Marian Anderson at the Met: Early Career

H Marian Anderson at the Met: Early Career

Early Career (1920/21 - 1955): The Story

Marian Tours the Country

	Marian sings "Deep River" Audio Link credit: Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd Marian sings "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child." Audio Link credit: Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd

Training with Boghetti gave Marian more confidence and graduating from high school gave her more free time. Marian was finally able to take on a longer and more extensive tour. She and her accompanist Billy King toured throughout black communities, including churches and colleges, along the eastern seaboard. She stunned audiences with her performances. Especially moving were the spirituals, including "Deep River" and "Heav'n, Heav'n," which touched audiences and stirred their sense of pride.

Marian and Billy encountered fierce discrimination in the South. For instance, when traveling by train, they often had to change seats mid-trip, moving from a racially integrated car to the Jim Crow car. This "colored only" car was located directly behind the engine; it was noisy, crowded, and filthy. Soot came pouring through the windows whenever they were opened.

Marian and Billy collected contact information from over 200 eastern seaboard venues and organizations eager to host them. Since no management firm at that time would sign a pair of unknown black musicians, they used these contacts to plan their own tours.

Girl of My Dreams

Marian was especially successful in her hometown of Philadelphia. People would often throw parties in her honor following her concerts. It was at one of these parties that she met a handsome young prankster named Orpheus "King" Fisher. He greeted her at the door, dancing around goofily, refusing to let her enter the house. Two of King's brothers had crushes on Marian after meeting her at that party, but King knew that she was "the one" for him. He became her "#1 fan - for life," but it would be several decades before the two would wed.

Marian's First Recordings

	Marian sings "I Know the Lord Laid His Hand on Me." Audio Link credit: Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd. Marian sings "Were You There." Audio Link credit: Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd.

At another party, Marian was introduced to Joseph Pasternack, the conductor of the Philharmonic Society of Philadelphia. He was especially taken with her performances of spirituals, and made her sing "Heav'n Heav'n" several times in a row at the party. He wanted to see if the emotional depth he heard in her voice would carry through the many takes required to make a recording. With Pasternack's help, Marian began recording with the Victor Talking Machine Company, one of the major American recording companies at that time. From 1923-24 she became the first African-American concert artist to record spirituals for a major label.

Town Hall Fiasco

Also around this time, Marian was making frequent trips to New York City. Based on the success of her concerts in Harlem, she booked Town Hall for a debut concert on April 10, 1924. She had been assured that the house would be filled to capacity, so when she went on stage (45 minutes after the concert was supposed to start) and saw just a handful of people in the audience, she was crushed. The concert did not go well, and the reviews were so critical of Marian that she took time off from singing to reconsider her career. Was she truly meant to be a singer? By the end of the year, she had mostly recovered, and was once again studying with Boghetti. Pasternack also invited her to sing with the Philharmonic Society of Philadelphia; on December 13, 1923, she became the first African-American soloist to appear with the ensemble. Favorable reviews convinced her that yes, indeed, she did belong on stage.

Triumph at the Philharmonic

In early 1925, Boghetti secretly entered Marian's name in a music contest. The winner would be featured as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic. When Marian found out what he'd done, she was terrified. After what had happened at Town Hall, she was scared to sing in New York again! Over 300 singers had entered the competition. On the day of Marian's audition, the judges had already heard more than 50 singers, and had stopped many mid-song with a loud clicker. Marian was terrified that she would hear that clicker in the middle of her audition aria ("O mio Fernando," from Donizetti's opera La Favorita); the judges had already cut off a number of other singers auditioning with the very same piece. Marian took a deep breath and began her audition, listening all the while for the judges' dreaded clicker. She never heard it. Even though the audience was supposed to be silent during auditions, Marian's fellow auditioners erupted into applause at the end of the aria. The judges asked for another selection, and then for another to follow at the semifinals the following week. The judges did not need a "final" round. They named Marian the winner. She appeared with the New York Philharmonic on August 26, 1925, before a crowd of 7500.

