William Grant Still (1895-1978)
April 9, 2020
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Each Wednesday, for as long as live performances are not possible,
the ASO will release a recording of a past performance from our
archives. Content will alternate weekly between live video recordings
of SummerScape operas and audio recordings from previous ASO concerts
that you can enjoy in your home.
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Africa, Suite for Orchestra
Composed by William Grant StillAmerican Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Leon Botstein, music director
Runtime: 27 minutes
II. Land of Romance
III. Land of Superstition
Operas, symphonies, concerti, chamber music, art songs, film scores,
popular music—William Grant Still embraced all of America’s music, and
ranks among the greatest American composers.
Rivaled only by Leonard Bernstein in the variety of his output,
Still’s contributions helped to establish the sound of the “American
Experience.” When jazz was the epitome of Black artistic expression,
Still was defining his voice within the world of classical music. He
became the first African-American to have a symphony performed by a
professional orchestra as well as an opera nationally televised and
performed by a major opera company.
Recorded live during the concert, Revisiting William Grant Still
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