'The National' of Abu Dhabi: William Grant Still's 'Africa' is 'one of his loveliest symphonic works'

[William Grant Still: Africa; American Symphony Orchestra; Leon Botstein, conductor; (27:11) MP3 Available July 14, 2010]

On June 26, 2010 AfriClassical posted: “William Grant Still's 'Africa' by American Symphony Orchestra on MP3 July 14, 2010.” Today a review of the release was published by The National of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates:

The National

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

“American Symphony Orchestra / Botstein: Africa William Grant Still

Gemma Champ”

“ASO

If you’re wondering who William Grant Still (1895-1978) is, you’re not alone. The US composer, a contemporary of greats such as George Gershwin and Aaron Copland, is strangely unknown and unperformed, in spite of the laudable attempts of organisations such as the American Symphony Orchestra under Leon Botstein to revive his works. Still was an African American composer, a fact that both informed his sound and prevented the popular success he might have expected, given the quality and accessibility of his work. Though championed by eminent musicians during his lifetime, 1920s-40s America simply could not equate classical music with the African-American community, which was finding cultural prominence through the Harlem Renaissance. Still worked as an arranger for bands such as Paul Whiteman’s orchestra, wrote film scores and was the first black American to conduct a major symphony orchestra. He composed a corpus of extraordinary works that combine the modernist training he received at the hands of Varèse with the traditional folk culture of his grandmother’s Spirituals and the urbanity of Harlem’s jazz. This, one of his loveliest symphonic works, is a three-movement Gershwin-esque ode to Africa – a continent he never visited but knowingly endowed with all the Hollywood exoticism his American-born imagination could conjure.” [William Grant Still (1895-1978) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, which features a complete Works List by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma of Lawrence University Conservatory.]

NYDailyNews.com: William Grant Still's 'Second Symphony is a lush, romantic piece'

[William Grant Still (1895-1978)] ]

NYDailyNews.com

Howard Kissell

The Cultural Tourist

William Grant still

March 22, 2009

“This afternoon Leon Botstein led the American Symphony Orchestra in several pieces by William Grant Still (1895-1978), whose name is often followed by the phrase 'the Dean of African-American composers.' As is often the case words are a much easier way to honor a man than performing his music -- he appears in concert halls and on disc far less than he should. In his program notes Botstein mentions that one of Still's champions was Leopold Stokowski, who was in fact the founder of the American Symphony and who corresponded with Still about a piece that might be played at its debut in 1963.

“In the concert at Avery Fisher Hall Botstein did a wonderful job of 'framing' Still, of putting him in context. The program began with a 'Rip van Winkle Overture' by George Whitefield Chadwick, a 19th century American composer, a pleasant enough composition. He followed it with Still's 'Darker America,' which made Chadwick really sound like 'white bread.' In some ways 'Darker America' was the most interesting piece on the program -- it had an arresting, somber quality, using the brass and winds to particularly mournful effect. Written in 1924, it seemed inescapably an attempt to convey the African-American experience, which it did -- powerfully."

“The first half concluded with an evocative three-movement Still work called 'Africa.' It was composed in 1928, when American symphonic music, by white and black composers, was still searching for an American sound. Music from this period often has an impressionistic rather than a formal structure.” “Still followed his own muse. His Second Symphony, which closed the program, is a lush, romantic piece, which the ASO played beautifully.”

NJ.com: 'Students and professional musicians celebrate Harlem Renaissance composer'

Afro-American Symphony; William Grant Still; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Karl Kruger, conductor; Bridge 9086 (1999)

NJ.com

Students and professional musicians celebrate Harlem Renaissance composer

by Bradley Bambarger/For The Star-Ledger 

Thursday March 19, 2009, 2:21 PM

“American Symphony Orchestra. When and where: 3 p.m. Sunday, Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, 65th Street and Broadway, New York; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Conlin Auditorium, St. Benedict's Preparatory School Auditorium, 520 Martin Luther King Blvd., Newark. How much: $28-$57 in New York; visit http://www.lincolncenter.org or call (212) 721-6500.   Free in Newark; visit http://www.sbp.org or call (973) 792-5800.

“A 'crescendo of effort' is how teachers at St. Benedict's Preparatory School describe this week's culmination of the Newark institution's yearlong exploration of the Harlem Renaissance. The New York-based American Symphony Orchestra has been working closely with St. Benedict's teachers and students in a humanities program that links music, literature, visual arts and journalism. Some 100 students will attend the ASO's Lincoln Center performance this Sunday for free, with the concert revolving around African-American composer William Grant Still. On Thursday, ASO players will perform alongside student musicians in a concert at the school.”

“Clifford Brooks, the ASO's New Jersey-based education adviser for Music Notes, says 'the orchestra's musicians love really sharing their knowledge and passion with teachers and students, rather than just coming in to perform and leave.' Sunday's Lincoln Center concert, conducted by ASO music director Leon Botstein (also president of Bard College), will include the tone poems 'Darker America' and 'Africa' by the [Mississippi-born] Still (1895-1978). Also featured will be Still's 'Symphony No. 2' debuted by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1937). Works by Still's teachers George Chadwick and Edgard Varese share the bill. The St. Benedict's program will include choral works by Still set to poems by fellow Harlem Renaissance artist Langston Hughes.” [Full Post] [William Grant Still (1895-1978) is profiled at AfriClassical.com, where a complete Works List by Dr. Dominique-René de Lerma is also found]