-­‐mar.htm>. vi
DĂƌŝĂŶŶĚĞƌƐŽŶ͛Ɛ obituary in the New York Times <http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/09/ obituaries/marian-­‐anderson-­‐is-­‐dead-­‐at-­‐96-­‐singer-­‐shattered-­‐racial-­‐barriers.html>. vii
African-­‐American quotes: Marian Anderson <http://africanamericanquotes.org/marian-­‐
anderson.html>. viii
Grove music online <http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com>. ix
Afrocentric voices in classical music: Marian Anderson <http://www.afrovoices.com/ anderson.html>. x
Marian Anderson historical society: Biography <http://www.mariananderson.org/bio/>. xi
DĂƌŝĂŶŶĚĞƌƐŽŶ͛ƐŽďŝƚƵĂƌLJŝŶƚŚĞEĞǁzŽƌŬdŝŵĞƐ͕para 4. xii
Mississippi musicians: Leontyne Price, <http://www.mswritersandmusicians.com/ musicians/leontyne-­‐price.html>. xiii
The Leontyne Price Library, <http://www.rustcollege.edu/leontyneprice_about_the_ library.html>. xiv
Gates, H. L., & Higginbotham, E. B. (eds.) (2004). African-­‐American Lives. New York: Oxford University Press. xv
Garland, P. (1985). Leontyne Price: Getting out at the top. Ebony 40(8), pp. 31-­‐38. xvi
African-­‐American quotes: Leontyne Price <http://africanamericanquotes.org/leontyne-­‐
price.html>. xvii
Leontyne Price: Voice of a century <http://web.mac.com/amiso/Leontyne_Price_Voice_ of_the_Century/Honors.html> xviii
Afrocentric voices in classical music, para 1, <http://www.afrovoices.com>. ii
Brava! p. 6 ACTIVITIES A) Life as We Know It (Biographical Study and Presentation) Objective: To study the life of a particular African-­‐American female opera singer in depth. Students will select an opera singer to study, though teachers should ensure that there is ample variety in selections. Each student will then write a report overviewing the major milestones in ƚŚĞƐŝŶŐĞƌ͛ƐůŝĨĞ;Ğ͘Ő͕͘ĐŚŝůĚŚŽŽĚ͕ĂĚŽůĞƐĐĞŶĐĞ͕Ĩirst performance, early career, middle career, late career, contributions/influences). Students will then form small groups to create PowerPoint presentations based upon the individual they studied (e.g., the Shirley Verrett group). Students will work together to select one image to represent each of these milestones, which they will compile into a PowerPoint presentation. In giving the presentation for the class, students will be encouraged to reflect upon what they were expecting to learn about the singer and whether anything they learned contrasted with their expectations or surprised them. If students in the same group consulted different resources on the same singer, they will also evaluate the similarities and differences in the representations. B) Paving the Way (Timeline Activity) Objective: To view how the experiences of African-­‐American female opera singers have developed over time. After students have had the opportunity to study individual singers, the class will work together to create a timeline that reflects the miůĞƐƚŽŶĞƐŝŶƚŚĞƐĞƐŝŶŐĞƌƐ͛ůŝǀĞƐ͘dŚĞƚŝŵĞůŝŶĞƐŚŽƵůĚ
include dates, brief statements, and, where appropriate, images. This activity can be completed on paper, a dry-­‐erase board, or a smart-­‐board or other computer format. In addition to displaying events on a visual plane, students should focus on how events proceed/follow one another, as well as how they overlap. While the contributions of trailblazing women will be honored, students will also be encouraged to challenge the assumption that the passage of time always represents progress. Brava! p. 7 C) Now and Then (Compare and Contrast Chart) Objective: To use a visual organizer to examine relationships among the lived experiences of African-­‐American female opera singers. Students will select two singers to compare and contrast in order to see similarities and differences in their lives and careers. One singer should be a woman was born before 1930. The other singer should be a woman who was born in or after 1945. Students will create questions (e.g., How did her career begin?) ƚŽŝĚĞŶƚŝĨLJƚŚĞǁĂLJƐŝŶǁŚŝĐŚƚŚĞLJǁŝůůŝŶǀĞƐƚŝŐĂƚĞƚŚĞƐŝŶŐĞƌƐ͛
