OnPointt.com ! I THE OPERA SERIES I Showcasing Opera Great Marian Anderson

OVERVIEW - Welcome to the Opera Series at OnPointt Online Magazine. It has been a long time coming for us to do this great series here at OnPointt.com. To attempt to do a MAJOR YEAR LONG series, you need to be prepared. There has to be no half-stepping on a series like this. You need to have people around you who WANT to do the research. If we find information that no one knows who thought they knew everything..... we really have done our thing here. To prepare for this series, there were meetings about who would be showcased as number two, number three and so on. There was never a doubt in anyone's mind who would be NUMBER ONE. Marian Anderson holds the number one title, no objections, NONE! Those who helped in the research, shared their ideas to create a touching and meaningful series. We all would have a great time in our research and I would be very proud to produce this work to you the visitor. What else is there to say about those persons who contributed to the Opera that hasn't been told? Maybe not much but to tell the story over and over again to newer generations, to spark the memories of those who are familiar with the life of Marian Anderson and others is a gift. As a researcher, once you get started on a series such as this, it's so magical! It's like you are going on a journey in time. You find yourself just researching for hours and it is not a chore to do.... you just love it. I hope you enjoy our series. Not only will we showcase Opera Singers, we will be showcasing conductors, arrangers, people who love the Opera and much more. Without further adieu, I present to you

'FOR THE LOVE OF OPERA, THE OPERA SERIES AT ONPOINTT.COM.

FEATURE CONCEPT: BL DAVIS

PRELUDE TO GREATNESS
Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia, PA. She was the oldest daughter of John and Anna Anderson. Marian's sisters were Alyse/Ethel. The photo to the left was taken with Marian, her mother and sisters in 1910 ( Beautiful ). Tragedy struck the family in the year 1910 when John died after suffering a head wound. He was a laoder at Reading Terminal Market. Anna was no longer a teacher (she taught while living in Virginia. The family moved in with John's family after the tragedy and Anna took jobs to make ends meet for her daughters.

EDUCATION
Marian attended William Penn High and finished her high school education at South Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1921. Her musical education began in High School. Funding for her voice lessons came from her church Union Baptist (Fitzwater & Martin, and community. Marian trained under Mary Saunders Patterson in 1915, then from 1916 to 1918 she trained with Agnes Reifsnyder. In 1920 the great Giuseppe Boghetti in 1920. Notable Mentions:
In 1919 Marian Anderson studied with Oscar Sanger at the Chicago Conservatory Of Music and she gave performances in productions of Handel's Messiah and Mendelssohn's Elijah
( Philadelphia And Boston ).

Accompianists Credits****
WILLIAM (BILLY) KING, Philadelphia Musician who accompanied Roland Hayes had accompanied Marian Anderson early in her career as well as Kosti Vehanen a Finnish Pianist. The most recognized is Franz Rupp. (see Rupp below in pic with Lady Anderson below)

SET SAIL GREAT LADY......
In the year 1927, Marian Anderson sailed to London to develop her vocals and develop her overall performance. Fate would come a calling. During a trip to Europe (Salzburg Austria in 1935 ) Marian performed at one of the city's hotel ballrooms. The famous conductor Arturo Toscanini attended and he stated (Quote):

"A voice like hers is heard only once in a hundred years."

Marian Anderson's travels would take her to Berlin, months in Scandinavian countries, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Demark. Here was a woman who at one point came from a family that was making ends meet and now she was seeing the world. Marian Anderson performed over twenty concerts in a two year period in the 30's in Scandinavia. We are going to direct you to one of the most compelling sites that gives so much in depth accounts of Lady Marian's life. ( See The End ) Pictures sometimes tell a thousand words. The world was beginning to see the very best of Marian and she in turn was seeing the best of the world. Known to have endured prejudices, she never faltered. What is to be remembered more than anything else is that she never faltered, she LIVED!

Marian Anderson With Westminister Choir College Choir Christmas 1944 I Conductor Leopold Stokowski. Marian Anderson With Franz Rupp Who Accompanied Her Until The End Of Her Professional Career. This Beautiful Contralto Was Loved By Her People, Other Nations, Big And Small. She Made History By Singing At The Lincoln Memorial Singing 'My Country Tis Of Thee' in 1939, Before Easter Sunday. The DAR ( Daughters Of The American Revolution ) denied her the right to sing at Constitution Hall because of her race. First Lady Elenor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR and invited Marian Anderson to sing to millions ath The Lincoln Memorial. Seventy-Five Thousand 75,000 attended, the largest assembly of persons to date. This was a great day for Marian Andereson and for People of Color. In the 1940's and 1950's Marian Anderson was touring South America, West Indies, Japan,
Far East, Israel, Morocco and more.

Marian was in the company of Leaders who gave the highest honor in their country ( they bowed to her ).
In January 7, 1955, at fifty-seven, Marian Anderson would be the First Woman Of Color to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. She would perform as 'Ulrica' the fortune teller in Giuseppe Verdi's Un ballo in maschera. Marian Anderson was breaking the 'glass ceiling' for many colored opera greats to come after her.

Her farm/home 'Marianna' (named after herself and her mother) was vast ( Danbury CT 450 acres! ). She rode horses, she loved her dogs, cats, she cooked (see Mother Anderson and Marian below), she upholstered furniture and she spent as much quality time with her husband Orpheus Fisher ( Married July 24, 1943, Orpheus was of fair complexion, A Black Man). They were marired until death did them apart.

Marian Anderson, a legend came in contact with other legends on different occasions:
Paul Robeson, Hattie McDaniel, Mary McCleod Bethune, Albert Einstein, Presidents, First Ladies, and Presidents of other countries. Marian Anderson Fisher received several honorary degrees. To learn more abut this legends great life, we direct you to a place she deemed 'a safe haven' to keep some of her most treasured timepieces.They include but not all pictures, audio, video, papers (arrangements given to her by famous conductors, arrangers, programs of many performances) and much more.
(see link at the bottom of page)

Reflections.....

How would Marian Anderson view the world today?
She was a lady, who set the course eloquently for others to follow. Barriers were broken. Those persons of ignorance, those persons who believed, those persons who had doubt about this woman only saw the BEAUTY, INTELLIGENCE, The great gift from God, The Elegance, The Determination, The Family Support, The Support Of A Husband Of His Successful Wife, THE ADMIRATION OF A NATION and much more.

Life makes no mistakes on how it's course is run.
You must get this in order to be where you are needed to be. We all have a course. Never let this be the all time ignorance of you. Still your spirit, your soul and listen inward. The voice of reason, the voice of knowledge, the voice of preservance is there. God is there. To have the design of life meant for you, you must obey the will of what is meant to be for you. We thank a great lady for her life living that the world mostly saw. Many will hear the story and do something with their lives. She was a LADY that made great strides, and despite the negatives that surrounds many women and women of color, life's course will still have Ladies Of Greatness.