Marian Anderson: A Singer's JourneyMarian Anderson was a woman with two disparate voices. The first--a powerful, majestic contralto spanning four octaves--catapulted her from Philadelphia poverty to international fame. A second, softer voice emanated from her mere presence: an unwavering refrain of opportunity and accomplishment in the face of racial prejudice. Allan Keiler chronicles the life of the legendary singer and activist from the childhood manifestation of her musical genius to her worldwide celebrity. As he shows, community and familial support could not shield her from the economic hardship and bigotry she encountered in her early performing days. Early successes in London and Berlin set the stage for her American breakthrough while the triumphant 1939 Lincoln Memorial concert established her immediately as an icon in the struggle against discrimination. Keiler reveals a woman more comfortable as artist than activist. But if Anderson's intense privacy and devotion to her work distanced her from a direct role in the civil rights movement, she remained a powerful symbol of possibility. Drawing on rare archives and meetings with Anderson before her death, Marian Anderson is a magnificent study of a groundbreaking American artist. |
Contents
Childhood in South Philadelphia 18971915 | 15 |
The Struggle for Education 19151921 | 29 |
Touring with Billy King 19211928 | 50 |
London 1928 | 68 |
The Judson Years 19291930 | 83 |
Berlin and Scandinvia 19301931 | 94 |
Marian Fever 19321934 | 115 |
Fame in Europe 19341935 | 133 |
Postwar Years 19431952 | 243 |
One the World Stage 19521958 | 261 |
Retirement 19591993 | 293 |
Repertory | 337 |
Discography | 353 |
References | 380 |
Bibliography | 383 |
Notes | 389 |