life stories. Students will fill each cell with key terms and phrases that provide the answers. Students may work on this activity in pairs to collaborate on the identification of overlap and distinctiveness. Compare and Contrast Chart How did her career begin? Mattiwilda Dobbs Kathleen Battle What were the greatest challenges she encountered? What were the highlights of her career? How has she been described as an artist? How has she influenced others? D) Sing-­‐O (Trivia Bingo) Objective: To reinforce important facts about black female opera singers through game-­‐based learning. Students will create Bingo-­‐like grids (5 x 5 matrices). They will populate the cells with the names of singers they have studied during the unit. Each name must be used at least once. (Alternatively, the teacher can distribute pre-­‐assembled Sing-­‐O cards.) On individual slips of paper, students will write interesting trivia about singers they have studied. They will write each fact in such a way that the name of the singer is not revealed, but they will include the name in parentheses so that the answer can be determined. The teacher will collect all slips of paper into a container from which they can be selected one by one. To play the game, the teacher will randomly select a slip of paper and read its fact. Students who can identify the correct singer will select and mark a cell in which her name is written. For a difficult version of Brava! p. 8 the game, students must recall the facts from memory. For a moderate version, students will play Sing-­‐O soon after completing any of the other activities in the unit, so long as they cover the same main points students are asked to submit on the slips of paper. For an easy version of the game, students may consult notes. To ensure that effort plays a larger role than random guessing, students will paraphrase the fact in the cell they choose. This process will continue until a student has marked cells comprising a vertical, horizontal, or diagonal line. At this point, ƚŚĞƐƚƵĚĞŶƚǁŝůůĐĂůůŽƵƚ͞^ŝŶŐ-­‐K͊͟dŽǀĞƌŝĨLJĐŽƌƌĞĐƚĂŶƐǁĞƌƐ͕ƚŚĞƐƚƵĚĞŶƚǁŝůůƚŚĞŶƐŚĂƌĞƚŚĞ
ƉĂƌĂƉŚƌĂƐĞĚĨĂĐƚĂŶĚĐŽƌƌĞƐƉŽŶĚŝŶŐƐŝŶŐĞƌ͛ƐŶĂŵĞĨŽƌall cells that make up the winning line. Game-­‐play can continue as desired. Trivia Slip She was the first African-­‐American to perform a principal role at the Metropolitan Opera. (Marian Anderson) Sing-­‐O Card S Shirley Verrett Leontyne Price Jessye Norman Mattiwilda Dobbs I Marian Anderson N Jessye Norman G Mattiwilda Dobbs O Leontyne Price Kathleen Battle Grace Bumbry Kathleen Battle Marian Anderson Mattiwilda Dobbs Leontyne Price BRAVA! (free space) Marian Anderson Barbara Hendricks Grace Bumbry Barbara Hendricks Kathleen Battle Jessye Norman Shirley Verrett Jessye Norman Reri Grist Leontyne Price st
1 Af-­‐Am to have principal role at Met Brava! p. 9 E) Muse-­‐ic Appreciation (In-­‐Class Video) Objective: To grasp the talent of black female opera singers through a music appreciation activity. In class, students will view movie clips of several opera scenes featuring the singers they are studying. To prepare students for the video, teachers will describe or have the class read about the plot and characters. Students will also view the lyrics in the original language and in translation, either through handouts or projected onto a screen. Pre-­‐viewing questions may include the following: What does the title of the opera/song convey to you? How do you expect the singers to sound/move/look? After the viewing the opera scene(s), students will discuss their reactions and interpretations, including