Florence Price's music

[Lance]

I'm doing two Black History Month programs in February, one for Florence Price and another for contralto Marian Anderson at the end of the month.

I'm having some difficulty finding really good (perhaps audience "attractive" is a better choice of words) music. I have a number of her compositions: The Symphonies 1 & 3 w/Nézet-Seguin/Philadelphia Orchestra on DGG, of which I have enjoyed Symphony No. 1 (40 minutes and, due to time, I may use Symphony 3 at 30 minutes); Concert Overture No. 2 based on three spirituals, and her Suite of Dances (only 3:55 timewise, but first recording of them, and addictive!), both with the Württemberg Philharmonic on Naxos, some solo piano music on Centaur and Guild CDs. Can I fill a one-hour program? No question, I can. I'm in the throes of putting it together now. I must do some additional listening especially of her solo piano music because I do want to use some of that.

Do you have any suggestions? I am taken by her remark to Serge Koussevitzky when she wrote him to perform her First Symphony with the Boston Symphony: "Mr. dear Dr. Koussevitzky. To begin with I have two handicaps - those of sex and race." I cannot help but think if Price was alive today to see how her music has "taken off," she would be mightily happy and surprised.

The end of the month will see a tribute to contralto Marian Anderson. Happily, there is much available by the artist. Those who don't have Sony Classical's/RCA marvelous book-type edition of all her RCA recordings [83649, 15 CDs, book] called "Beyond the Music" are missing something very special.

[barney]

I recently reviewed Randal Goosby, a very talented young black violinist, playing her two violin concertos. Came out mid-last year. Well worth excerpting from, Lance.

[Lance]

Thank you, Barney. I've had my eye on that one! (How did you know?)

I recently reviewed Randal Goosby, a very talented young black violinist, playing her two violin concertos. Came out mid-last year. Well worth excerpting from, Lance.

[david johnson]

By coincidence, I am now listening to her symphony 1. A good listen!
New Black Repertory Ensemble
Leslie B. Dunner, conductor

[Lance]

Got it together, Concert Overture 2, Symphony 3, a solo piano piece, and concluding with Dance Suite. All good material.

[Lance]

Just to note the arrival of a disc of Florence Price's songs, none of which I know very well. On this disc we find 12, 9 of a regular form and 3 shorter ones. All are performed by soprano Christine Jobson with pianist Gregory Thompson. The album is entitled "Nearly Lost: Art Songs by Florence Price." This is apparently not a commercial disc, probably independently produced. There are no texts for the songs, and just an insert of credits and advising of the other performers thereon: Jane Brendle, violin and Sarah Markle, cello. Interestingly, these songs were found at Price's abandoned home in a suburb of Chicago. The new owners of her former, dilapidated home, donated the Price contents to the University of Arkansas, the state of Price's birth.

Will comment further as I have not heard the disc yet.