Ernestine Cobern Beyer
Encyclopedia
Ernestine Cobern Beyer, (4 August 1893 - 13 December 1972) was an American poet and children’s author.
to Ernestine Craft Cobern, and Camden McCormack Cobern, a Methodist minister, archaeologist, and author of many articles and books on his explorations in Palestine
. Gifted with a coloratura
soprano voice, Ernestine progressed, with her mother as teacher and accompanist, from simple songs in English to operatic arias in French, Italian, and German.
As a teenager, Ms. Beyer began studying with the best teachers available. At the age of 21, she obtained a contract with the Metropolitan Opera Company.
At the time of Ernestine’s debut on January 15, 1918, America was at war with Germany
. Because the name Beyer had a Germanic sound, she was advised to adopt a stage name. She chose the simplest one she could find from a list of possibilities. As Maria Conde, she sang the role of Gilda
in the opera Rigoletto
, opposite Enrico Caruso, the Italian tenor, who played the Duke. The reviewers were lavish in their praise. "Maria Conde," declared the New York Journal American
, "took the public by surprise when she soared into tonal altitudes beyond the normal range of coloratura
sopranos." The Evening Sun was likewise impressed. "If she can support it with physical stamina, hers will develop into the voice of a generation." (Decades later, Child Life
editor Ernest Frawley would make a similar comment about her poetry: “I believe you stand a good chance of becoming the greatest children's poet of the day.")
Managed by impresario Aaron Richmond
, Ernestine realized that the combination of the demands of family life and frequent colds made pursuit of her operatic career untenable. Ernestine then turned to the art of writing poetry.
For 25 years, Ernestine submitted poems and stories to children’s magazines, and often had the pleasure of seeing them in print. Widowed in 1937 in the middle of the Depression
, Ernestine struggled to support her children on too slim a budget. Her published poems were not income inflating at two dollars a line. A major breakthrough in her writing career came one sunny afternoon when she watched three toddlers playing on a beach. Inspired by the sight, Ernestine wrote the following poem:
The publication of "Sunbonnet Babies" in the Ladies' Home Journal
(April, 1949) marked a change in Ernestine's fortunes. The 50s and 60s were busy and productive years. She wrote several books for children, continued to appear in children's magazines, (e.g. Child Life
, Jack and Jill (magazine)
, Wee Wisdom, Highlights for Children
), and gave talks in schools and libraries on the power of the subconscious mind. She received several awards from The National League of American Pen Women, and in April 1972 was invited to Washington to be honored by the league for the best religious poem. Ernestine died eight months later on December 13, 1972.
Early life
Beyer was born in Meadville, PennsylvaniaMeadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is generally considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State and is within 40 miles of Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first permanent settlement in northwest Pennsylvania...
to Ernestine Craft Cobern, and Camden McCormack Cobern, a Methodist minister, archaeologist, and author of many articles and books on his explorations in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. Gifted with a coloratura
Coloratura
Coloratura has several meanings. The word is originally from Italian, literally meaning "coloring", and derives from the Latin word colorare . When used in English, the term specifically refers to elaborate melody, particularly in vocal music and especially in operatic singing of the 18th and...
soprano voice, Ernestine progressed, with her mother as teacher and accompanist, from simple songs in English to operatic arias in French, Italian, and German.
As a teenager, Ms. Beyer began studying with the best teachers available. At the age of 21, she obtained a contract with the Metropolitan Opera Company.
Career
In 1912, at age 18, Ernestine married David Stewart Beyer, a safety engineer at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in Boston, Massachusetts. They had three children, Richard (1915), Barbara (1921) and Janeth (1924).At the time of Ernestine’s debut on January 15, 1918, America was at war with Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Because the name Beyer had a Germanic sound, she was advised to adopt a stage name. She chose the simplest one she could find from a list of possibilities. As Maria Conde, she sang the role of Gilda
Gilda
Gilda is a 1946 American black-and-white film noir directed by Charles Vidor. It stars Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth in her signature role as the ultimate femme fatale. The film was noted for cinematographer Rudolph Mate's lush photography, costume designer Jean Louis' wardrobe for Hayworth , and...
in the opera Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
, opposite Enrico Caruso, the Italian tenor, who played the Duke. The reviewers were lavish in their praise. "Maria Conde," declared the New York Journal American
New York Journal American
The New York Journal American was a newspaper published from 1937 to 1966. The Journal American was the product of a merger between two New York newspapers owned by William Randolph Hearst: The New York American , a morning paper, and the New York Evening Journal, an afternoon paper...
