'George Walker: Great American Concert Music,' Albany Records Troy 1370, Features Accomplished Performers

[George Walker: Great American Concert Music; Albany Records Troy1370 (2012)]

On this recording an impressive array of accomplished musicians interpret vocal and instrumental works of one of America's leading composers. Pianist Robert Pollock is the only performer on this disc who is new to us. George Walker himself is a pianist on this program, along with Leon Bates and Kevin Sharpe. The composer's son Gregory Walker is a violinist, as is Kelly Hall-Tompkins. Kenneth Law is a cellist, and Alison Buchanan is a soprano.

George Walker has long been in the forefront of African American composers and pianists. His website is http://georgetwalker.com. He is featured at AfriClassical.com and is often the subject of posts at AfriClassical. On June 27, 2012 George Walker turned 90. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) marked the occasion by naming him a “2012 Concert Music Awards Honoree”: “ASCAP Honors its distinguished member, George Walker, with the Aaron Copland Award in celebration of his 90th year and for his contribution to American music as composer, pianist, educator and exemplary musical citizen.”

Works of George Walker are performed often, and recordings have been released with great frequency throughout his career. For example, American Orchestral Music, Volume 3, was issued in January of this year. This has made the recorded music of George Walker among the most accessible of that of any composer of African descent.

The liner notes of George Walker: Great American Concert Music are by George Walker. The disc opens with the Piano Sonata No. 3 (13:31), performed by Leon Bates. The liner notes tell us: “The Piano Sonata No. 3 was commissioned by the Washington Performing Arts Society. The premiere was given in the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1976 by Leon Bates. The sonata comprises three movements entitled Fantoms, Bell, Chorale and Fughetta.”

The University of Maryland Piano Trio commissioned Music for 3 (6:54), performed here by the Ritz Chamber Trio. The work was premiered in 1971. The liner notes tell us: “This performance of Music for 3 by members of the Ritz Chamber Players was recorded live in Jacksonville, Florida.”

The liner notes continue: “The songs of George Walker have been called 'among the finest by an American composer” in a review by the New York Times of a C.R.I. recording. Response, the earliest of these songs, was composed in 1940 when the composer was 18 years of age. The Bereaved Maid, set to a 15^th century text, was deemed a “masterpiece” by Nadia Boulanger when it was first shown to her. She suggested that a choral arrangement be made of it.

Three Anonymous songs open the vocal portion of the disc. They are followed by songs with lyrics from Lord Byron, A.E. Houseman, Emily Dickinson, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Robert Burns, Langston Hughes and George Walker. Three spirituals complete the vocal section, including Mary Wore Three Links of Chain, on which George Walker provides piano accompaniment to soprano Alison Buchanan. Violinist Gregory Walker performs Bleu for Unaccompanied Violin (4:25). The liner notes tell us Piano Sonata No. 5 (5:32) is a one-movement work composed in 2003. It is performed by pianist Robert Pollock.

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