Marian Anderson at the Met: Early Life: Background

Early Life: Background

Marian's Rejection from Music School

As a young girl, Marian had a lot of performance experience, but very little formal musical education. She knew that in order to become a professional singer, she would need more serious vocal training. She didn't know exactly how to get this training, and she wasn't sure her family would be able to afford it. Eventually, on the recommendation of several musician friends, she went to a music school in Philadelphia to apply for admission. She waited patiently in line as the young girl behind the desk handed out application forms. When Marian reached the front of the line, the girl ignored her, helping others until no one but Marian remained. As Marian later remembered it:

[The girl handing out admission forms] spoke to me, and her voice was not friendly. "What do you want?"

I tried to ignore her manner and replied that I had come to make inquiries regarding an application for entry to the school.

She looked at me coldly and said, "We don't take colored."

I don't think I said a word. I just looked at this girl and was shocked that such words could come from one so young. If she had been old and sour-faced I might not have been startledÉ. I could not conceive of a person surrounded as she was with the joy that is music without having some sense of its beauty and understanding rub off on her. I did not argue with her or ask to see her superior. It was as if a cold, horrifying hand had been laid on me. I turned and walked out.¹

Roland Hayes

One of Marian Anderson's early role models was African-American tenor Roland Hayes. From the first time she heard him sing in concert, Marian was mesmerized by his inspired performances of African-American spirituals and German lieder. The format of Hayes' musical program was new to Marian. She loved the two forms of art song, and later she would use them in combination in her own recitals.

Roland Hayes was born in Georgia in 1887, the son of former slaves. His father died when he was very young, and his mother moved the family to Tennessee to give her children more economic and educational opportunities. Hayes first sang with the Monumental Baptist Church choir in Chattanooga. At the age of 19 he moved to Nashville to attend Fisk University, where he joined the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The Jubilee Singers are credited with transforming spirituals from an oral folk tradition into a form of classical art song. Although Hayes did not graduate from Fisk, he joined a quartet of Fisk alumni in 1911; this group was well received during their extensive East Coast tours. Hayes later branched off on his own as a concert artist, touring black colleges and churches before traveling to Europe for further training and performance opportunities.

Hayes became quite successful in Europe, and was especially popular in England, France, and Russia. Even though some audiences protested his concerts - how dare he, a Negro, perform the works of Schubert and Beethoven! - Hayes kept calm, cool, and collected. His quiet dignity was carefully observed and absorbed by Marian; she would call upon a similar inner strength during her own difficult journey towards fame.

More information on Roland Hayes can be found at http://www.afrovoices.com/rhayes.html

Giuseppe Boghetti

Marian first met Giuseppe Boghetti in 1919, and the two forged a musical friendship that would last throughout her career. He was her teacher, advocate, and closely trusted friend.

Born Joe Bogash to Russian-Jewish parents in 1896, his boyhood dream was to become an operatic tenor. He studied at the Royal Conservatory in Milan, and gave concerts in many European cities. Unfortunately, not even changing his name to something that sounded Italian and operatic was enough to bolster his singing career, and he returned to the United States just after World War I as "Giuseppe Boghetti."

Shortly afterwards, Boghetti opened music studios in New York and Philadelphia so that he could share his knowledge of and opinions on vocal technique with the next generation of young singers. Standing no taller that 5'6Ó, he was a spark-plug, full of energy, comments, and criticism for his students. He expected his students to follow his advice without a second thought, and could be quite cross if they ignored his directions. Many left their lessons in tears.

Even though he was not always good at showing it, Boghetti cared very much about his students. He put the passion he once had for performing into teaching, and took great pains to tailor his lessons to each student's needs. He encouraged his students to attend lectures and performances to extend their learning outside of their hour-long lesson. Marian would often stay in Boghetti's studio after her lesson had ended to listen to him teach other singers, picking up whatever she could. He recognized her talent and her drive to succeed, and knew that he could help her become a superstar.

When they first began working together, Boghetti developed many vocal exercises specifically for Marian. He decided almost immediately that she sounded best on the E-flat above middle C, and that her technique in producing this pitch was flawless. He wanted her to be able to create sounds of equal resonance and purity throughout her entire 3-octave range. They came very close to accomplishing this goal before Marian left for Europe in 1927. He continued to coach her when she returned to the United States. His death in the early 1940s left her without a teacher she could trust, just when critics were starting to point out her vocal faults. She received letters from fans who offered to coach her, and even studied with one of them for a while, but none offered the familiarity she had shared for so long with Boghetti.


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