Product Details

• Actors: Aida's Brothers & Sisters-Blac
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Kultur Video
• VHS Release Date: October 31, 2000
• Run Time: 90 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B0000520S4
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,388 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This is both a documentary and a performance tape, with many excerpted vocal numbers and a multifaceted discussion of the belated but successful participation of African American singers in opera. Topics discussed: Is there such a thing as the "black voice," recognizable without seeing the singer? Is Porgy and Bess truly a "black opera"? Do black women fare better in opera because, unlike black men, they are not perceived as threatening? Do black baritones have better operatic prospects than black tenors because tenors usually get the romantic roles? Is the Metropolitan Opera using fewer black singers today than it did in the 1960s? What is being done to develop young black singers? The tape raises more questions than it answers and would be useful for launching group discussions.

The performances include glimpses of Shirley Verrett in a seductive aria from Samson et Dalila, Leontyne Price in an excerpt from Der Freischutz, Jessye Norman in music from Ariadne auf Naxos. Some of the best musical moments are not strictly operatic--for example, Paul Robeson at a concert in Moscow singing "Old Man River" with some of the words changed to fit his own agenda. Marian Anderson has a monumental stature and makes several appearances: singing Schubert's "Ave Maria" in the tape's most beautiful segment, singing at John F. Kennedy's inauguration, and, in her most famous concert, singing to an audience of 75,000 at the Lincoln Memorial after she had been excluded from Constitution Hall. --Joe McLellan

From the Back Cover

Aida's Brothers and Sisters - Black Voices in Opera is a fascinating look at the history and present situation of African-American opera singers in America. This unique program combines rare and contemporary footage of some of the greatest performers of the century and includes interview with many notable black singers, as well as musicologists, directors and historians.

This enlightening documentary is the first to provide a historical perspective on the issue of race and the opera. It looks at careers of some of the greatest singers in our history, focusing on such luminaries as Kathleen Battle, Paul Robeson, Marian Anderson, Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman and Robert McFerrin, the first Black to appear on the stage of the Met. Grace Bumbry, George Shirley, Martina Arroyo, Edward Said and Bobby McFerrin (son of Robert McFerrin), are among the singers and historians that appear and discuss everything from black voices to the rich history of Negro spirituals to the fight to overcome racism in the opera house and the controversial "Black" opera Porgy and Bess.

Writer/historian Roslyn Story, author of a book considered as the definitive account of black singers, acts as a bridge between the performances and gives insightful historical perspective on the long, hard struggle African American performers have had to face to break into the world of opera.

In addition to breathtaking performances, this program also gives a glimpse into the next generation of singers by looking at the talents of young singers today in the Harlem School of the Arts and members of ensembles like the Opera Ebony, whose performance excerpts are integrated throughout the show. 90 min.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aida's Brothers & Sisters: Black Voices in Opera, January 29, 2007

By	Xavier - See all my reviews

I own and highly recommend this tape and would have paid any price asked. Hopefully when it becomes available again it will be in dvd format. Should this happen it will become a part of my collection as well. Something this good and informative is worth it.

Top notch singing and factual information are both tantalizing to the ears and enlightening to the mind. Also included are young students learning the craft. One can learn a lot from the video without even trying and should be included in all collections home and abroad.

My only disappointment is the information presented did not go back to the 1800's. There were black opera singers, classical pianists, etc. who existed but were never accepted by the larger audience in America. France and England opened their arms and embraced them. However, I do understand that everything could not be included.

Just because Amazon no longer carries this grand recording does not mean it no longer exists. Check with other sites on the internet and you will find this great tape.