[Robert Pritchard, Pianist; Smithsonian Folkways SFS60002]
On Feb. 13, 2011 AfriClassical posted: “'Robert Pritchard, Pianist' 1962 LP from Spoken Arts, Inc. available as CD or Download from Smithsonian Folkways.” Today we present another critique of Robert Pritchard's pioneering recording:
Archives of African American Music and Culture
“Smithsonian Folkways has recently remastered and reissued this little gem of an album, originally released as an LP by Spoken Arts, Inc. in 1962. The performer, Robert Pritchard, was one of the first successful African American concert pianists in the United States. He also toured in the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa, including a stint as artist-in-residence for the Liberian government. His extensive training with pianists at Julliard, Mannes, and Manhattan schools of music is evident: his rendition of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in C minor is swift, precise, and engaging, and his performance of Mendelssohn’s Variations Serieuses and three of Chopin’s etudes are technically strong, lyrical, and compelling.”
“Finally, Pritchard’s recording of his own composition, '”Ti Jacques” Suite sur Melodie Folklorique d’Haiti' provides listeners the opportunity to hear a composer play his own work, influenced by the music he experienced during his travels in the Caribbean.”
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