Singing Like Germans: Black Musicians in the Land of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms

"Denied opportunities to study and perform in the U.S., Black classical musicians fled to German-speaking Europe as early as the 1870s in search of artistic freedom. They found it, according to author Kira Thurman, but they also discovered new forms of racism. Some applauded the musicians for their extraordinary talent – musicians such as Sissieretta Jones, called the “Black Patti,” or Brindis de Salas, the “Black Paganini,” and Hazel Harrison, the first Black soloist to perform with the Berlin Philharmonic. Others rejected them, fearing encroachment on Germany’s sacred art. With this book, Thurman presents untold stories within some of the most groundbreaking research ever published in classical music."