Marian was riding high in many well-respected musical circles. She was the darling of the black press. But she felt that in order to truly "make it," she needed more advanced training - training unavailable to a black woman in the United States. Like many other African-American artists and performers during this period, Marian saw Europe as a place of real freedom, where she could explore and hone her craft.

Europe catches Marian Fever

	Marian in London, England

	Marian sings Schubert's "Der Tod und das Mädchen." Audio Link credit: Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd.

	Marian and Kosti rehearsing in Berlin, Germany, in 1931.

	Marian discussing composer Jean Sibelius. Audio Link credit: from Marian Anderson Collection, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania Marian sings Sibelius's "Im Feld ein Mädchen singt." Audio Link credit: Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd. Marian sings Sibelius's "Var den en dröm?" Audio Link credit: Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd.

Beginning with her first trip to Europe in the fall of 1927, Marian would spend the next several years of her life straddling the Atlantic Ocean. She found the training and exposure she needed in Europe. She spent most of her time in Germany and Scandinavia, studying German language and song interpretation; she also learned many lieder that would form the basis of her future concert programs.

Kosti Vehanen, a Finnish pianist, became her accompanist. With help from Kosti and manager Helmar Enwall, Marian toured all over Scandinavia. In this part of the world, she was something of a novelty. A performer of Marian's caliber was rare enough - but Marian was also a black woman with a Scandinavian last name! The audiences of Norway, Sweden, and Finland became some of Marian's biggest supporters - one newspaper claimed that Scandinavia had caught "Marian Fever." Her popularity in that region propelled her to further successes throughout Europe.

While in Finland, Marian became friends with the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. She added a number of his songs to her repertoire, and introduced his music to much of the world.

A Judson Artist

In between tours and study in Europe, Marian was signed by her first manager in the States: Arthur Judson. Though having a manager allowed Marian and Billy to focus on music, Judson was unable to find them many new venues. In fact, the number of performances Marian gave in the United States actually dropped. Her unhappiness with Judson's management grew over time. At one point he tried to convince her that she should become a soprano. He wanted her to pursue the title role of Aida, but she refused. This exchange made her even more upset with him - at least her own manager should understand that a contralto can't magically become a soprano overnight!

Acclaim and Fame

	Marian in 1935.

	Marian in concert at l'Opera de Paris, 1937.

	Marian discussing her first meeting with Sol Hurok. Audio Link credit: From Marian Anderson Collection, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania.

Marian set sail for Sweden in October of 1932, without telling Judson. She was making no progress artistically or professionally with Judson, and her Scandinavian manager Enwall guaranteed her a minimum of 20 concerts if she would cross the Atlantic.

Enwall's original 20-concert tour blossomed into over 2 years of tours and study that brought Marian across the European continent and into Asia. Marian's Paris debut came on May 2, 1934. Her mother and Billy King were in the audience, fulfilling Marian's dream of bringing her mother to Europe. In late May, at another Paris concert, Marian was lucky enough to have the legendary manager Sol Hurok In the audience. Hurok was so impressed with her performance that he requested a meeting with her the following day. He asked Marian to sign on with him and offered her a guarantee: 15 concerts with a fee of $500 per concert. When Judson couldn't match Hurok's offer, she changed management. With Hurok working for her in the States, and Enwall on her side in Europe, Marian's future looked brighter and brighter. As Kosti said, "Marian, the only thing to do now is to have a schnapps and come to life once more."¹

Marian in the USSR

	Marian and a new friend in Moscow, USSR, January, 1935.

	A crowd of townspeople await Marian's arrival in the USSR.

	Marian sings Schubert's "Ave Maria." Audio Link credit: Courtesy of EMI Records Ltd.