, "took the public by surprise when she soared into tonal altitudes beyond the normal range of coloratura
Coloratura
Coloratura has several meanings. The word is originally from Italian, literally meaning "coloring", and derives from the Latin word colorare . When used in English, the term specifically refers to elaborate melody, particularly in vocal music and especially in operatic singing of the 18th and...
sopranos." The Evening Sun was likewise impressed. "If she can support it with physical stamina, hers will develop into the voice of a generation." (Decades later, Child Life
Child Life
Child Life was the Froebel Society journal between 1931 and 1939. However the journal has also been reported as being published, not necessarily continuously, and not always by the Froebel society itself, between 1899 and 1939. Its successors were the National Froebel Foundation Bulletin and the...
editor Ernest Frawley would make a similar comment about her poetry: “I believe you stand a good chance of becoming the greatest children's poet of the day.")
Managed by impresario Aaron Richmond
Aaron Richmond
Aaron Richmond was an American performing arts manager, pianist, impresario, and educator, based in Boston, Massachusetts, who managed the careers of numerous classical musicians and founded Celebrity Series of Boston, a performing arts presenting organization that still operates today.-Early...
, Ernestine realized that the combination of the demands of family life and frequent colds made pursuit of her operatic career untenable. Ernestine then turned to the art of writing poetry.
For 25 years, Ernestine submitted poems and stories to children’s magazines, and often had the pleasure of seeing them in print. Widowed in 1937 in the middle of the Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Ernestine struggled to support her children on too slim a budget. Her published poems were not income inflating at two dollars a line. A major breakthrough in her writing career came one sunny afternoon when she watched three toddlers playing on a beach. Inspired by the sight, Ernestine wrote the following poem:
The publication of "Sunbonnet Babies" in the Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal
Ladies' Home Journal is an American magazine which first appeared on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States...
(April, 1949) marked a change in Ernestine's fortunes. The 50s and 60s were busy and productive years. She wrote several books for children, continued to appear in children's magazines, (e.g. Child Life
Child Life
Child Life was the Froebel Society journal between 1931 and 1939. However the journal has also been reported as being published, not necessarily continuously, and not always by the Froebel society itself, between 1899 and 1939. Its successors were the National Froebel Foundation Bulletin and the...
, Jack and Jill (magazine)
Jack and Jill (magazine)
Jack and Jill is a bimonthly American magazine for children 7 to 10 years old which takes its title from the nursery rhyme of the same name. It features stories and educational activities....
, Wee Wisdom, Highlights for Children
Highlights for Children
Highlights for Children is an American children's magazine. It began publication in June 1946, started by Garry Cleveland Myers and his wife Caroline Clark Myers in Honesdale, Pennsylvania...
), and gave talks in schools and libraries on the power of the subconscious mind. She received several awards from The National League of American Pen Women, and in April 1972 was invited to Washington to be honored by the league for the best religious poem. Ernestine died eight months later on December 13, 1972.
Published books
- Beyer, E. (1952). Happy Animal Families. Grosset & DunlapGrosset & DunlapGrosset & Dunlap is a United States book publisher founded in 1898.The company was purchased by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1982 and today is part of the British publishing conglomerate, Pearson PLC through its American subsidiary Penguin Group....
. - Beyer, E. (1960). Aesop with a Smile. The Reilly & Lee Co.
- Beyer, E. (1962). The Story of Little Big. The Reilly & Lee Co.
- Beyer, E. (1967). The Story of Lengthwise. Follett Publishing Co. ISBN 0-695-48360-9