Rachel Barton Pine
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Violin Concertos By Black Composers OfThe 18th & 19th Centuries
Rachel Barton, Violin
Encore Chamber Orchestra
Daniel Hege, Conductor
Cedille Records CDR 90000 035 (1997)
A LIGHT ON THE PAST
Dominique-René de Lerma
As part of the prospectus for a major project in progress, The string student's library of music by Black composers, there are several magnificent performance on video of which one might not be aware, each worth far more that casual reference.
To
start with, the performer is Rachel Barton Pine, the brilliant
long-time heroine and champion of Black music, ever since her Cedille CD
CDR 90000 035 (Violin concertos by Black composers of the 18th and 19th centuries).
The performances are available at
http://www.rebf.org/ssl/curriculum.html. With Daniel Hege as pianist,
Mrs. Pine soars with the rich sonority of her violin in performances of
William Grant Still's Here's one, David Baker's Deliver my soul,
and elaborations of spirituals by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor from the
repertoire of Maud Powell. In years past, we might have heard Jascha
Heifetz offering an encore with works of this sort, somewhat like a croquenbouche for the provinces, but they are presented here as worthy of programmed repertoire.
Those
who have heard this artist in person will be reminded of the rich
warmth, the boldness of her assertions, and nuanced delicacy of her
playing, all excellently captured on these videos. Added are sample
performances by teenage embryonic laureates of the Sphinx Competition.
While
this site should be of major interest to all violinists, the ultimate
value might be in the inspiration of young persons, too few of whom have
been exposed to the implications of this history.
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Dominique-René de Lerma
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