Marian's first performances of 1935 were in the Soviet Union. Marian's contract with the USSR contained two special conditions: that her concerts not be broadcast, and that she refrain from performing any songs with religious connotations (at the request of the Soviet government.) Each of these clauses were broken during her first performance. When Marian walked out on stage in Leningrad, she was greeted by Kosti at the piano and a microphone on center stage. When she protested the broadcast, she was told "In Russia, one does not ask questions."² Instead of removing religious songs from her concert, Marian had her Russian interpreter change their names. Schubert's "Ave Maria" was introduced as "an aria by Schubert," and the titles of the spirituals she sang were similarly altered. This was not an expression of political protest. Marian's decision was steeped in her artistic integrity and the audience's amazingly positive response to the spirituals. As she later recalled,

Half the audience - the half that had sat in the rear of the house - had rushed down the aisles and had formed a thick phalanx around the stage. Those nearest the stage were pounding on the board floor with their fists. Deep voices were roaring in Russian accents, 'Deep River' and 'Heaven, Heaven.' We did several encores with the throng almost underfoot. It was disconcerting for a few moments, but how could one resist such enthusiasm?³

In addition to the broadcasts of her performances, the Soviet government arranged for Marian to make several recordings. They felt that her voice and her story would be inspiring to the nation's youth. As her biographer, Allan Keiler, put it,

In propagandistic terms, Anderson was an American Negro artist who, in the face of racial prejudice and injustice, had cultivated the art of singing in ways that never compromised her cultural or racial identity.⁴

	Konstantin Stanislavski (left) enjoying Marian's performance, January, 1935.

While in the Soviet Union, Marian had the opportunity to sing for legendary theater director Konstantin Stanislavski. He was amazed by the emotioal power of her voice. He asked her if she had ever considered performing in an opera. He specifically wanted her to study the title role of Carmen with him. The card scene from this opera was already in her repertoire, but Marian doubted her ability to pull off the dancing and sensuality that the role required. She told Stanislavski that she would consider his offer and then get back to him. Unfortunately, he passed away before she had made a decision. When Marian later looked back on her career, missing this opportunity was one of her only regrets.

Marian toured the Ukraine, Georgia, and Azerbaijan before returning to the European continent. Europe was not as welcoming as it had once been. The Nazi party was gaining popularity and influence in Germany. Marian was invited to sing in Berlin - until the organizers learned that she was not "100 percent Aryan."⁵ While in Salzburg, Austria, she met Arturo Toscanini at a private recital. He honored her by saying "yours is a voice such as one hears only once in a hundred years."⁶

Homecoming

	Kosti and Marian aboard the Ile de France, ca. 1935.

Before leaving Europe, Marian had to make a very difficult decision. Once she returned to the United States, who would accompany her performances? She had been performing with Kosti for a long time at this point, and the two had established a great working relationship. She knew that Billy King and some black audiences would be upset if she brought Kosti; she also knew that the interracial pairing of herself with Kosti would upset some white audiences. Her final decision had to be made for the sake of her music. Simply put, Kosti was a better player and a better accompanist than Billy, and so he came to America with her.

	Marian and her family are welcomed by a crowd before her homecoming concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Marian's homecoming concert was scheduled for December 30, 1935 at New York's Town Hall. It was her first time back in the United States in over 2 and a half years. Marian's adrenaline was running high that night. Not only was she haunted by memories of her disastrous 1923 Town Hall debut, but she also had a broken ankle and had to hobble out onstage on crutches! The concert was an overwhelming success, both personally and professionally. Praise came from critics across the board. As the New York Times review said,

Let it be said at the outset: Marian Anderson has returned to her native land one of the great singers of our time. The Negro contralt...established herself in her concert at the Town Hall last night as the possessor of an excelling voice and art. Her singing enchanted an audience that included singers. There was no doubt of it, she was mistress of all she surveyed.⁷

Marian and the Daughters of the American Revolution

	First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Marian Anderson, 1944.

While the Northern part of the United States embraced Marian as a great artist, the South was less willing to accept her. Her 1936 tour was scheduled to include a stop in Washington, DC. Hurok wanted her to perform at Constitution Hall, which was owned by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). When she was blocked from performing in the hall because of its "white performers only" policy, Hurok quickly turned to a black high school in the area, which was more than happy to host the concert. While in Washington, Marian was invited to perform for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor. The ever-gracious Mrs. Roosevelt also invited Marian's mother to the concert. In her newspaper column, Mrs. Roosevelt made a special mention of appreciation and praise for Marian's performance. The two women forged a special relationship through this first meeting.

