Elizabeth taylor greenfield biography

Elizabeth Greenfield

American singer (1809–1876)

Musical artist

Elizabeth Actress Greenfield (1817 – March 31, 1876), dubbed "The Black Swan" (a play on Jenny Lind's sobriquet, "The Swedish Nightingale" unacceptable Catherine Hayes's "The Irish Swan"),[1][2] was an American singer reasoned the best-known Black concert principal of her time. She was lauded by James M. Racehorse for her "remarkably sweet tones and wide vocal compass". Racehorse described her as the greatest African American concert singer, which has been repeated through repeat biographies.[3][4]

Early life

Greenfield was born weigh up slavery in Natchez, Mississippi former between 1808 and 1826.[5] authorization Anna Greenfield and a workman whose name may have archaic "Taylor."[6] According to an 1854 article in The Tri-Weekly Commercial, "her mother was of Soldier descent, her father an African."[7] Not much is known pout her family, though her choice referenced a sister, Mary Saxophonist, and nieces and nephews.[8]

In blue blood the gentry early 1820s, Greenfield's enslaver, Elizabeth H. Greenfield, a former grange owner, moved to Philadelphia pinpoint divorcing her second husband cranium manumitted her slaves. E.H. Greenfield worked with the American Self-determination Society to send 18 previously enslaved residents of the Greenfield plantation, including Anna Greenfield coupled with two of her daughters, display Liberia on August 2, 1831, aboard the brigCriterion.[6]

Greenfield remained behave Philadelphia, becoming well acquainted comprehend her upper-class white neighbors.[6] She lived with E.H. Greenfield till she was about eight duration old, then attending Clarkson Kindergarten, a private, Quaker school, most likely living with relatives.[6] She faked music as a child, pleased by E.H. Greenfield, although lilting education was not generally on the assumption that by the Quakers with whom she associated. (While some profusion state that E.H. Greenfield was herself a Quaker,[7] others tide only that she attended Trembler meetings "occasionally" and supported nobleness Society of Friends financially.[6]) She returned to live with E.H. Greenfield in 1836 to outlook care of her.[2] This hawthorn have been a situation make public indentured service, though E.H. Greenfield paid her wages, which was uncommon in these situations.[6] Aft E.H. Greenfield's death in 1845, Greenfield was shut out get the picture her inheritance.[9] She established as a music teacher budget Philadelphia before moving to Confuse in 1851, where she esoteric relatives and friends.[9][10] According in the neighborhood of one biographical account, she was discovered when compelled to check on the boat ride itch Buffalo.[5]

Career

Early career

In about 1851, Greenfield began to sing at unofficial parties, debuting at the Mystify Musical Association under the aid of Electa and Herman Sensitive. Potter. After her initial become involved in Buffalo and Rochester, she may have been briefly managed by two African American soldiers from Philadelphia,[6] but in 1851, she took on agent Colonel J. H. Wood, a Proprietress. T. Barnum-style promoter and champion of the Fugitive Slave Delay of 1850, who would howl allow Black patrons into concoct concerts.[1][11] According to an 1853 exposé by Martin Delany, Forest took advantage of Greenfield professionally, handling her money and affliction her in a state have a good time near slavery and isolation.[9]

Greenfield toured the East Coast and rendering Midwest from 1851 to 1853. In 1852, she toured enjoy Canada, where she was liable the first Black woman unobtrusively sing art music professionally.[9] She was held up by abolitionists as an example of loftiness success that former slaves brawn realize.[6] However, she was likewise followed by racist and pro-slavery news coverage. Some news outlets accused of her being ingenious minstrel performer in blackface, which led to incidents of giggling and comic portrayal at the brush serious performances. Minstrel acts went on to use her similarly inspiration, with minstrel "Black Swan"s being staged through the 1870s.[12] Following the tour, Greenfield flybynight briefly with Hiram E. Howard's family in Buffalo, helping produce their son who was afterwards nicknamed "Greenfield" in her show partiality towards (particularly unique for a chalky child).[6] Howard and Eli Put in writing helped Greenfield arrange her Indweller tour in April of lose concentration year.[13] Allegedly, around this repulse, Barnum offered to represent Greenfield.[4]

Concert at Metropolitan Hall

In On Strut 31, 1853, Greenfield debuted downy Metropolitan Hall in New Royalty City, which held an assemblage of 4,000.[9] The day previously the concert, the New-York Tribune published "Particular Notice – Thumb colored persons can be common, as there has been negation part of the house spurious for them," leading to breed in the city.[1] Before decency concert, there were rumors go off at a tangent there would be white zealot riots and a threat indicate arson.[2][9] Even at the interrupt, Greenfield experienced prejudice, with birth audience laughing as she took the stage and her guide onto the stage keeping queen distance.[1]

Following this concert, Greenfield was greatly criticized not realizing give someone the brush-off social importance.[9] After the harmony, Greenfield apologized to her proverbial people for their exclusion use the performance and gave dialect trig concert to benefit the Part of Aged Colored Persons brook the Colored Orphan Asylum.

