Great Black Singer: Marian Anderson - Softly Awakes My Heart, 1935

Marion Anderson with Orchestral accomp. cond. by Lawrance Collingwood Softly Awakes My Heart, from Samson and Delilah (Saint-Saens), HMV ca 1935

NOTE: Marian (Marion) ANDERSON (b.1897 in Philadelphia d.1993 in Portland, Oregon) was an American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. Music critic Alan Blyth said "Her voice was a rich, vibrant contralto of intrinsic beauty." Most of her singing career was spent performing in concert and recital in major music venues and with major orchestras throughout the United States and Europe between 1925-1965. Although she was offered contracts to perform roles with many important European opera companies, Anderson declined all of these, preferring to perform in concert and recital only. She did, however, perform opera arias within her concerts and recitals. She made many recordings that reflected her broad performance repertoire of everything from concert literature to lieder to opera to traditional American songs and spirituals. She was one of those who broke barriers for black artists in the United States.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Marian
• Marion
• Anderson
• America
• contralto
• black
• singer
• 1930s
• Thirties
• 78rpm
• French
• opera
• spirituals
• Saint
• Saens
• Samson
• Delilah
• old
• gramophone
• record

[genia106]

My Darling Grzegorz,

Thank you for this BIJOU!

Pure Rapture!

Merci.

[240252]

@genia106 Genia, you are such a Dear!!! to share so faithfully all that pain with us... Every day the new coffins arrive to Warsaw and every day the long long never ending series of funerals is reported on radio, web and tv. Whenever I put on radio in my car, there's another solemn funeral chant going on... Well, I know the pass of time will bring some repose :) THANK YOU!!

[Pamudder]

As Arturo Toscanini said to her, "A voice like yours is heard once in a hundred years."

[240252]

@Pamudder I did not hear that - very true! - Maestro's opinion about her. Thank you for that quoting! Marion really deserved all these words of admiration, and of love we all have for her as for a singer - and as a lovely personality, too.

[vulcanswork]

Great, great voice. Beautiful video. Thanks.

[240252]

@vulcanswork Thank you! It's just my little, little tribute to a Great Great Artist

[bonnies1234567]

@Pamudder -- Yes, I read that quote in her autobiography, "My Lord, What a Morning," which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also consider Jessye Norman's version of "My Heart at Thy Sweet Voice" most sensual. It is featured on YouTube also.

[justinbiebzrockzz32]

She has a beautiful voice does anyone have a tissue

[goku3677]

I like her singing it sounded like a Angle

[paulprocopolis]

Absolutely ravishing - I was deeply touched!

[aussiechickdiana]

Truly a queen...

diana

[marioriospinot]

Audio and visual, right on! and thank you.

[catwomanFL72]

@jd7x7jd ditto. Anderson was an amazing singer. LEGEND.

[jd7x7jd]

Oh wow thanks. I have run out of Kleenex. :(( :)

[raycou100]

Fantastic. Check out the picture book, When Marian Sang, written by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Caldecott winner Brian Selznick. Equally fantastic.

[SatchmoSings]

I've often what it would have been like if Ms. Anderson and Lawrence Tibbett had at least done a recording of highlights from "Samson and Delilah;" I believe it is one of the few operas where the leads are mezzo and baritone; I think Ms. Anderson could have handled mezzo or at least they could have transcribed down a bit; Tibbett could have gone a bit lower to handle his end to make a "match."