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Marian Anderson

Episode 1 of 5

Opera singer Peter Brathwaite invites us in to the extraordinary voice of contralto Marian Anderson, in a personal exploration of what makes it - and her - so special to him.

Opera singer Peter Brathwaite shares his passion for five very different singers whose voices, artistry and lives inspire and move him, and whose stories he needs to tell.

‘A voice like yours is heard only once in a hundred years’: so said conductor Arturo Toscanini to Marian Anderson, the African American contralto whose concert on Easter Sunday concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 became a defining moment in America's civil rights movement.

Peter invites us to dive with him into Anderson’s extraordinary voice, exploring its sonic qualities as well as its cultural and historical importance, and why for him, a black opera singer in 2021, Marian Anderson’s voice still resonates so deeply.

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14 minutes

Last on

Mon 13 Feb 2023 22:45

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Music Played

  • Traditional Spiritual

    My Soul's been anchored in the Lord

    Music Arranger: Florence Price. Singer: Marian Anderson. Performer: Franz Rupp.
  • Franz Schubert

    Der Tod und das Mädchen, D 531

    Performer: Kosti Vehanen. Singer: Marian Anderson.

Broadcasts

  • Mon 10 May 2021 22:45
  • Mon 13 Feb 2023 22:45

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