Althea Waites: Celebration, Music of American Composers, Kuumba Music (2012)
Jeremiah Evans (b. 1978)
The Definitive Duke Ellington
Sony 61444 (2000)
Sony 61444 (2000)
CELEBRATION:
Music of American Composers
is the latest recording of the pianist Althea Waites, whose website is AltheaWaites.com. The
pianist tells us “With the exception of Duke Ellington, the
composers who are featured on the recording are not well known, but
it was my intention to promote their work with this album.” A
customer review at Amazon.com by “Retired Scientist” gives the
recording 5 stars, the top rating, and explains: “Althea Waites is
to be commended not only for an expressive and listenable
performance, but also for showcasing several composers I had never
heard of. And the most familiar name among them, Duke Ellington, is
represented by an unfamiliar offering -- a beautiful lyrical song
that almost floats along. The multi-page commentary on the works and
composers is a great addition, a big help for this listener's
appreciation, at least.”
We
interviewed Althea Waites a year ago. On
January 22, 2012 AfriClassical posted: Althea Waites Interview Covers Feb. 4 Recital in Long Beach and Forthcoming Cambria CD,'Celebrations.' It was one of the most intellectually engaging and
stimulating interviews we have ever done, with a free-flowing
exchange of ideas. We found ourselves enjoying repeated hearings of the music on the program. The composer Duke Ellington (1899-1974) is also featured at AfriClassical.com.
Scuppernong
(1951)
John W. Work (1901-1967)
The work has three
movements:
1. At A Certain Church
2. Ring Game
3. Visitor From town
The
liner notes relate:
Scuppernong
was
composed in 1951, and has been described as an eloquent portrait of
country life in the river bottoms of North Carolina. The first
movement, “At A Certain Church,” begins with the sound of bells
calling the people of the village to worship. The church service
opens with a traditional hymn, I'm
Bound For The Promised Land, and
concludes with a majestic re-statement of the opening phrase of the
hymn. The second movement, “Ring Game,” depicts circle dancing
by the congregation with the accompaniment of a traditional folk
rhyme. The final movement, “Visitor From town,” announces the
arrival of a mysterious stranger with compelling harmony in a minor
key, followed by an abrupt departure with syncopated rhythms in the
low register of the piano. Natalie Hinderas recorded Scuppernong
on
CRI 629 (1992), with liner notes by Dominique-René de Lerma,
http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com:
“Scuppernong,
both
a variety of grape and the name of a South Carolina river, is the
title of Work's three-movement suite from 1951.”
John W. Work was born
into a musical family in Tullahoma, Tennessee, and achieved national
and international recognition while serving as chair of the
Department of Music at Fisk University. He also directed the
world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers during the 1950s-60s, and taught
courses in music education and theory from 1946-56.
Romantic
Passacaglia on a Twelve-Tone Theme (1992)
Margaret Meier (b. 1936)
“In
1972, I entered a competition to write an a cappella vocalise that
used contemporary idioms. I sought to create a theme that would
appeal to singers who were comfortable performing art songs of the
Romantic period, but would stretch their ears and imaginations by
using a twelve-tone row.”
The
Single Petal of a Rose (1959)
Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974)
The
Single Petal of a Rose was
the end result of a collaboration between Ellington and the late
Billy Strayhorn, acclaimed composer, arranger, and pianist. It was
specifically designated as a lyrical ballad for solo piano within a
larger work, The
Queen's Suite, which
was written for and dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II of England.
Philadelphia
Diary (2008)
Curt Cacioppo (b. 1951)
“I.
Under the Treaty Elm –
In July of 1682, William Penn and Tamanend of the Unami band of
Lenape met under a resplendent elm tree on the site now known as
Penn's Labnding to execute a god will treaty btween their two
peoples.
II.
Old
Swedes – The
historic church was founded by Swedish immigrants in 1698.
III.
Strawbridge
Observatory –
Strawbridge Observatory stands on the grounds of Haverford College
and has been the working place of my colleague, Bruce Partridge, for
many decades.
IV.
Masonic
Temple – This
piece is full of secrets and symbols.
V.
Boathouse
Row – Here
we are driving west on the Schuykill admiring the boathouses alon the
opposite bank.” - Note by the composer.
Curt
Cacioppo
is a composer whose expressive power and emotional appeal continue to
captivate listeners and performers worldwide. A person of great
human feeling, he derives inspiration from sources as diverse as the
medieval poetry of Dante, aspects of Native American culture, or the
vernacular American music he grew up with.
Metropolitan
Express (2007)
Jeremiah Evans (b. 1978)
“Metropolitan
Express is
inspired by my love of city living. Completed in the summer of 2007,
this short work is designed as a vehicle that navigates the pianist
and the audience through a musical exploration of contrasting urban
soundscapes.
The
music is also inspired by the cosmopolitan vibe, architecture, and
ever-changing landscapes of downtown Dallas, Texas.
Metropolitan
Express opens
quietly at a distance and unfolds into an improvisatory style that is
reminiscent of a jazz ballad. The next section, marked 'agitated,'
is a driving toccata-like tour de force. After a surge of jagged
rhythms across the keys, the music drifts into an ethereal meditation
that encompasses every register of the keyboard. After a brief
return to the agitated toccata rhythms, the music then gives way to a
dramatic and virtuosic conclusion.
The
work is dedicated to concert pianist Althea Waites for her continuous
support of music by African-American composers.” - note by the
composer
Jeremiah
Evans
is a native of Dallas, Texas, and began playing the piano by ear at
an early age. He was taught to read music by a relative who was also
a well-known church organist, and received his formal training in
elementary school while playing trumpet and euphonium in the band.
After graduating from Booker t. Washington High School for the
Visual/Performing Arts in 1996, Evans continued his studies at Texas
Tech University as a piano performance major. He is also the
recipient of several awards from piano competitions, and has
performed at music festivals and workshops including the Tanglewood
Institute at Boston University, the Round Top International Music
Festival, and the Juilliard School in New York City.
He
has studied piano with David Karp and William Westney, and
composition with Mary Jeanne van Appledorn. Evans is also a member
of the National Association of Composers/USA.
Fantasy-Choruses
on “This Little Light of Mine” (1999)
Curt Cacioppo (Recorded
live April 29, 2007 at the Cole Conservatory of Music)
Fantasy-Choruses
on “This Little Light of Mine” is
the last piece in a cycle of Three American Fantasies. Its
format is decidedly different from the othe two, in that the gospel
tune is not heard in its entirety until the piece is about nine
minutes underway. As the reversal of terms in the title indicates,
the piece consists of an introductory fantasy followed by a series of
choruses on 'This Little Light of Mine.' The reflection of
Beethoven's strategy in the Choral Fantasy, Opujs
80, is a conscious one, minus the orchestral and choral resources, of
course.
...
This
piece was finished in 1999 and is dedicated to Althea Waites, whose
CD, Black Diamonds, fueled
its inspiration.” - note by the composer
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