Let Freedom Sing! Four African-American Concert Singers in Nineteenth-Century America
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
LET FREEDOM SING! FOUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONCERT SINGERS IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY AMERICA By SONYA R. GABLE-WILSON A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2005 Copyright 2005 by Sonya R. Gable-Wilson ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Special thanks are given to my husband, Ken Wilson. Without his never-ending love, support (both mentally and financially), encouragement, and many, many sacrifices, I could not have persevered and completed this project. Throughout this task I also had the joy of working with a great committee: Elizabeth Graham, Raymond Chobaz, Arthur Jennings, Brian Ward, and David Kushner. This group gave frequent advice, new ideas, and often steered me toward a more objective direction. I am especially grateful to David Kushner, not only for his wisdom, guidance, patience, and many chats over the past several years, but also for instilling in so many students a love of musicology. Most of all, many thanks go to all of these people for believing in my success. This project would not have existed without the assistance of many individuals in various public libraries, city halls, and universities nationwide, who contributed their time and efforts in helping with this research. Special thanks are given to the University of Florida music librarians, Robena Cornwell and Michelle Wilbanks-Fox, for their knowledge and continued support over the years. Without these ladies, this huge task would have been impossible. Also, recognition and appreciation should be given to Luvada Harrison and Linda Thompson Williams for taking the time to answer questions concerning the industry. Finally, I owe a great deal of thanks to my family (especially my mother who read this work several times), for supporting me mentally, and at times financially, and to my friend and colleague, Judy Wade, for her undying willingness to listen, advise, email, chat, and, yes, read this work numerous times. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iii LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... vi ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................1 Need for the Study........................................................................................................2 Purpose and Summary of the Study..............................................................................3 Challenges of the Study................................................................................................7 Definitions of Terms.....................................................................................................8 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE.....................................................................................11 3 NOT ALL NIGHTINGALES ARE WHITE: PROFILES OF FOUR AFRICAN- AMERICAN CLASSICAL SINGERS OF THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY ........28 Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield .......................................................................................29 Nellie Brown Mitchell ................................................................................................62 Marie Selika Williams ................................................................................................77 Matilda Sissieretta Jones.............................................................................................87 4 FROM THE PULPIT TO THE CONCERT STAGE: THE INFLUENCE OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHURCH ........................................................................130 5 MONEY TALKS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN PRIMA DONNA’S TRAINING, REPERTOIRE, SALARIES, UNITED STATES CITIES TOURED, AND MANAGEMENT ACQUIRED................................................................................142 6 CROW, COON, AND OPERA? THE BUILDING AND STAGING OF BLACK OPERA COMPANIES OF THE NINETEENTH-CENTURY...............................167 iv 7 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...........................194 Conclusions...............................................................................................................205 Results of the Research.............................................................................................208 The Need for Further Research.................................................................................211 APPENDIX INTERVIEWS WITH TWENTY-FIRST-CENTURY AFRICAN- AMERICAN SINGERS ...........................................................................................213 LIST OF REFERENCES.................................................................................................218 Primary Sources........................................................................................................218 Secondary Sources....................................................................................................219 Collections and Libraries..........................................................................................229 Periodicals and Newspapers .....................................................................................229 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ...........................................................................................231 v LIST OF FIGURES Figure page 3-1 Photograph of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield (ca. 1819 - 1876) ............................111 3-2 Will and Testament for Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield ..........................................112 3-3 Program for Townsend Hall, New York..............................................................113 3-4 Program for Corinthian Hall, Rochester, New York ...........................................114 3-5 Program for Fireman’s Hall, Detroit, Michigan ..................................................115 3-6 Program for the Queen’s Concert Room, London...............................................116 3-7 City Hall Program, Hartford, Connecticut...........................................................117 3-8 Photograph of Nellie Brown Mitchell..................................................................118 3-9 Program for Charles Street Church......................................................................119 3-10 Program for Dover Opera House .........................................................................120 3-11 Photograph of Selika Williams ............................................................................121 3-12 Music for “Selika - Grand Vocal Waltz of Magic,” Frederick G. Carnes...........122 3-13 Music for Mulder’s “Staccato Polka”..................................................................123 3-14 Shamut Church Playbill .......................................................................................124 3-15 Photograph of Sissieretta Jones ...........................................................................125 3-16 Steinway Hall Playbill .........................................................................................126 3-17 Pittsburgh Exposition Advertisement ..................................................................127 3-18 “Old Folks At Home” Advertisement..................................................................128 3-19 Photograph of the Black Patti Troubadours.........................................................129 6-1 Photograph of the Hyers Sisters...........................................................................191 vi 6-2 Circular of the Redpath Lyceum Bureau, Season 1876 - 1877............................192 6-3 Black Patti Troubadours Handbill .......................................................................193 vii Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy LET FREEDOM SING! FOUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN CONCERT SINGERS IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY AMERICA By SONYA R. GABLE-WILSON August 2005 Chair: David Z. Kushner Major Department: Music The purpose of this research is to examine the lives and careers of four nineteenth- century African-American concert singers: Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, Nellie Brown Mitchell, Marie Selika Williams, and Matilda Sissieretta Jones. Due to their gender and race, these women were forced to overcome many difficulties in order to be heard from the concert stage. Chapters 1and 2 outline the necessity and challenges of the research and the various primary and secondary resources used. Chapter 3 discusses the narratives of these four singers, management obtained, touring cities, repertoire, training, the audience and critics’ response, and their individual struggles. Chapter 4 is devoted to the history and unparalleled importance of the black church and the role this institution played in the lives of these four women. Chapter 5 focuses on several prominent nineteenth-century European and American prima donnas with an in-depth look into the disparity of salaries, training, touring cities, viii management, repertoire, and career lengths in comparison to the four singers. Chapter 6 covers each singer’s efforts at establishing and managing her own traveling opera company with a brief historical overview of blackface minstrelsy.