STILL Danzas de Panama
I. Tamborito: Moderato
II. Mejorana y Socavón: Allegro moderato
III. Punto: Allegretto con grazia
IV. Cumbia y Congo: Allegro con moto
COOK Overture to “In Dahomey”
BRAHMS Symphony No. 2, op. 73, D major
I. Allegro non troppo
II. Adagio non troppo
III. Allegretto grazioso (Quasi andantino)
IV. Allegro con spirito
William Grant Still (1895-1978) is considered the preeminent African-American classical composer and arranger of the 20th century, and deservedly so: his colossal output includes five symphonies, several symphonic poems, orchestral suites, and numerous other instrumental and choral works. Still was raised in Little Rock, Arkansas with a mother and stepfather who nurtured his musical interests, including finding him a violin teacher. Although he went on to study at both Wilberforce University and Oberlin College, it may be the private instruction that he received from experimental French composer Edgard Varèse that encouraged him to stretch himself creatively.
As an exceptional artist finding his voice in a segregated America, Still broke many color lines: the first African American to conduct a major southern orchestra; the first to have a performance by a major opera company; the first to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra; not to mention a slew of other performances and commissions from nationally recognized musical organizations. Still is probably best known for his masterpiece “Afro-American” Symphony No. 1, a work that ingeniously melds classical symphonic forms and colorful orchestration with soulful blues harmonies and stylish rhythmic syncopation.
Still’s expressive Danzas de Panama for string orchestra incorporates his mastery of classical and blues harmony with nods to the musical styles of Central America. The first movement, “Tamborito” (a Panamanian traditional dance), employs a lyrical theme that uses the familiar “habanera” 3+2 rhythmic pattern. The second movement, “Mejorana y Socavon” (two types of Panamanian folk guitars), enjoys a beautiful melodic innocence that captures the feeling of a more relaxed pace of life. In the third movement, “Punto” (another type of folk dance), one can imagine an old-fashioned courtship enacted by two graceful dancers through its use of poignant melodic simplicity. In the last movement, “Cumbia y Congo” (two more folk dances), the driving tempo deftly portrays the dancers’ energy, the pounding of feet, and the swish of ladies’ colorful traditional dresses.
Will Marion Cook (1869-1944) is not a name that we often see in orchestral programming, but nonetheless has an important place in the development of American music. Cook grew up in the northeastern United States coming from a 1st-generation educated African-American family, and his skills as a violinist and musician took him to some of the finest places of study: Oberlin College, the Berlin Hochschule für Musik (under legendary violinist Joseph Joachim), and the National Conservatory in New York, studying with composer Antonín Dvořák.
In the first two decades of the 20th century, Cook produced, directed, and composed many musical comedies in downtown Manhattan. These musicals were pioneering works that starred black performers and also enjoyed successful runs. One of his shows, In Dahomey, ran for four years with tours throughout the United States and London, and is also considered the first in which the operetta style is synthesized with the minstrel show—a significant development towards the golden age of music theater.
The Overture to In Dahomey is a disarming work that walks the listener through several different musical styles and tempos: you’ll hear plenty of upbeat ragtime that may remind you of the composer Scott Joplin (Cook’s contemporary); two slower, more lyrical sections towards the middle; and a charming waltz just before ending with one more jaunt into ragtime. You’ll no doubt be tapping your toe throughout the performance and find yourself finishing the piece with a smile on your face.
Fun fact: there are only two degrees of separation (and in two different ways) between American composer Will Marion Cook and German composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897). Two of Cook’s teachers, the violinist Joachim and composer Dvořák, were both close friends with Brahms. Joachim was a lifelong bestie (with a temporary falling out when Joachim’s marriage was on the rocks) who collaborated on many premieres and performances. And to Dvořák, Brahms was a devoted admirer and mentor who advised and supported him through his rise in career.
Brahms is a composer frequently found in symphonic programming, perhaps because many consider him to be the 2nd most important composer of the 19th century, behind Beethoven. (Throw in Bach, and you have the “three B’s” of classical music.) Back in the days when classical record stores still existed, if you were to enter inside one and look around, you would no doubt find a substantial Brahms section. String quartets, piano sonatas, symphonies, concertos, German lieder (art-songs), a requiem, you name it: Brahms’ tremendous output is a staple of the western musical canon.
What should a classical listener know about Brahms? Like Cook and Still, he grew up with devoted parents who encouraged music lessons. At an early age, he demonstrated prodigious talent at the piano, and began giving full-solo recitals as a young teenager. He continued to perform and compose (often on the road) as a young adult, before eventually settling down in Vienna as a choir and orchestra conductor.
One important feature of Brahms’ music is his use of complex counterpoint. Most of our favorite songs on the radio have a catchy melody with supporting harmony and rhythm, which in sum is referred to as a homophonic texture. Brahms, by contrast, will use two, three, even four independent lines of music all at once, elaborately interwoven into a polyphonic texture. This level of complexity can make the music seem opaque or even confusing to a casual or uninitiated listener, akin to jumping into the middle of a plot-heavy television series in which you missed the first few episodes. But to a devotee of Brahms’ music, it can be wondrously stimulating to allow one’s ear to focus in and out of the music’s many creative innerworkings.
Another important feature of Brahms’ music is its controlled passion. Brahms doesn’t give the listener the instant gratification that today’s audience has grown accustomed to—instead, it’s more of a slow burn. Brahms will often take a melody and stretch it much longer than expected, or carefully build a tense crescendo over the course of many musical bars. On the upside, the longer the wait, the greater the reward! Brahms’ 2nd Symphony, in particular, has one of the most epic climaxes ever achieved at the end of its full 43 minutes. (And you’ll know when it is time when you see the tuba player get excited that it’s finally their turn to play.)
Knowing that this is a considerable work of complexities and controlled passion, is there a best way to listen to the tremendous 2nd Symphony? Might I recommend that you allow the sheer, lush beauty of the orchestra take your mind on a journey. Allow yourself to mentally wander to the most fantastic and emotional places of your imagination in a way that only truly extraordinary music can.
–David H. Johnson
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