Florence Macbeth, Coloratura Soprano

 

The summer of 2023 I completed transcribing what I thought were all of Miss Branscombe’s letters to her publisher, Arthur P. Schmidt.  As I wrote in my blog of that July, it was a journey of dedication to her legacy as well as an eye-opening learning experience of her humanity, business acumen and musical genius.  Also in those letters her every day life of emotions, ups and downs, raising children, losing her husband and two daughters came alive. 

One problem arose as I transcribed the letters from 1910-1954, somehow I had missed scanning the years 1921 and 1922.  Well, we’re all human when under time constraints.  I missed those two years.

My recent trip to the Library of Congress allowed me the time to right my mistake.  I scanned the folders of letters from 1921 and 1922.  Returning home I began to transcribe those two years of letters. Doing so allows me to travel back to that era, imagining her life’s experience at that moment and I read with interest Mr. Austin’s replies.  Mr. Austin worked for the Arthur P. Schmidt Company.   In the years leading up to and following the death of Mr. Schmidt in 1921 he was the main correspondent to all of the composers the Schmidt Company published.

 In her letter dated September 1, 1921, Gena requests that Mr. Austin send soprano Florence Macbeth a copy of her song, “The Best is Yet to Be” in the high key.  I stopped typing as I had never heard of Florence Macbeth.  Who was she?  Relying on a quick Google search, I learned Florence Macbeth (1889-1966) was born in Mankato, Minnesota, a place where her musical training began at an early age  which led to an international career.

 She became a star at the Chicago Opera Company and the Metropolitan Opera.  Her high coloratura voice has been reported as being effortless with an ability to move between her lowest register to her highest notes without a break in sound.  She concertized regularly in Europe and the United States.

What’s interesting about Miss Branscombe’s 1921 letter is three years prior to that letter, Florence Macbeth made her New York City Aeolian Hall debut in March 1918.  On that program she performed songs of women composers of the day including Mana Zucca, Harriet Ware, Rosalie Hausman and Gena Branscombe.  These women composers were friends, colleagues and well known in their era.  The New York Times reviewer highly praised Miss Macbeth for her choice of an artistic recital of charming songs! 

Here is yet another famous singer who over 100 years ago performed Miss Branscombe’s music on her concert tours.  How did Gena and Florence meet?  How did they connect for Gena to introduce or give Florence her songs and then have her perform them?  Questions are unanswered!

#BringingBackBranscombe