such topics as emotions, interactions, presentations, movement, and sound. This activity provides an opportunity for learning across the curriculum, particularly in the areas of music, drama, and foreign language. F) Expressing Sound through Sight (Poster Project) Objective: To express the themes of a particular opera through images. Using medium to large posterboard as their canvases, students will search through magazines to locate images that express the characters, plot, and themes of an opera of their choice. Ideally, students will work in groups of two to three students. Through collaboratively locating, contributing, and arranging representative images, students will have the opportunity to more deeply process why and how the visual elements portray the opera. Once students have completed their posters, they should have an opportunity to present their posters to the entire class. Displaying the posters on the classroom walls for some time thereafter will allow students to continue to appreciate the operas and explore their meaning. Collage Source: http://www.youthspeakoutint.org/new_site/images/stories/students%20life%20collage.jpg Brava! p. 10 G) Live and In Person (Opera Field Trip) Objective: To engage in a culminating activity that unites and brings to life the topics studied in the unit on African-­‐American female opera singers. Students will travel as a group on a field trip to a production of an opera. Depending on the local resources, the opera may be performed by one or more of the following: a professional company, traveling production, or university students. In the interest of affordability, teachers are encouraged to make arrangements for ͞ĐŽŵƉ͟;ĐŽŵƉůŝŵĞŶƚĂƌLJͿƚŝĐŬĞƚƐŽƌĂƚƚĞŶĚĂŶĐĞĂƚĂĚƌĞƐƐƌĞŚĞĂƌƐĂů͘ BIBLIOGRAPHY of cited and recommended resources Books and Articles Anderson, M. (2002). My Lord, what a morning: An autobiography. University of Illinois Press. Arsenault, R. (2009). The sound of freedom: Marian Anderson, the Lincoln memorial, and the concert that awakened America. Bloomsbury Press. Davis, P. G. (1999). The American opera singer: The lives and adventures of America's great singers in opera and concert from 1825 to the present. Anchor. Freedman, R. (2004). The voice that challenged a nation: Marian Anderson and the struggle for equal rights. Clarion Books. Garland, P. (1985). Leontyne Price: Getting out at the top. Ebony Magazine 40(8), pp. 31-­‐38. Gates, H. L., & Higginbotham, E. B. (eds.) (2004). African-­‐American Lives. Oxford University Press. Goulding, P. G. (1999). Ticket to the opera: Discovering and exploring 100 famous works, history, lore, and singers, with recommended recordings. Ballantine. Gray, J. (1988). Blacks in classical music: A bibliographical guide to composers, performers, and ensembles. Greenwood Press. Grout, D., & Williams, H. W. (2003). A short history of opera. Columbia University Press. Keiler, A. (2002). Marian Anderson: A singer's journey. Scribner. Brava! p. 11 Macy, L. (2008). The grove book of opera singers. Oxford University Press. Matheopolous, H. (1992). Diva: Sopranos and mezzo-­‐sopranos discuss their art. Northeastern University Press. Nash, E. (2007). Autobiographical reminiscences of African-­‐American classical singers, 1853-­‐ Present. Edwin Mellen Press. Necula, M. (2009). Life in opera truth, tempo, and soul: Encounters with stars, innovators, and leaders of todays opera world. Amadeus. Plotkin, F. (1994). Opera 101: A complete guide to learning and loving opera. Hyperion. Shepherd, K. R. (2006). Contemporary black biography: Leona Mitchell. The Gale Group. Simon, H. W. (1989). 