"The Dean" is one of my favourite American composers. I have all his symphonies on disc. In many respects, he was five years ahead of Gershwin and tunes were occasionally "borrowed" in each direction. He was also the first African American to have a major orchestra play one of his compositions, the "Afro-American Symphony" (Symphony No 1). (Hanson/Rochester Philharmonic in 1931 onto New York Philharmonic in 1935); the first African American to conduct a major symphony orchestra in the United States; the first African American to conduct a leading American orchestra in the Deep South; the first American composer to have an opera produced by the New York City Opera; and the first African American to have an opera performed on national United States television.
Symphony No 1 on Chandos is paired with Duke Ellington's "The River" Suite (Jarvi/Detroit Symphony Orchestra). Symphony No 2 ("Song For a New Race") in the same series is accompanied by Ellington's "Harlem" and William Levi Dawson's "Negro Folk Symphony". In the Naxos American Classics series (Jeter/Fort Smith Symphony), "1" is combined with Still's "In Memoriam" and "Africa (Symphonic Poem)"; Symphony No 2 and 3 (which was actually his last of the five) are with Still's "Wood Notes Suite"; and Symphony No 4 ("Autochthonous") and No 5 ("Western Hemisphere") are with his "Poem for Orchestra". All are recorded well and have attractive covers. The Naxos discs have the edge for being broader in content, exclusively Still, and more American in sound. It's all good fun!
"Symphony No 4" - "Autochthonous" (Indigenous) :
Symphony No 1 on Chandos is paired with Duke Ellington's "The River" Suite (Jarvi/Detroit Symphony Orchestra). Symphony No 2 ("Song For a New Race") in the same series is accompanied by Ellington's "Harlem" and William Levi Dawson's "Negro Folk Symphony". In the Naxos American Classics series (Jeter/Fort Smith Symphony), "1" is combined with Still's "In Memoriam" and "Africa (Symphonic Poem)"; Symphony No 2 and 3 (which was actually his last of the five) are with Still's "Wood Notes Suite"; and Symphony No 4 ("Autochthonous") and No 5 ("Western Hemisphere") are with his "Poem for Orchestra". All are recorded well and have attractive covers. The Naxos discs have the edge for being broader in content, exclusively Still, and more American in sound. It's all good fun!
"Symphony No 4" - "Autochthonous" (Indigenous) :
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