Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was the first African American opera singer who became popular in the United States and Europe. Many reviewers and critics portrayed Greenfield as unusual and exotic to increase her popularity. Nevertheless, her performances disrupted racist stereotypes about slavery and Black people. She became the best-known Black concert artist of her time and performed for Queen Victoria.
Have you ever seen a memorable live performance? What made it so powerful? How did it make you feel?
Early Life
Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was born into slavery in Natchez, Mississippi. During the s, Greenfield’s enslaver, Elizabeth Holiday Greenfield, divorced her husband and relocated to Philadelphia.[1] E.H. Greenfield freed her slaves and sent some of them to Liberia. She brought other former slaves, including Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, to Philadelphia with her.
Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield grew up among upper-class whites and free African Americans in Philadelphia. She lived with E.H. Greenfield until , when she started going to Clarkson School. The school was private and run by Quakers. Living in Philadelphia also offered Greenfield the chance to learn about mus
Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield ()
Born a slave in in Natchez, Mississippi, Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield had little reason to dream of the life that would eventually become her own. Because of a series of unlikely circumstances and her own relentless efforts she would eventually become known as the first African American singer to gain recognition in both Europe and the United States.
Long before her life of fame, the child Elizabeth was taken to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by a Quaker who had freed her slaves. Continuing to serve the Mistress for whom she had been named, Elizabeth acted as a maid and companion. She also provided entertainment for the guests of her elderly namesake. Upon the death of her mistress, Greenfield supported herself by giving public and private performances. Greenfield soon gained recognition throughout the Northeast for her performances. She was dubbed &#;The Black Swan.&#;
In , Greenfield traveled to Europe for engagements in England, Scotland, and Ireland. When an unscrupulous manager abandoned her in London, penniless Greenfield took matters into her own hands. Seeking out a prominent fellow countrywoman also traveling in London, Elizabeth intro
In , a concert soprano named Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield embarked on a national tour that upended America’s music scene.
In antebellum America, operatic and concert songs were very popular forms of entertainment. European concert sopranos, such as Jenny Lind and Catherine Hayes, drew huge crowds and rave reviews during their U.S. tours. Lind was so popular that baby cribs still bear her name, and you can now visit an unincorporated community called Jenny Lind, California.
Greenfield, however, was different. She was a former slave. And she was performing songs that a burgeoning field of American music criticism, led by John Sullivan Dwight, considered reserved for white artists. African-American artists, most 19th-century critics argued, lacked the refined cultivation of white, Eurocentric genius, and could create only simple music that lacked artistic depth. It was a prejudice that stretched as far back as Thomas Jefferson in his “Notes on the State of Virginia” and was later reinforced by minstrel shows.
But when Greenfield appeared on the scene, she shattered preexisting beliefs about artistry and race.
‘The Black Swan’
Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield was born into slaver
Greenfield, Elizabeth Taylor (c. –)
Black concert artist and teacher, who became the first American singer to win critical acclaim for her performances both in the U.S. and in Europe. Name variations: The Black Swan. Born Elizabeth Taylor around in Natchez, Mississippi; died on March 31, , in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; daughter of slaves; her father's surname was Taylor and her mother's name was given as Anna Greenfield; taught herself to play guitar, harp and piano; studied voice briefly in Philadelphia and in England; never married; no children.
Born into slavery; freed in infancy; taken by former owner to Philadelphia; traveled to Buffalo, New York (); made professional debut in Buffalo (October ); toured extensively (–53); traveled to England for further study and concertizing (); returned to U.S. (summer ); concertized extensively and taught (–74); directed Opera Troupe in Philadelphia (s).
While prestigious performances and enthusiastic reviews were commonplace for singer Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, her celebrated tour of Great Britain stands out as the major accomplishment of her career. In , Greenfield received one of the highest honors possible for any music
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