100 great operas and their stories: Act-­‐by-­‐act synopses. Anchor Smith, E. L. (1995). Blacks in opera: An encyclopedia of people and companies, 1873-­‐1993. McFarland & Company. Southern, E. (1997). The music of black Americans: A history. W. W. Norton & Company. Verrett, S., & Brooks, C. (2003). I never walked alone: The autobiography of an American singer. Wiley. Williams, C., & Shonekan, S. (2011). The life of Camilla Williams, African American classical singer and opera diva. Edwin Mellen Press. Audio Recordings An Evening with Jessye Norman. (1999). Opera d'Oro. Barbara Hendricks: Airs et duos d'opérettes. (1994). EMI France. Barbara Hendricks: Chansons et melodies. (2007). EMI Classics. Barbara Hendricks: Mozart airs de concert & d'Opéras. (1984). EMI France. Classic Kathleen Battle. (2002). Sony Classical. Gershwin: Porgy & Bess, feat. Camilla Williams. (1998). Sony. Grace Bumbry: A portrait. (2000). Gala. Brava! p. 12 Grace Bumbry: Famous opera arias. (1993). Orfeo. Grace Bumbry: Oratorio / opera / lieder. (2004). Deutsche Grammophon. Kathleen Battle at Carnegie Hall. (1992). Deutsche Grammophon. Leona Mitchell sings favourite soprano arias. (2002). Eloquence Australia. Leontyne Price: Arias from Verdi and Puccini (1997). RCA. Leontyne Price rediscovered (2002). RCA Victor. Leontyne Price sings Barber (1994). RCA. Marian Anderson: Prima voce (1997). Nimbus Records. Mattiwilda Dobbs: Arias and songs (1999). Testament UK. DŽnjĂƌƚ͛ƐŽƐŝĨĂŶƚƵƚƚĞ͕ĨĞĂt. Reri Grist ;ϮϬϬϯͿ͘KƉĞƌĂĚ͛KƌŽ͘ WƵĐĐŝŶŝ͛ƐdŽƐĐĂ͕ĨĞĂƚ͘>ĞŽŶƚLJŶĞWƌŝĐĞ (2011). Sony Classical. Shirley Verrett in opera (1994). RCA. Shirley Verrett sings Bellini and Verdi (2010). Gala. Singer to remember: Marian Anderson (2007): Dutton Labs UK. The Best of Kathleen Battle (2004): Deutsche Grammophon. The Jessye Norman collection: Brahms and Schumann lieder (2005). Phillips. The very best of Barbara Hendricks (2005). EMI. Victor vocal series: Marian Anderson (1989). RCA. Video Recordings Aida's brothers and sisters: Black voices in opera. (2000). PBS documentary. Barbara Hendricks: Artisti of life. (2001). Winstar. Bizet: Carmen. (2005). Deutsche Grammophon. Brava! p. 13 Grace Bumbry in concert. (1991). Video Artists International. Great moments at the Met viewer's choice. (2007). A Metropolitan Opera Association production in association with Thirteen/WNET New York. Great stars of opera: Telecasts from the bell telephone hour 1959-­‐1966. (2000). Video Artists International. Leontyne Price in concert. (2001). Video Artists International. Marian Anderson: American women of achievement video collection. (1990). Schlessinger. Marian Anderson: The story of the voice that broke barriers. (1991). Kultur Video. Meyerbeer: L'Africaine. (2009). Kultur Video. Puccini: Tosca. (2010). Decca. Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia. (2010). Deutsche Grammophon. Saint-­‐Saens: Samson et Dalila. (1981). Kultur Video. Strauss: Ariadne auf Naxos. (1988). Deutsche Grammophon. The art of Grace Bumbry. (2005). Video Artists International. The art of Leontyne Price. (2004). Video Artists International. Verdi: La forza del destino. (1984). Deutsche Grammophon. Verdi: Requiem. (2005). Phillips. Wagner: Die walkure. (1991). Deutsche Grammophon. Websites African-­‐American Registry, http://www.aaregistry.org A searchable index of influential African Americans African-­‐American quotes, http://africanamericanquotes.org/leontyne-­‐price.html In this reference source, users can browse for inspirational quotes organized by person or theme Brava! p. 14 Afrocentric Voices in Classical Music, http://www.afrovoices.com Seeking to enhance awareness of African-­‐American contributions to classical music, this website ƉƌŽǀŝĚĞƐĂƐƚƵŶŶŝŶŐĂƌƌĂLJŽĨƚĞdžƚƵĂůĂŶĚŵƵůƚŝŵĞĚŝĂƌĞƐŽƵƌĐĞƐŽŶƉĂƐƚ͕ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ͕ĂŶĚ͞ĨƵƚƵƌĞ͟
