One of the task of early Black opera singers were to help open the doors for upcoming African American performers. Todd Duncan spent his entire life working for this cause. If you would like to view more videos,type his name in the internal search box.Enjoy
Todd Duncan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Biography
Todd Duncan was born in Danville, Kentucky in 1903. He obtained his musical training at Butler University in Indianapolis with a B.A. in music followed by an M.A. from Columbia University Teachers College.
Career
In 1933, Duncan debuted in Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana at the Mecca Temple in New York with the Aeolian Opera, a black opera company.
Duncan was George Gershwin's personal choice as the first performer of the role of Porgy in Porgy and Bess in 1935 and played the role more than 1,800 times. He led the cast during the Washington run of Porgy and Bess at the National Theatre in 1936, to protest the theatre's policy of segregation. Duncan stated that he "would never play in a theater which barred him from purchasing tickets to certain seats because of his race." Eventually management would give into the demands and allow for the first integrated performance at National Theatre. Duncan was also the first performer for the role of Stephen Kumalo in Kurt Weill's Lost in the Stars.
Anne Brown as Bess with Todd Duncan as Porgy in 1942.
Duncan taught voice at Howard University in Washington, D.C. for more than fifty years. While teaching at Howard, he continued touring as a soloist with pianists William Duncan Allen and George Malloy.[2] He had a very successful career as a concert singer with over 2,000 performances in 56 countries. He retired from Howard and opened his own voice studio teaching privately and giving periodic recitals.
In 1945, he became the first African American to sing with a major opera company, and the first black person to sing in an opera with an otherwise white cast, when he performed the role of Tonio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci with the New York City Opera. In the same year he sang the role of Escamillo, the bullfighter, in Bizet's Carmen. In 1955, Duncan was the first to record Unchained Melody, a popular song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. The recording was made for the soundtrack of the obscure prison film Unchained, in which Duncan also played a minor character. Following Duncan's version, the song went on to become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century.
In his final interview, Todd Duncan spoke of his love for spirituals: "... spirituals are so deep inside of me, it's difficult for me to find words that are meaningful. Spirituals are a part of whatever I am. When I sing them my being sings them, not my throat.... It is very difficult for me to put into words something that is at the bottom of my very being."
In addition to singing, Duncan was also a voice teacher. Among his notable pupils was operatic bass Philip Booth who was a mainstay at the Metropolitan Opera for two decades.
Honors and death
In 1978, the Washington Performing Arts Society presented his 75th birthday gala. Duncan was awarded the George Peabody Medal of Music from the Peabody Conservatory of Music of Johns Hopkins University in 1984. Other awards he received include a medal of honor from Haiti, an NAACP award, the Donaldson Award, the New York Drama Critics' Award for Lost in the Stars, and honorary doctorates from Valparaiso University and Butler University.
Duncan was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.
He died of a heart ailment at his home in Washington, D.C., in 1998.
An Additional Bio:
Todd Duncan, 95; Sang Porgy and Helped Desegregate Opera
By ALLAN KOZINN
Published: March 2, 1998
Todd Duncan, the baritone who created the role of Porgy in Gershwin's ''Porgy and Bess'' and was the first black singer to join the New York City Opera, died on Saturday at his home in Washington. He was 95.
Mr. Duncan, whose stage credits beyond Porgy include the Lord's General in Vernon Duke's ''Cabin in the Sky'' and Stephen Kumalo in the first production of Kurt Weill's ''Lost in the Stars,'' was known for his elegant phrasing and burnished tone, as well as his dramatic persuasiveness. Those qualities won him his debut role at the New York City Opera in 1945, when he sang Tonio in a production of Leoncavallo's ''Pagliacci.''
Although he had appeared in New York with black opera companies, starting with a 1934 production of Mascagni's ''Cavalleria Rusticana,'' with the Aeolian Opera, his City Opera debut made him the first black singer to perform opera with a white cast. That debut occurred 10 years before Marian Anderson made her celebrated debut at the Metropolitan Opera. By then he had also appeared at City Opera as Escamillo in Bizet's ''Carmen'' and in the title role of Verdi's ''Rigoletto.''
Mr. Duncan was also a much sought-after recitalist, and often said that recitals interested him more than opera and the theater. In a career that lasted 25 years, he sang 2,000 recitals in 56 countries. He also appeared in two films, ''Syncopation'' in 1942 and ''Unchained'' in 1955.
Todd Duncan, 1903-1998: He Opened Doors for Other Black Classical Singers
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I'm Shirley Griffith. And I'm Rich Kleinfeldt with the VOA Special English program PEOPLE IN AMERICA.
Today we tell the story of Todd Duncan -- a concert singer and music teacher. He is the man who broke a major color barrier for black singers of classical music.
It is 1945. The place is New York City. The New York City Opera Company just finished performing the Italian opera "Pagliacci."
Todd Duncan is on the stage. He had just become the first African American man to sing with this important American opera company. No one was sure how he would be received. But the people in the theater offered loud, warm approval of his performance.
