WQXR.org: 'Top Five Visions of America in Classical Music' include 'William Grant Still and his Afro-American Symphony'

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William Grant Still (1895-1978)

WQXR.org

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]