William Grant Still (1895-1978)
(Photo
is the sole property of
William Grant Still Music,
and is used with
permission)
Folks and
Fantasies: The Chamber Music of William Grant Still & Clifford
Julstrom;
William Grant Still
Performing Arts Society;
Directed by Dr.
Everett N. Jones III;
William Grant Still Music WGSM CD4001 (2013)
Dr. Everett N. Jones III
The Folk Music Revival in the U.S. built up over several decades until enjoying its greatest success in the Sixties, the decade in which William Grant Still composed his six Little Folk Suites from the Western Hemisphere. He combined short, jaunty tunes from both the United States and other countries and cultures in the Western Hemisphere. Those who enjoyed Folk Music during the 1960s are likely to feel a tinge of nostalgia for the music of that era, upon hearing Still's diverse and authentic tunes on this disc. We have enjoyed the Folk Suites numerous times.
This
recording is a first in several respects. It is the first recording
of The William
Grant Still Performing Arts Society, which is described in the
liner notes: “The William
Grant Still Performing Arts Society, which is in its infancy, is
dedicated to promoting the performance, recording, and dissemination
of the music and history of minority composers and performers of
concert music in all communities.”
The disc is the
inaugural release of William Grant Still Music, WGSM CD4001. The
performers are Caen Thomason-Redus, Flute; Tami C. Lee Hughes,
Violin; Dorthy Okpebholo, Viola; Michael Jorgensen, Violin; Victor
Sotelo, Cello; Everett N. Jones III, Piano. The recording was
Produced and Directed by Everett N. Jones III.
Chamber Music of
William Grant Still
William
Grant Still (1895-1978) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which
features a comprehensive Works List by Prof. Dominique-René de
Lerma, http://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com
The liner notes by Dr. Everett N. Jones III mention some of the many
firsts which mark the career of William Grant Still (1895-1978), such
as having a major composition, the Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American)
performed by a major orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic under the
direction of Howard Hanson.
Dr. Jones observes:
“Still's transcendental view of humanity is reflected in his unique
American fusion of African-American, European, and of many other
musical cultures, genres, and spiritual beliefs. The musical
diversity of his compositions ranges from concert symphonies, tone
poems, chamber works, operas and ballets, to the transcriptions of
spirituals, folk songs, and blues.”
The first 12 tracks are
devoted to the 6 Little
Folk Suites from the Western Hemisphere. Everett
Jones notes they were composed in 1968 and arranged in pairs. “The
First Suite contains a Creole
Folk Song
and a waltz-like tune about Early
California. The
Second Suite has a tune called El
Nido and
one based on an early 19th
century British Folk song popular during the Gold Rush – Sweet
Betsy from Pike (USA).
Pieces from Louisiana and Martinique are first in the Third Suite;
this suit ends with a setting of the spiritual Wade
in the Water. The
Fourth Suite begins with a movement inspired by two Indian guitarists
popular in the 1940s-60s. The first movement, Los
Indios, is
followed y a southern folk tune titled the Crawdad
Song. Little Folk Suite #5 contains
a lullaby about the boogie man (Tutu
Marimba)
and ends with a slow graceful dance in triple meter that evolved from
the mazurka and waltz (La
Varsoviana).
The final folk suite contains Anda
Buscanda de Rosa en Rosa
and a cowboy song titled Whoopee
Ti Yi Yo.
Dr. Everett Jones III
concludes the notes on the Chamber Music of William Grant Still with
these observations: “The second movement from the
Suite for Violin and Piano, was
suggested by Sargent Johnson's “Mother and Child.” This is one
of Still's more popular works because of its long beautiful melodic
lines, violin cadenza, and emotional warmth.”
Chamber Music of
Clifford Julstrom
The
liner notes begin: “Clifford Julstrom (1907-1991) was the son of
Swedish immigrant parents who cultivated his musical interest. He
received a Ph.D. in composition from the Eastman School of Music
under the tutelage of Howard Hanson and Bernard Rogers. He composed
over 90 compositions, founded the Western Illinois University
Symphony, and served as Chair of the Music Department until 1969.
His style is tonal, neoclassical, and balances dissonance with a
fusion of Classical, Romantic, and 20th
Century composition devices.”
This
recording presents two relatively contemporary works of Clifford Julstrom, Four
Moods for
string quartet, on Tracks 14-17, and Fantasy
for flute, string quartet, and piano, on Track 18. Everett Jones
writes: “The Four
Moods were
written in 1970 and the first movement, Drammatico,
begins
with a strong assertion of hope.” Semplice,
Scherzando Giocoso and
Patetico complete
the work. The liner notes continue: “The Fantasy
for Solo Flute, String Quartet and Piano is a one-movement
multi-sectional work written in 1976 that fully exploits the Romantic
and 20th
Century techniques of harmony, shifting meter, and tempo changes.
This is the first compact disk recording of the Four
Moods, the
Fantasy
and the complete Little
Folk Suites by
William Grant Still.”
Disclosure:
A
review copy of this recording was provided by the record label.
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