Rachel Barton Pine on José White: 'I am really glad...to bring another excellent work of his to the public.'

[ABOVE: Capricho Latino; Rachel Barton Pine, violin; Cedille Records CDR 90000 124 (2011) BELOW: José White - Shown here after he received the 1st prize for violin at the Conservatoire de Paris in 1856. Bibliothèque Nationale de France; Wikipedia]

José Silvestre White, aka José Silvestre White y Lafitte, was an Afro-Cuban composer, violinist and professor who is profiled at AfriClassical.com, where his works are listed by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma of http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com. On July 4, 2011 AfriClassical posted: “Rachel Barton Pine in 'Etude No. 6' of José White, Afro-Cuban Composer, on 'Capricho Latino,' Cedille Records.” Rachel Barton Pine responds:

“Hi, Bill!

Thanks so much for mentioning the White Etude on your site. I am really glad to have had the chance to bring another excellent work of his to the public.

“Please note that there is no hyphen between my middle name (Barton) and my last name (Pine). Thanks!

Rachel J"

Prof. Josephine Wright wrote an article entitled Violinist José White In Paris, 1855-1875. It was published by the Black Music Research Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2, Fall 1990. Here is the final portion of the article:

“In summary, this essay has attempted to reconstruct José White's Parisian years during the 1860s and 1870s and to assess his role in French musical circles as a cultural leader. Examination of a cross section of primary literature of the period has revealed his multi-faceted talents as a virtuoso performer, chamber-ensemble performer, teacher, and composer. He was highly esteemed by his French contemporaries for his formidable talent and skill as a musician. His pioneering work in Paris as a founder of three chamber ensembles – the Société des Trois Anciens et Modernes, the Société Schumann, and the Société de Musique de Chambre White-Delahaye – and his enthusiastic performance of chamber music helped expose Parisian audiences to the contemporary repertory of the late nineteenth century and break down their resistance to Schumann and other contemporary composers of the German romantic school.”