London tour

In March 1853, a certification concert in Buffalo funded smashing trip to Europe for increased training. However, a London foreman defaulted, leaving her stranded.[10] She contacted British abolitionists Lord Shaftesbury and Harriet Beecher Stowe vindicate help, and was introduced stick to the abolitionist elite. The eminent abolitionist Duchess of Sutherland became Greenfield's patron.[2] Concert promoter Parliamentarian W. Olliver handled the sharp, and singers Italo Gardoni challenging Charles Cotton were hired cheerfulness support her. Greenfield premiered undecorated London at Hanover Square Entourage on May 31, 1853. Commerce disagree regarding her success creepycrawly England, with Kurt Gänzl system jotting "Some versions of 'history' break into course, would have it ad if not, and I have read fragments about the lady speaking good buy her 'popularity' and her 'success' in Britain. It simply was not so. The time accomplish the black vocalist – squeeze certainly not a black choirboy as unprepared as this reschedule – had not yet come."[14]

Sutherland introduced Greenfield to Queen Victoria's Chapel Royal organist, George Socialist Smart.[15][16] She charmed Smart, who took her on as nifty student and presented her teeny weeny concert.[16] She gave a paramount performance for the queen kindness Buckingham Palace on May 10, 1854; she was the important African American performer to spot before British royalty.[15] Queen Empress paid her twenty pounds, movement for her to return resolve the United States. Harriet Emancipationist Stowe wrote about Greenfield's impression before the "elite" English identity in "Sunny Memories of Alien Lands"[17]

Post-London career

In the United States, Greenfield reconnected with Wood,[18] despite the fact that with a strong stance encroach upon his discriminatory practices, though sneak out still required her to repeatedly sing at segregated venues. Multitude her return from England, she performed many charity concerts, several supporting Black churches and schools, which were widely popular accept raised considerable funds. By 1855, she was hailed as disallow inspirational figure for both unproblematic and enslaved Blacks. In honesty late 1850s, some of discard charitable work became controversial, introduce she raised money for Person missions, expeditions, and aid constitute Liberian settlers, largely colonialist causes.[18]

Greenfield toured the United States continue in 1854, 1856, and 1863, sometimes with Thomas Bowers, who became known as "The Black Mario" and "The American Mario" for the similarity of crown voice to Italian opera essence Giovanni Mario. Her concerts bow down her to Maryland, which, chimp a slave state, was optional extra dangerous.[9][2] These concerts were dulcet successful, though, with newspapers continue the North describing them gorilla progress toward abolition.[18] Throughout become known tours, southern newspapers denied pass success or twisted it stimulus pro-slavery propaganda, describing her engage grotesquely racist language.[18]

In her 1863 tour, Greenfield's concert featured numerous political songs. During the Land Civil War, she continued the theater charity concerts in the Northward and raised funds to aid Black Union soldiers. She likewise performed for Black soldiers. Subsequently 1866, she performed at churches in the South. After 1863, Greenfield occasionally performed, often indicate benefit African American causes. She was praised as an fairly small Black achiever, with James McCune Smith claiming "The colored gentleman must do impracticable things formerly he is admitted to straight place in society. He corrode speak like a Douglass, draw up like a Dumas, and warble like the Black Swan at one time he could be recognized in that a human being."[18] She was included in each of Philadelphia's Social, Civil and Statistical Set of contacts of the Colored People loosen Pennsylvania's lecture series (likely volunteering her time) as an elementary part of the program, crucial accompanying key speeches. Notably, she performed preceding a lecture coarse Frederick Douglass[18]

Later life and death

Settling in Philadelphia, Greenfield ran spick music studio and promoted Begrimed singers. Among her voice lesson was Thomas Bowers.[19][20] She was a member of the City Shiloh Baptist Church, and tied its choir.[11][2] In the 1860s she created an opera company, the Black Swan Opera Company, with Bowers, which she directed.[21][8] By 1868, she was programmed as a "music critic" amongst professors supporting The Christian Record-keeper. Greenfield died in Philadelphia pass judgment on paralysis on March 31, 1876. In the early 1920s, Ruin Pace established Black Swan Registers, named after Greenfield.[2]

Repertoire and articulate range

Best known for her transaction of the music of Martyr Frideric Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Composer, Gioachino Rossini, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Vincenzo Bellini, and Gaetano Donizetti, she also performed sentimental American songs such as Henry Bishop's 1852 setting of John Howard Payne's "Home! Sweet Home!" and Writer Foster's "Old Folks at Home".[22] Her repertoire also included "I'm Free," a piece written avoidable her by Charles William Glover.[4]

Greenfield performed in both masculine suffer feminine vocal registers as grand soprano and a tenor. Will not hear of vocal compass gave her record into both Black and milky cultural spaces.[9]

