AMERICAN CLASSICS WILLIAM GRANT STILL Afro-American Symphony in Memoriam • Africa

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AMERICAN CLASSICS WILLIAM GRANT STILL Afro-American Symphony in Memoriam • Africa 559174bk 11/1/05 9:40 pm Page 8 das Werk sechsmal, bevor er es merkwürdigerweise zu- sprochene Ängste und lauernde Schrecken“ aus. Das rückzog und unpubliziert ließ. Eingangsthema spiegelt afrikanische Naturreligion und MERICAN LASSICS In Africa entwirft Still ein Bild der afrikanischen führt zu einem orientalischen Motiv, das sich auf Nord- A C Geschichte im Stile der exotisierenden Orchesterwerke afrika und muslimische Einflüsse bezieht. Still entfaltet von Rimsky-Korsakov. Der erste Satz Land of Peace hat im gesamten Werk eine ungewöhnliche Kreativität, um zwei Themen, die das Ländliche und das Spirituelle be- ein facettenreiches Bild des lebendigen afrikanischen schreiben. Der zweite Satz Land of Romance reflektiert Geistes zu vermitteln. Traurigkeit und führt am Ende zu leidenschaftlicher WILLIAM GRANT STILL Sehnsucht. Das Finale Land of Superstition drückt – mit David Ciucevich den Worten von Stills Frau Verna Arvey – „unausge- Deutsche Fassung: Thomas Theise Afro-American Symphony In Memoriam • Africa (Symphonic Poem) Fort Smith Symphony John Jeter 8.559174 8 559174bk 11/1/05 9:40 pm Page 2 William Grant Still (1895-1978) Verse von Paul Lawrence Dunbar hinzu, um die Stim- Shuffle Along auftrat. Als einander Zeitgenossen, die in Symphony No. 1 ‘Afro-American’ (1930) mung der einzelnen Sätze deutlich zu machen. Als tief denselben Kreisen verkehrten und wertschätzten, In Memoriam: The Colored Soldiers Who Died for Democracy (1943) • Africa (1930) religiöser Mensch widmete er dieses – wie auch jedes beeinflussten sie sich bewusst und unbewusst. Das andere – Werk Gott, „der Quelle aller Inspiration“. Finale Aspiration bildet eine prächtige Zusammenfas- The life and career of the African-American by a major company (1949, Troubled Island, New York Der erste Satz Longing beginnt mit der Haupt- sung, indem es die Themen und Stile der vorange- composer William Grant Still certainly qualifies as the City Opera) and first to have an opera broadcast on melodie, einem zwölftaktigen Blues, vorgestellt vom henden Sätze vereint und zeigt, dass hier eine charak- quintessential American success story. Often referred to television (posthumously in 1981, A Bayou Legend, Englischhorn. Dieser Klang ruft unweigerlich das nos- teristisch amerikanische Stimme mit der Musik und den as the dean of African-American composers, Still was PBS). Still received many honours including the talgische Solo desselben Instruments in Dvořáks Sinfonie Beiträgen der Afroamerikaner wahrhaft verwachsen ist. born in Woodville, Mississippi on 11th May, 1895, to a Guggenheim fellowship, honorary doctorates from „Aus der Neuen Welt“ in Erinnerung. Still unterzieht Das kurze Orchesterwerk In Memoriam: Die far- family of Negro, Indian, Spanish, Irish and Scotch blood. Oberlin among others and the key to his home state in diese Melodie im gesamten Werk einer thematischen bigen Soldaten, die für die Denokratie gestorben sind ist Still’s father, the town bandmaster, died when William 1975. He died in Los Angeles on 3rd December, 1978. Transformation in der Tradition von Liszt – und dies mit das erfolgreichste einer Reihe von Werken zu patri- was three, precipitating a move to Little Rock, Arkansas, Still’s most distinctive works are nationalistic, using außerordentlichem Geschick. Den ganzen Satz hindurch otischen Themen, welche die League of Composers where Still’s mother was a teacher. There Still had his African-American forms such as the blues, spirituals and dient die zugrunde liegende harmonische Drei-Akkord- während des Zweiten Weltkrieges in Auftrag gegeben first musical experience, studying the violin. At his jazz in addition to other ethnic American musics. After a Struktur des Blues als kraftvoller Untergrund für Stim- hat. Es wurde erstmals am 5. Januar 1944 vom New mother’s urging he began medical studies but dropped flirtation with avant-garde techniques early in his career, mungen des Grübelns wie des Jubelns. Das zweite York Philharmonic unter Artur Rodzinski aufgeführt. out as music exerted a stronger pull. He initially worked Still returned to a neo-romantic idiom with lyrical Thema in der Oboe repräsentiert ein zweites Hauptgenre Der Kritiker der New York Times, Olin Downes, be- as an arranger for several popular performers including melody and traditional harmony. His work retains a afroamerikanischer Musik, das Spiritual. Eine ener- merkte die kraftvolle „Einfachheit und Empfindung W.C. Handy, composer of the immortal St Louis Blues, freshness that has immediate appeal. gische Durchführung dieses Materials führt zu seiner ohne Affektiertheit und Pose“. Die Formulierung des and Artie Shaw, whose hit Frenesi he orchestrated. Of his nearly 150 works in various