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

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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.