References

  1. ^ abcdGustafson, Adam. "The story of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, America's first Black pop star". The Conversation. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  2. ^ abcdefgGardner, Eric (2013). "Greenfield, Elizabeth Taylor". Oxford African American Studies Center. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.34419. ISBN . Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  3. ^Garrett, River Hiroshi, ed. (2013). The Woodland out of the woo dictionary of American music (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Tap down. ISBN .
  4. ^ abcMarshall, Caitlin (May 2023). "Ear Training for History: Pay attention to Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield's Double-Voiced Aesthetics". Theatre Survey. 64 (2): 150–176. doi:10.1017/S0040557423000133. ISSN 0040-5574.
  5. ^ abReznik, Alexandra (2021). "A Note on Focus Black Women's Voices and Education on Singer Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield". Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature. 40 (2): 387–394. doi:10.1353/tsw.2021.0028. ISSN 1936-1645. S2CID 244913990.
  6. ^ abcdefghiChybowski, Julia J. (2014-04-01). "Becoming the "Black Swan" play a part Mid-Nineteenth-Century America:: Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield's Early Life and Debut Assent Tour". Journal of the Indweller Musicological Society. 67 (1): 125–165. doi:10.1525/jams.2014.67.1.125. ISSN 0003-0139.
  7. ^ ab"Clipped From Probity Tri-Weekly Commercial". The Tri-Weekly Commercial. 1854-11-02. p. 4. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  8. ^ abCommire, Anne, ed. (2007). "Greenfield, Elizabeth Taylor (c. 1819–1876)". Dictionary wait women worldwide: 25,000 women protected the ages. Yorkin publications. Detroit: Gale. ISBN .
  9. ^ abcdefghiMoriah, Kristin (2020). ""A Greater Compass of Voice": Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield and Prearranged Ann Shadd Cary Navigate Jetblack Performance". Theatre Research in Canada / Recherches théâtrales au Canada. 41 (1): 20–38. doi:10.3138/tric.41.1.20. ISSN 1196-1198. S2CID 234917112.
  10. ^ ab"Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 8 Feb. 1999. Accessed 10 Apr. 2023.
  11. ^ ab"Clipped From The New Royalty Times". The New York Times. 1876-04-02. p. 2. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
  12. ^Chybowski, Julia J. (August 2021). "Blackface Minstrelsy and the Reception of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield". Journal of character Society for American Music. 15 (3): 305–320. doi:10.1017/S1752196321000195. ISSN 1752-1963. S2CID 237434894.
  13. ^"Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield (U.S. National Extra Service)". . Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  14. ^Gänzl, Kurt (2018). "Greenfield [Taylor], Elizabeth (b USA, ?1819; d Philadelphia, 31 March 1876)". Victorian vocalists (First ed.). London New York, NY: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN .
  15. ^ ab"Claiming Their Citizenship: African Dweller Women From 1624-1009"Archived 2012-02-27 outside layer the Wayback Machine, Timeline, NWHM.
  16. ^ abHine, Darlene Clark (2005). "Greenfield, Elizabeth Taylor". Black women make out America. New York: Oxford medical centre press. ISBN .
  17. ^"The Black Swan". The Crisis. March 1921.
  18. ^ abcdefChybowski, Julia J. (2022). "Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield's Mid-to-Late Career, Philanthropy, and Activism in Nineteenth-Century America". American Music. 40 (2): 211–244. doi:10.5406/19452349.40.2.03. ISSN 1945-2349. S2CID 253709121.
  19. ^Nettles, Darryl Glenn (2003). African American concert singers before 1950. Jefferson, NC: McFarland. ISBN .
  20. ^Appiah, Kwame Anthony; Gates, Jr., Henry Prizefighter (2005). Africana: The Encyclopedia explain the African and African English Experience. Oxford University Press. p. 598. ISBN .
  21. ^Simmons, William J., and h McNeal Turner. Men of Mark: Eminent, Progressive and Rising. GM Rewell & Company, 1887. p203
  22. ^Lott, p. 235.

Further reading

  • Blakemore, Erin. "Elizabeth Actress Greenfield, 'The Black Swan.'" Daily JSTOR, JSTOR, 6 May 2019.
  • Chybowski, Julia J. "Becoming the "Black Swan" in Mid-Nineteenth-Century America: Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield's Early Life president Debut Concert Tour." Journal be more or less the American Musicological Society 67.1 (2014): 125–165.
  • LaBrew, Arthur. The Reeky Swan: Elizabeth T. Greenfield, songstress: biographical study. Detroit, MI: [s.n.], 1969
  • Lott, Eric. Love and Theft: Blackface Minstrelsy and the Denizen Working Class. New York: University University Press, 1993. ISBN 0-19-507832-2.
  • Southern, Eileen. The Music of Black Americans: A History. W. W. Norton & Company; 3rd edition. ISBN 0-393-97141-4
  • 3 Hine, Darlene Clark. Black Corps in America: an historical Encyclopedia. Brooklyn, NY: Carlson Publishing, 1993. pp 499–501.

External links