William Grant Still

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of African-American
composer William Grant Still (1895-1978).


This week Composer of the Week looks at Still’s transformative
period of study with mentor Edgard Varèse, the writing of his
breakthrough 1st Symphony the ‘Afro-American’, being embraced by
the American musical establishment and becoming the first
African-American to conduct a major US symphony orchestra, and
his uphill struggles to establish himself as a composer of opera.


Music featured: Brown Baby Darker America Breath of a Rose La
Guiablesse (The She-Devil), ballet Africa, suite for orchestra
(1. Land of Peace) Quit Dat Fool’nish Symphony No 1 in A flat,
‘Afro-American’ A Deserted Plantation Kaintuck’, poem for piano
and orchestra Blues, Pt 1 Lenox Avenue (The Crap Game; The
Flirtation; The Fight; The Law) Symphony No 2 in G minor, ‘Song
of a New Race’ (4. Moderately Slow) Out of the Silence (Seven
Traceries, No 4) And They Lynched Him on a Tree Old California ‘A
Black Pierrot’ (Songs of Separation) Incantation and Dance, for
oboe and piano Festive Overture Bells Symphony No 4,
‘Autochthonous’ Whippoorwill's Shoes (Wood Notes) Little Black
Slave Child (Troubled Island) Ennanga, for harp, piano and string
quartet (1. Moderately fast) Symphony No 3, ‘The Sunday Symphony’
(2. Prayer – very slowly; 3. Relaxation – Gaily) Lyric Quartette
Highway One: Act I (extract) Grief (Weeping Angel)


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Chris Barstow for BBC
Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for William Grant Still:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002cbd


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z