Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Dominique-René de Lerma: 'Black, Brown and Beige, #2'

Henry Thacker Burleigh

Dominique-René de Lerma writes:

  Exploring music's second program (19 March) in this two-week series was another wonderfully welcome hour!  As always, Bill McGlauglin 's stimulating commentary is exceptionally provocative.  To wit:
              It is very often stated that Harry Burleigh was a composition student of Antonín Dvorák.  Not so.  Although he made up for it by the time he began transforming the spirituals into art songs (1917), he originally did not pass the entrance examinations at New York's National Conservatory of Music.  It is true, however, that he introduced many spirituals to Dvorak, copied orchestral parts for the composer's ninth symphony, and did attend the 1893 première of the work.
              We had a second opportunity to hear from Cedille's splendid CD featuring Rachel Barton Pine.  Probably every listener tuning into the program, who knew anything about José White or the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, has this recording and welcomed its inclusion.
              A word about rhythm and the following 16th-note patterns: First of all, no matter what Joplin, Blake, or the others said about their music being syncopated (as in A), it rarely was; pattern A is found with Sousa and Debussy, but not with Joplin (although the Boston Pops performance of Maple Leaf rag stuck this stranger into the arrangement, seemingly borrowing from Will Marion Cook, briefly a Dvorák student).  We had instead consistent syncopated patterns, which we term additive rhythm; syncopation is a European concept (an excellent example is the third Leonora overture by Beethoven), while additive rhythm is related to many West African languages.  The Maple Leaf rag , as with most rags, is ragtime because it is based on the additive rhythm of B. An exception is that sadly nostalgic Solace.  Here the bass line is that of the habanera (so often encountered in piano works of the time -- W. C. Handy, for example) -- that it was called "the Spanish tinge"  (see C below), and note this work bears the subtitle "A Mexican serenade" -- if the 16th note gets less emphasis than the following eighth, we almost end up with pattern A.  Notice how Joplin then changes the right hand figuration forSolace.
              A.  12-4 1-3.
              B.  123-,-234,1-3.
              C.  1--4, 1-3-.
              If any have been unaware of this first two-week series national tribute to Black music, you are probably not a regular follower of Mr. Zick's web site and might not then be aware that McGlauglin's third program will be dedicated to Joplin's Treemonisha.  And I hope that this series will alert any new listeners to all future programs of Exploring music.  It is broadcast, not only in most states (at various times on weekdays), but even in Guam. Specific information is provided at the Exploring music web site -- including the address for communicating directly with its engaging host.
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Dominique-René de Lerma

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