media, it was the Rekapitulation in umgekehrter Folge. Der letzte Auftritt Titels enthält einen ironischen Aspekt, der darauf ab- Music study at Oberlin was interrupted by naval service ‘Afro-American’ Symphony that established Still’s des Bluesthemas, nun in voller Orchestrierung, führt zu hebt, dass die Afroamerikaner auf den Kriegsschau- in the First World War. After the war Still moved to reputation worldwide. It was first given in 1931 by that einem bejahenden Schluss in Dur. Der langsame Satz plätzen für Freiheit und Zivilisation kämpften, während New York, working for Handy and playing the oboe in indefatigable champion of his fellow composers, Sorrow beschreibt die Stärke unterdrückter Menschen: sie diese Freiheiten im eigenen Land entbehren mus- pit orchestras while he studied composition with the Howard Hanson, with the Rochester (NY) Symphony. verdammt, aber nicht gebrochen. Die Solooboe präsent- sten. conservative George Chadwick and the ultra-modernist It rapidly established itself in the repertoire, including iert, begleitet von Flöte und Streichern, das Hauptthema. Africa ist eines von Stills Meisterwerken. Die Ton- Edgar Varèse. Still arrived in New York at the perfect time, the New York Philharmonic performance at Carnegie Das Bluesthema des ersten Satzes kehrt später in dichtung in drei Sätzen hat eine verwickelte Genese. actively participating in the cultural awakening of Hall and performances by 34 other American orchestras der Flöte wieder, schwankend zwischen Dur und Moll. Still begann 1924 an ihr zu arbeiten als erstem Teil einer African-Americans in the 1920s, a period known as the in the 1930s alone. Still succinctly described his goals in Langsame Arpeggios der Harfe begleiten eine Ver- Trilogie, welche die afroamerikanische Erfahrung be- Harlem Renaissance. His attention turned to classical writing the work: ‘I knew I wanted to write a symphony; wandlung des Oboenthemas. Beide Themen kehren in schreibt. Africa beschreibt die Wurzeln, die „afroa- composition for good in the late 1920s. A move to Los I knew that it had to be an American work; and I wanted umgekehrter Reihenfolge wieder, um den Satz ab- merikanische“ Sinfonie das Leben in Amerika und die Angeles in 1930 to arrange for Paul Whiteman expanded to demonstrate how the blues, so often considered a zuschließen. Der dritte Satz hat die Funktion des Sinfonie Nr. 2 „Saga of a New Race“ die Vision einer his horizons into film and radio while initiating his lowly expression, could be elevated to the highest Scherzos. Mit der Bezeichnung Humor versehen, ist er Gesellschaft ohne Rassentrennung. Das Werk ist ur- compositional maturity and most prolific period. That musical level.’ After the work’s completion, Still der populärste der vier Sätze und wird des öfteren auch sprünglich für Kammerorchester geschrieben und dem year also saw the creation of his Symphony No. 1 ‘Afro- appended verse by Paul Lawrence Dunbar to illuminate separat aufgeführt. Das dritte Hauptgenre afroamerika- großartigen französischen Flötisten George Barrère American’ which has sustained his reputation and the mood of each movement. A deeply religious man, he nischer Musik, die Tanzmusik – d.h. Ragtime und Jazz gewidmet, dem Widmungsträger von Varèses Density remains his most popular and frequently recorded work. inscribed the work (as he did each of his works) to God, –, wird hier in Gestalt charakteristischer synkopierter 21.5, der die erste Aufführung mit der Barrère Little Like many African-Americans of his generation, ‘the source of all inspiration’. Rhythmen und „Backbeat“-Figuren umgesetzt. Die Symphony gab. Still verfeinerte das Werk ständig und Still achieved many ‘firsts’: first African-American to have The first movement, Longing, begins with the Einbeziehung eines Banjos – erstmals in einer Sinfonie orchestrierte es für volles Orchester. Die Premiere die- a symphony performed by a major symphony orchestra principal melody, an original twelve-bar blues melody – fügt der festlichen Atmosphäre Lokalkolorit hinzu. ser Fassung leitete am 24. Oktober 1930 in Rochester, (1935, New York Philharmonic, Afro-American); first to stated by the English horn. The instrumental colour Hier erklingt eine entfernt an Gershwins I Got Rhythm New York, wiederum Howard Hanson. Im folgenden conduct a major orchestra (1936, Los Angeles Philharmonic); cannot fail to bring to mind the nostalgic solo for the erinnernde Melodie. Stills Melodie ist indessen älter als Jahr gab es erfolgreiche Aufführungen in Deutschland first to conduct an orchestra in the Deep South (1955, same instrument in Dvořák’s New World Symphony. jene von Gershwin und geht auf eine Improvisation der und Paris, die Stills Ansehen weiter festigten. Dennoch New Orleans Philharmonic); first to have an opera produced Still submits this melody to thematic transformation 1920er Jahre zurück,
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