Quote:
After hearing Marian Anderson (1897–1993) sing in Salzburg in 1935, conductor Arturo Toscanini remarked that "a voice like hers is heard only once in a hundred years." Alas, it took a while for listeners in her homeland to appreciate the smooth contralto with a superb range. Like many African American artists, Anderson faced ongoing and entrenched racial discrimination. Ironically, she rose to prominence after one such incident: In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution canceled an Easter Sunday recital in Washington, D.C., because of Anderson's color. This caused an uproar: First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt renounced her DAR membership, and a free concert at the Lincoln Memorial was scheduled. Seventy-five thousand people came to hear her sing. The performance made her a star and a symbol of equal rights.
This one comes across as a mix of gospel, funeral march in the mode of Chopin, and blues. Strong stuff.