(up-­‐and-­‐coming) artists; it also provides a web-­‐based radio station Ariama: Jessye Norman, http://www.ariama.com/jessye-­‐norman Provides a biography and links to featured recordings of Jessye Norman Ariama: Leontyne Price, http://www.ariama.com/leontyne-­‐price Provides a biography and links to featured recordings of Leontyne Price Barbara Hendricks Official Website, http://www.barbarahendricks.com Provides a biography, discography, and multimedia resources for Barbara Hendricks Grove Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com Provides a searchable repository of online articles on musicians Kathleen Battle Official Site, http://www.kathleenbattle.com Provides a biography, discography, and multimedia resources for Kathleen Battle Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century, http://web.mac.com/amiso/Leontyne_Price_Voice_ of_the_Century This website compiles audio and video recordings that feature great performances of Leontyne Price, as well as biographical information Marian Anderson Historical Society, http://www.mariananderson.org/ Honoring the legacy of Marian Anderson and promoting music education Marian Anderson: A Life in Song, http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/anderson/ A self-­‐ŐƵŝĚĞĚŽŶůŝŶĞƚŽƵƌŽĨƚŚĞhŶŝǀĞƌƐŝƚLJŽĨWĞŶŶƐLJůǀĂŶŝĂ͛ƐůŝďƌĂƌLJĞdžŚŝďŝƚŝŽŶŽŶDĂƌŝĂŶ
Anderson DĂƌŝĂŶŶĚĞƌƐŽŶ͛Ɛ Obituary in the New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/09/ obituaries/marian-­‐anderson-­‐is-­‐dead-­‐at-­‐96-­‐singer-­‐shattered-­‐racial-­‐barriers.html dŚŝƐŽďŝƚƵĂƌLJŝŶƚŚĞEĞǁzŽƌŬdŝŵĞƐŚŝŐŚůŝŐŚƚƐŶĚĞƌƐŽŶ͛ƐƐŽĐŝĂůĂŶĚĐƵůƚƵƌĂůŝŶĨůƵĞŶĐĞƐ͘ Mississippi Musicians: Leontyne Price, http://www.mswritersandmusicians.com/ musicians/leontyne-­‐price.html This reference source on writers and musicians includes an article on Leontyne Price, among other famous Mississippians NPR Music: Jessye Norman, http://www.npr.org/artists/15347875/jessye-­‐norman Archives interviews and news stories featuring Jessye Norman Brava! p. 15 Opera News: Reunion: Mattawilda Dobbs, http://www.operanews.com/operanews/templates/content.aspx?id=5893 Provides an article on the contributions of Mattawilda Dobbs OperaGlass, http://opera.stanford.edu/ Hosted by Stanford University, this site provides reference information on opera lyrics, stories, histories, and more Richmond Times Dispatch: Camilla Williams, http://www2.timesdispatch.com/special_section /2009/feb/10/camilla_williams-­‐ar-­‐80750/ A special newspaper feature devoted to Camilla Williams Reri Grist: The Greatest Soprano Who Ever Lived, http://reri-­‐grist.net/index-­‐en.html This fan-­‐created website provides basic background information on Reri Grist, one of the traditionally less well known African-­‐American opera singers San Francisco Opera, http://sfopera.com The official website for the San Francisco Opera Shirley Verrett: The Official Site, http://www.shirleyverrett.com/ Provides an autobiography, discography, and multimedia resources for Shirley Verrett The Leontyne Price Library, http://www.rustcollege.edu/leontyneprice_about_the_ library.html Rust College in Mississippi, for whom Leontyne Price performed a benefit concert, provides a biography of their benefactor The Metropolitan Opera, http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/ The official website for the Metropolitan Opera, considered by many to be the most prestigious opera company in the United States Women in History: Marian Anderson, http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/ande-­‐mar.htm Provides a brief, well-­‐organized overview of the life of Marian Anderson 2009 Kennedy Center Honors Grace Bumbry, //www.washingtonpost.com/wp-­‐dyn/ content/article/2009/12/04/AR2009120400141.html An article and photo gallery featuring Grace Bumbry, from the Washington Post Brava! p. 16