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VOICE ONE:
I'm Shirley Griffith.
VOICE TWO:
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.
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VOICE ONE:
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.
VOICE TWO:
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.
VOICE ONE:
Todd Duncan lived a very long life. He was ninety-five 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.
VOICE TWO:
In 1930, he completed more musical education at Columbia University in New
York City. Then he moved to Washington. For fifteen 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.
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VOICE ONE:
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 five-thousand concerts in fifty 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 one-hundred baritones attempt
the part. He did not want any of them. Then, the music critic of the New York
Times newspaper suggested Todd Duncan.
VOICE TWO:
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."
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VOICE ONE:
Todd Duncan sang in the opening production of "Porgy and Bess" in nineteen
thirty-five. Then he appeared again as Porgy in nineteen-thirty-seven and
nineteen-forty-two. 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."
(MUSIC)
VOICE TWO:
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.
VOICE ONE:
Donald Boothman is a singer and singing teacher from the eastern state of
Massachusetts. He began studying with Todd Duncan in the nineteen-fifties.
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 thirteen 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.
VOICE TWO
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 Nineteen-Ninety 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")
VOICE ONE:
This Special English program was written by Jerilyn Watson and produced by
Lawan Davis. I'm Shirley Griffith.
VOICE TWO:
And I'm Rich Kleinfeldt. Listen again next week for another PEOPLE IN AMERICA
program on the Voice of America.
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baritone : 男中音
（來源：VOA 英語點(diǎn)津姍姍編輯）