Duncan did not sing a part written for a black man. Instead, he played a part traditionally sung by a white man. All the other singers in the New York City Opera Company production were white.
His historic performance took place ten years before black singer Marian Anderson performed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Todd Duncan opened doors for other black musicians when he appeared in "Pagliacci." Until that night, black singers of classical music had almost no chance of performing in major American opera houses and theaters. Many African American classical singers of today say they still do not have an equal chance to perform. But Todd Duncan began a major change in classical musical performance in the United States.
Todd Duncan lived a very long life. He was 95 years old when he died in March, 1998 in Washington, D.C. He taught singing until the end of his life.
Robert Todd Duncan was born in 1903 in the southern city of Danville, Kentucky. His mother, Nettie Cooper Duncan, was his first music teacher.
As a young adult, he continued his music studies in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended both a university and a special music college in this middle western city.
In 1930, he completed more musical education at Columbia University in New York City. Then he moved to Washington. For 15 years, he taught music at Howard University in Washington.
African Americans had gained worldwide fame for their work in popular music -- especially for creating jazz. But not many black musicians were known for writing or performing classical music.
Teaching at Howard gave Duncan the chance to share his knowledge of classical European music with a mainly black student population. He taught special ways to present the music. These special ways became known as the Duncan Technique.
Here Todd Duncan sings "O Tixo, Tixo, Help Me" from the opera "Lost in the Stars" composed by Kurt Weill.
In addition to teaching, Duncan sang in several operas with performers who all were black. But it seemed he always would be known mainly as a concert artist. Duncan sang at least 5,000 and concerts in 50 countries during twenty-five years as a performer.
However, his life took a different turn in the middle 1930s. At that time, the famous American music writer George Gershwin was looking for someone to play a leading part in his new work, "Porgy and Bess."
Gershwin had heard 100 baritones attempt the part. He did not want any of them. Then, the music critic of the New York Times newspaper suggested Todd Duncan.
Duncan almost decided not to try for the part. But he changed his mind. He sang a piece from an Italian opera for Gershwin. He had sung only a few minutes when Gershwin offered him the part. But Duncan was not sure that playing Porgy would be right for him.
Years later, he admitted that he had no idea that George Gershwin was such a successful composer. And, he thought Gershwin wrote only popular music. Duncan almost always had sung classical works, by composers such as Brahms and Schumann.
Todd Duncan said he would have to hear "Porgy and Bess." He did. Then he accepted the part of Porgy. But he said he found it difficult to perform because Porgy has a bad leg and cannot walk. He spends most of the opera on his knees.
Duncan used his special methods to get enough breath to produce beautiful sound. He was able to do this even in the difficult positions demanded by the part.
Here Todd Duncan sings "Porgy's Lament" from the Gershwin opera, "Porgy and Bess."
Todd Duncan sang in the opening production of "Porgy and Bess" in 1935. Then he appeared again as Porgy in 1937 and 1942. He often commented on the fact that he was best known for a part he played for only three years.
His fame as Porgy helped him get the part in "Pagliacci" with the New York City Opera Company. He also sang other parts with the opera company.
Earlier, you heard him sing a song from one of the operas he enjoyed most. The part was that of Stephen Khumalo in "Lost in the Stars." It was a musical version of the famous novel about Africa, "Cry, the Beloved Country" by Alan Paton.
American writer Maxwell Anderson wrote the words for the music by German composer Kurt Weill. Listen as Todd Duncan sings the title song from "Lost in the Stars."
Todd Duncan gained fame as an opera singer and concert artist. But his greatest love in music was teaching. When he stopped teaching at Howard, he continued giving singing lessons in his Washington home until the week before his death.
He taught hundreds of students over the years. Some musicians say they always can recognize students of Todd Duncan. They say people he taught demonstrate his special methods of singing.
Donald Boothman is a singer and singing teacher from the eastern state of Massachusetts. He began studying with Todd Duncan in the 1950s.
Boothman was twenty-two years old at the time. He was a member of the official singing group of the United States Air Force. He had studied music in college. But he studied with Duncan to improve his singing.
Boothman continued weekly lessons with Duncan for 13 years. After that, he would return to Duncan each time he accepted a new musical project.
He says he considered Duncan his teacher for a lifetime. Many other students say they felt that way, too.
Todd Duncan was proud of his students. He was proud of his performances of classical music. And, he was proud of being the first African-American to break the color barrier in a major opera house.
He noted in a V-O-A broadcast in 1990 that blacks are singing in opera houses all over America. "I am happy," he said, "that I was the first one to open the door -- to let everyone know we could all do it."
(MUSIC: "Oh, Lord, I'm on My Way" from "Porgy and Bess")
This Special English program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by Lawan Davis. I'm Shirley Griffith. And I'm Rich Kleinfeldt. Listen again next week for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA program on the Voice of America.
Todd Duncan, Anne Brown " Bess, You is My Woman" Original Porgy and Bess (1940)
Todd Duncan sings 'You must be new born again'
Todd Duncan - Lost in the Stars (Original Broadway Cast)
Todd Duncan, Anne Brown " Bess, You is My Woman" Original P
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