Thursday, July 17, 2008

At West Virginia Public Radio, 'Light' Composers Include Edmond Dédé (1827-1903)

[Edmond Dede; Hot Springs Music Festival; Richard Rosenberg, Conductor; Naxos 8.559038 (2000)]

Classically Speaking: Classical music in West Virginia and Beyond
Lighten up! (CD Reviews)

“2008 is the centenary of Leroy Anderson’s birth (he lived from 1908 to 1975), and during this year Naxos Records is issuing a complete series of Anderson's music, performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Slatkin.” “Along with Anderson, we've been playing a few other engaging 'light' music composers, including Arthur Ketèlbey, Edmond Dédé, and Raymond Scott. And to think, Saint-Saëns forbade the publishing of his 'Carnival of the Animals' until after his death to avoid being known as a composer of light music! It doesn’t seem to have been such bad company after all.” Full Post Posted by Mona Seghatoleslami at 7/17/2008 1:45 PM

Edmond Dédé (1827-1903) is profiled at AfriClassical.com He was born as a free Creole of color in New Orleans. Racial hostility toward African American musicians in the city caused him to interrupt his music studies and flee to Mexico. Upon returning to New Orleans, Dédé worked as a cigar maker, as musicians often did at the time, until he could put together the money needed to travel to Europe. He graduated from the Conservatory of Music in Paris, married a French woman, and worked for 27 years as a conductor in Bordeaux. An African American composer, musician and conductor named Samuel Snaer, Jr. (1835-1900) conducted the first New Orleans performance of Dede's Quasimodo Symphony. Patrons and music critics alike regarded the concert as a great success.





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