Margaret Bonds (1913-1972) : COTW 21-25/10/24

[smittims]

Anyone interested in the discussion about the merits of Dorothy Howell's music might also be interested by Radio 3's choice of next week's composer, described by their website as 'one of the most important composers and pianists of her time.'

As I'd never heard of her. let alone any of her music, I'll be interested to see how well-deserved this high ranking is. Perhaps, for reasons of space, two adjectives were deleted, which might have referred to what the BBC would call her 'heritage' and 'gender'. As it stands,this puts her on a level with Britten and Shostakovitch, let alone Stravinsky and Schoenberg, who were active as composers during part of 'her time' and with Rubinstein, Horowitz amd Richter as a pianist. Has Donald gone over the top this time? Stay tuned to find out.

[french frank]

She first had a Wiki entry in 2006. But it really just depends whether one ranks 'entertainment' over 'education'. If you'd never heard of her, you can find out more by listening.

[kindofblue]

I shall listen with interest.

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks for the advance notice, smittims. A name completely new to me.

[Serial_Apologist]

From running through each day's write-up, most of her output appears to be miniatures, largely songs, and some religious music, so she would have to be really non-pareil in those areas to be evaluated in Mollensonian terms. She did set Langston Hughes, mind - as did Zemlinsky - but I'm really pushing my luck there!

[french frank]

From running through each day's write-up, most of her output appears to be miniatures, largely songs, and some religious music, so she would have to be really non-pareil in those areas to be evaluated in Mollensonian terms. She did set Langston Hughes, mind - as did Zemlinsky - but I'm really pushing my luck there!

t should be remembered that CotW isn't 'The World's Great Composers': it's Composer of the Week - the composer chosen to be examined this week. Some weeks it will be lesser lights, other weeks it'll be JS Bach. It's a documentary series, not a music programme.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Bonds

[Petrushka]

t should be remembered that CotW isn't 'The World's Great Composers': it's Composer of the Week - the composer chosen to be examined this week. Some weeks it will be lesser lights, other weeks it'll be JS Bach. It's a documentary series, not a music programme.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Bonds

That's true but no-one, especially the composer herself, is done any favours by the hyperbolic nonsense quoted by the OP.

[french frank]

That's true but no-one, especially the composer herself, is done any favours by the hyperbolic nonsense quoted by the OP.

It depends what was meant by 'important', I suppose. If she was 'one of the first Black composers and performers to gain recognition in the United States' [sic Wikipedia], that is important, socially and historically, even if her musical output was unimpressive.

[Petrushka]

It depends what was meant by 'important', I suppose. If she was 'one of the first Black composers and performers to gain recognition in the United States' [sic Wikipedia], that is important, socially and historically, even if her musical output was unimpressive.

It's good that female composers from the past are finally receiving their due but the cause isn't helped by overselling. It inevitably sets up false expectations that can result in setting back the cause rather than advancing it.

[french frank]

It's good that female composers from the past are finally receiving their due but the cause isn't helped by overselling. It inevitably sets up false expectations that can result in setting back the cause rather than advancing it.

Yes, I quite agree. She may be 'one of the earliest black composers, to be recognised in the US, but compared with the works of William Grant Still and Florence Price her classical output seems considerably less ambitious. Perhaps the praise was a case of overdefensiveness in the expectation of some sort of backlash? . Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall not be disappointed ...

[smittims]

I apologise to Kate and Donald. I did actually type 'Donald' first and then mistakenly thought I'd got it wrong. I've amended my initial post.

[smittims]

Having listened to five hours of what amounted to little more than simple arrangements of traditional tunes, I can suppose only that a sentence from next week's COTW script jumped over into this week's , perhaps from an over-active touch-pad. Franz Liszt was surely 'one of the most important composers and pianists of (his) time' though curiously he's not described as such on the R3 web page.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Although she has a passionate and informed advocate in the shape of University lecturer and pianist Dr Samantha Ege I was disappointed in the overall quality of her music. Too many of the arrangements fell into a syrupy harmonisation trap when the simple harmonies and cadences of the folk tune are just “better.”
I have often thought that when Dvorak famously advocated American composers reaching into the US Folk music esp African - American spiritual tradition he was creating a kind of musical dead end. The pieces are fine as they are and in the voice of Paul Robeson or indeed Leontyne Price they have a moving dignity that doesn’t need that kind of symphonic imprimatur. In the hands of a genius like Dvorak,who was very careful not to quote Swing Low for example but use pentatonic fragments of it, they can be made to work in an extended piece but when quoted they just summon up too many other associations.
I’ve said it before but COTW would be so much better off doing more from the US blues and jazz tradition which to be fair they have been doing. I did enjoy the piano music and some of the arrangements but the cantatas weren’t terribly striking pieces.

[Nick Armstrong]

Having listened to five hours of what amounted to little more than simple arrangements of traditional tunes, I can suppose only that a sentence from next week's COTW script jumped over into this week's , perhaps from an over-active touch-pad. Franz Liszt was surely 'one of the most important composers and pianists of (his) time' though curiously he's not described as such on the R3 web page.

Well speaking personally (and ignoring - as I do - daft puffery in R3 media blurb), I’d much rather listen to COTWs about composers I know nothing about, than be reminded of the stories of the likes of Liszt… (Of course I accept that the latter will be useful and informative for newcomers to music).

True, I shan’t be rushing off to hear more of Bonds’s music (ditto Howell’s, if I’m honest) but I find such programmes interesting and illuminating - and some similar weeks in the past have transformed my listening (e.g. Louise Farrenc).

[french frank]

Well speaking personally (and ignoring - as I do - daft puffery in R3 media blurb), I’d much rather listen to COTWs about composers I know nothing about, than be reminded of the stories of the likes of Liszt… (Of course I accept that the latter will be useful and informative for newcomers to music).

True, I shan’t be rushing off to hear more of Bonds’s music (ditto Howell’s, if I’m honest) but I find such programmes interesting and illuminating - and some similar weeks in the past have transformed my listening (e.g. Louise Farrenc).

I do so agree: Many things can be interesting in their own right, regardless of whether they are 'of their kind' among the best. People who expect everything to be wonderful must be disappointed quite often! Colours, shades, degrees - all part of life's rich pageant, as Arthur Marshall once remarked.