Statue of Liberty
(Flickr eschipul)
William Grant Still (1895-1978)
In honor of our nation’s birthday, we present five pieces of
classical music that are both American in sound and in subject matter.
1. Charles Ives: Fourth Symphony
2. John Alden Carpenter: Skyscrapers: A Ballet of Modern Life
3. Elliott Carter: A Symphony for Three Orchestras
4. William Grant Still: Afro-American Symphony
5. Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein: The Mother of Us All
William Grant Still and his Afro-American Symphony
inserted frequently neglected black culture into American classical
music. When the Rochester Philharmonic premiered the work in 1931, it
marked the first time that an American orchestra played a piece by a
black composer. The symphony introduced an African-American vernacular
taken from the blues, jazz, and spiritual music into the classical
concert hall, providing a multicultural rendering of American music.
[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
Recordings, sheet music and books of William Grant Still are
available at www.WilliamGrantStill.com,
which is operated by the composer's daughter Judith Anne Still]
No comments:
Post a Comment