Constitution Hall's "white artists only" rule was not the only racist policy that Marian faced in the United States. Many venues had what was then called "assigned seating." This meant that a small group of tickets (usually the worst seats in the audience) was set aside for purchase by African-Americans. When those tickets had been purchased, all non-whites were turned away empty handed. Marian was under significant pressure from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples (NAACP) to refuse to perform for segregated audiences. Several other important black performers had taken a stand against racism, like Roland Hayes and Paul Robeson. Though she preferred to stay out of the political spotlight, Marian did not like performing for segregated audiences. If she was told that a segregated audience was part of her contract, she often convinced the house management to divide the audience in half vertically. That way, both blacks and whites would have the opportunity to see and hear her performance up close and personal, or from the cheap seats. It was considered a major accomplishment in 1952 when she performed the first two desegregated concerts in Florida's history.

The Lincoln Memorial Concert

	Marian discussing the Lincoln Memorial Concert of April, 1939. Audio Link credit: from Marian Anderson Collection, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania.

	While 75,000 people attended the Lincoln Memorial Concert, nearly 6 million tuned in over the radio.

	Marian and Kosti overlooking the 75,000 person audience at the Lincoln Memorial Concert, 1939.

In 1939 Hurok decided to include Washington D.C. in Marian's annual tour. By this point, she had become incredibly famous and popular. She earned an estimated $238,000 in 1938 - the equivalent of nearly $3,070,368 today. Her fans were so numerous that only one hall in Washington could even hope to hold them all: Constitution Hall, with its "white artists only" policy. Hurok teamed up with the NAACP and Howard University to petition the DAR to make an exception for Marian. The DAR rejected their petition. Hurok looked into getting an area high school for the performance, but the only suitable auditorium belonged to a white high school, and the school board would not allow Marian to perform there. They appealed again to the DAR, and again were turned away. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR in protest of their discrimination against Marian and all non-white artists. Hurok and Marian's supporters were determined that Marian should perform in Washington, "even if we have to build a tent for her."⁸

Ironically, Constitution Hall stood within the shadows of the Lincoln Memorial. An open air concert on the steps of the Memorial was planned for Easter Sunday. The event had already gained a lot of free press coverage because of the controversy, but that didn't stop Hurok from making sure it was well publicized. The half-hour long concert was to be broadcast from coast to coast, and boy scout volunteers of all races handed out programs to the over 75,000 people in attendance. At the very end of the concert, Marian addressed the crowd, saying, "I am so overwhelmed, I just can't talk. I can't tell you what you have done for me today. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."⁹ Walter White of the NAACP remembered the image of one young girl in the audience:

It was a slender black girl dressed in somewhat too garishly hued Easter finery. Hers was not the face of one who had been the beneficiary of much education or opportunity. Her hands were particularly noticeable as she thrust them forward and upward, trying desperately...to touch the singer. They were hands that despite their youth had known only the dreary work of manual labor. Tears streamed down the girl's dark face. Her hair was askew, but in her eyes flamed hope bordering on ecstasy. Life which had been none too easy for her held out greater hope because one who was also colored and who, like herself, had known poverty, privation, and prejudice, had, by her genius, gone a long way toward conquering bigotry. If Marian Anderson could do it, the girl's eyes seemed to say, then I can, too.¹⁰

	First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt presents Marian with the Spingarn Medal at the NAACP's convention, 1939.

It was an historic event to be sure. While no change was made in the DAR's policy for quite some time, the concert made a huge impact on race relations and the civil rights movement. Marian became one of the nation's most highly respected celebrities, and the Department of the Interior sponsored a mural contest to commemorate the event.

