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S53E1: The Magic of Grace Bumbry | Clip

Grace Bumbry’s Journey to the Opera Stages of Europe

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Fleeing racial discrimination in the United States, Grace Bumbry took the opera stages of Europe by storm, first as Venus in “Tannhäuser” and then on stages across Europe.

TRANSCRIPT

Grace Bumbry appeared destined for the opera stage, but her journey from Saint Louis, Missouri, to the opera houses of Europe was long and arduous.

She knew what racism looked like.

She grew up with it.

That award that she won at 17 years old, the prize was a full scholarship to the Saint Louis Conservatory of Music, which refused her entrance because she was Black.

This is the press clippings from the Bayreuth Venus.

Grace Bumbry took the opera world by storm and, of all places, in Vagners home of Bayreuth.

Bumbry made history as the first Black singer to perform here in 1961.

Despite palpable racial hostility, she helped turn Wieland Wagner's production of Tannhauser into a triumph.

Her Black Venus made international headlines.

This was to be her major breakthrough, The Black women, they have come in and, and, and really given us this new look.

So to say on the stage, because the white man could afford to have a Black woman on the stage if he wanted, if they pleased to show a romantic scene, it was okay if that woman was a Black woman, but a Black man doing a romantic scene... Let's be honest, that was not earlier on.

When Maestro Carrion cast her as his Carmen for the 1966 Salzburg Festival, he had just ventured into directing opera.

The successful festival production was captured on film as a studio adaptation, a favorable coincidence for Grace Bumbrys career.