Later in 1939, Marian sang at the White House for the King and Queen of England at Eleanor Roosevelt's request. And in July, Eleanor presented Marian with the NAACP's highest honor, the Spingarn Medal, at the NAACP convention in Richmond, Virginia.

Settling Down

	Marian and King on their wedding day: July 24, 1943.

	Orpheus "King" Fisher at Marianna Farm, 1965.

After years of long distance courtship, Marian was finally ready to consider settling down and marrying Orpheus Fisher. Her decision made a number of people uneasy, including herself. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to find the room in her busy performance schedule to have a real personal life, and she was afraid that spending time with King would force her to miss valuable performing opportunities. Many friends worried that she would drop off the musical map entirely and devote herself to being a housewife.

Their pairing made some strangers uncomfortable as well. King was very "light skinned," so much so that in his youth he was sometimes able to "pass" for white in certain social circles. When he and Marian decided to buy a home before their marriage, King did most of the house-hunting because Marian was on tour. He came close to purchasing several different lots before being turned away because of race. Some of his realtors may have suddenly realized that he was black when they met Marian. Some may only have found out that he was married to an African-American woman. Either way, they were no longer interested in selling to him.

King and Marian finally purchased a farm near Danbury, Connecticut in 1940. They called it "Marianna." They married in July of 1943 - twenty-some years after they first met and fell in love.

New Challenges

	Marian relaxing in Hawaii, June, 1940.

	Marian and her new accompanist, Franz Rupp at NBC Studios in New York, 1941.

	Marian in a recording session for RCA Victor Studios, April, 1945.

Kosti left abruptly for Finland in the middle of Marian's 1940 tour; some potentially embarrassing details about his relationships with other men were about to become public. Neither Kosti nor Hurok wanted any of the controversy to rub off on Marian, and so he returned to his homeland. His departure left Marian stranded in Hawaii with no accompanist. Fortunately, Franz Rupp was available, and could fill in immediately. Around the same time, Marian began looking for a new teacher, as Boghetti had passed away. And to top it all off, a cyst was discovered in Marian's throat. She had it surgically removed in 1948, but her doctors weren't sure if she'd ever be able to sing again. Fortunately, after a few months of rest, she was able to tour as planned. In 1953, she became the first African-American singer in Japan's 2600-year history to perform for the Imperial Court.

At this point, Marian was well into her 50's. All the years of performing and traveling with little rest were beginning to affect her voice. Critics loved the new-found emotional depth in her song interpretations, but often criticized her for poor technique. Issues of breath and pitch seemed to trouble Marian more and more. Some said that she was past her prime and should retire. Marian, of course, continued to tour, though not as extensively as she once had. This allowed her to rest more and to spend more time at home with King, for which he was most grateful.

Another benefit of touring less often was the opportunity to make more recordings. From 1935 to 1955, she recorded 150 tracks for RCA/Victor. She also received many awards, including:

Recognition from the Schomburg Collections of the NYPL and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History for distinguished achievement in the improvement of race relations
Litteris et Artibus from King Gustav of Sweden
Honorary degrees from Dickinson University, Howard University, and Temple University
Spingarn Medal from NAACP
Bok Award from the City of Philadelphia

Marian Gives Back

	Marian with a young girl in a Philadelphia classroom.

Though she was constantly being recognized, Marian took every opportunity she could to recognize and assist others, especially aspiring black singers. In 1941 she was given the Bok Award, presented annually to "a Philadelphian who had done some service that redounds to the credit of the city." Marian used the $10,000 prize money to establish the Marian Anderson Scholarship Fund to award promising young vocalists with money for their continued musical study. Competition for the award was fierce, and many competitors went on to have successful careers. Winners included Camilla Williams, the first African-American to perform with New York City Opera, and Mattiwilda Dobbs, one of the first African-American women to sing at The Met. Singers such as Leontyne Price and Jessye Norman were among those who did not win. In 1954, the Marian Anderson Recreation Center opened in Marian's old Philadelphia neighborhood. The $700,000 facility was designed to foster community and offer new opportunities to the residents of South Philadelphia.


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