Classical Black Composers

Classical Black Composer Collection

After noticing how difficult it was to find a broad selection of classical music compositions by black composers to listen to directly online, this 'Classical Black Composer' section was created to fill that need, visitors can now easily listen to historical classical music compositions by some of the most significant black composers through the ages.

The Black Composers Series covers compositions from 1745 to 1979.

As a bonus we have included the Black Swans Mid Century Recordings which showcase 18 black singers specialising in art opera and art songs from the 1920s to 1960s.

With these collections combined this covers an extensive time period for black classical music.

Please note the content should only be used to evaluate for educational purposes only and just like all the other material in the 'Collections' link is copyrighted to their intended owners, the Black Composers Series is copyrighted to Sony Music and the Black Swans Mid Century Recordings is copyrighted to Parnassus Records.

Please check out the associated 'Black Patti Records' and 'Black Swan Label' links for more early recordings on black owned record labels.

The Black Composers Series

The College Music Society, in conjunction with the Center for Black Music Research, released CBS Records' Black Composers Series in 1987. The Series, recorded by Columbia Records between 1974 and 1979, is available as a boxed set of nine vinyl long-playing records. An informative booklet describing both the music and the lives of the composers is included. The Black Composers Series, an important component of the documentation of Black achievement in western culture, contains music written by Black composers during the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries, and, in part, demonstrates the working out of the Black aesthetic in the western concert music tradition over a two-hundred-year period. Composers whose work is presented are T.J. Anderson, David Baker, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Roque Cordero, Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia, Adolphus Hailstork, Talib Rasul Hakim, Ulysses Kay, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Hale Smith, Fela Sowande, William Grant Still, George Walker, Jose White, and Olly Wilson. The works in the Series are performed under the direction of Paul Freeman by major symphony orchestras of the United States and Europe, and by some of the world's leading concert artists.

In the 1970s, CBS Masterworks made a groundbreaking series of recordings featuring the music of black composers. The nine LPs released all featured the pioneering conductor Paul Freeman. Sony Classical is proud to reissue the complete Black Composer Series in a single original album collection with each CD remastered from the original analogue tapes using 24 bit/192 kHz technology.

The composers featured span several centuries and come from many different backgrounds. The earliest is the unique Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745–1799), a composer, violinist and swordsman born in Guadeloupe who spent most of his life in France. A whole album of his music includes the Symphony op. 11/1, the String Quartet op. 1/1 and the Symphonie Concertante op. 13. Another complete album is dedicated to the Brazilian composer José Maurício Nunes Garcia (1767–1830) and his extraordinary Requiem Mass for Queen Maria I. José Silvestre White (1835–1918), a Cuban virtuoso violinist-composer in the mould of Wieniawski, taught pupils including George Enescu, and his Violin Concerto is interpreted here by Aaron Rosand.

The English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875–1912) enjoyed considerable success in his lifetime, most of all through his cantata Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast, an aria from which is included here, as is his orchestral Danse nègre. Coleridge-Taylor visited the USA several times, and was an inspiration for the young William Grant Still (1895–1978). Still’s Afro-American Symphony, the first by a black composer to be performed by a major orchestra, draws strongly on the musical language of the blues. His ballet score Sahdji and two arias from his opera Highway 1, U.S.A. are also included. Among the many other 20th-century composers featured are the Nigerian Fela Sowande (1905–1987), the Panamanian Roque Cordero (1917–2008), and the American Ulysses Simpson Kay (1917–1995).

George Walker (b. 1922) has been called “one of the greatest composers of our time” by Fanfare, and three works by this Pulitzer winner are included: the Trombone and Piano Concertos as well as his Lyric for Strings. David Baker (1931–2016), the renowned jazz cellist and composer, was a pupil of Janos Starker, who plays his Cello Sonata. Hale Smith (1925–2009), another composer deeply involved with the world of jazz, is represented by his Ritual and Incantations. Other composers featured in this collection include Olly W. Wilson, T. J. Anderson, Talib-Rasul Hakim and Adolphus Hailstork.

A bonus tenth album features Smith’s Symphonic Spirituals, arrangements of 12 spirituals for voice and orchestra, first released by Paul Freeman and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1979. Besides those already mentioned, the many superb performers in this collection include the London Symphony Orchestra on several albums, the Baltimore and Detroit Symphony Orchestras, and the Juilliard String Quartet. But it is the composers, many still little known today, who are the true stars of this milestone collection.

COMPLETE PROGRAM CONTENT

(Volume One) Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Symphony No.1 in G Major, Opus 11, Number 1 and String Quartet Number 1 in C Major, Opus 1, Number 1 Chevalier de Saint-Georges: Symphonie Concertante in G Major for Two Violins and Orchestra, Opus 13

(Volume Two) William Grant Still: Afro-American Symphony Side IV William Grant Still: "What Does he Know of Dreams" and "You're Wonderful, Mary" from Highway 1, U.S.A. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: "Onaway! Awake, Beloved" from Hiawatha's Wedding Feast and Danse Negre

(Volume Three) Ulysses Simpson Kay: Markings Side VI George Theophilus Walker: Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra

(Volume Four) Roque Cordero: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra Roque Cordero: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (conclusion) and Eight Miniatures for Small Orchestra

(Volume Five) Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia: Requiem Mass

(Volume Six) Jose White: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra David Baker: Sonata for Cello and Piano

(Volume Seven) William Grant Still: Sahdji (Ballet for Orchestra and Chorus) Fela Sowande: African Suite George Theophilus Walker: Lyric for Strings

(Volume Eight) Olly Woodrow Wilson: Akwan Thomas Jefferson Anderson: Squares Talib Rasul Hakim: Visions of Ishwara

(Volume Nine) George Theophilus Walker: Piano Concerto Adolphus Hailstork: Celebration! Hale Smith: Ritual and Incantations

(Volume Ten) Smith’s Symphonic Spirituals, arrangements of 12 spirituals for voice and orchestra, by Paul Freeman and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Bonus Content

Black Swans at Mid Century by Parnassus

“Black Swans at Mid-Century” presents a collection of 18 fine Black singers who specialized in opera and art song, in recordings made from the late 1920s to the early 1960s. Thanks to George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess” and Virgil Thomson’s “Four Saints in Three Acts,” for both of which the composers specified Black casts, some of the outstanding Black singers of their time achieved a certain amount of exposure. However, even today vocal enthusiasts may be surprised to hear the creators of the roles of Porgy and Bess (Todd Duncan and Anne Brown) singing music from the European art song repertoire, taken from scarce 78s. We hear Mattiwilda Dobbs, who did get a chance to shine at the Metropolitan Opera in the late 1960s, dazzling an audience at a live performance in Sidney, Australia. Carol Brice sings Brahms’s “Alto Rhapsody” live at Tanglewood with the Boston Symphony conducted by Serge Koussevitzky. Robert McFerrin sings the role of Amonasro from “Aida” in live performance from Naples. Other singers represented in the collection are Adele Addison, Betty Allen, Marian Anderson (two unpublished items), Jules Bledsoe, Thomas Carey, Ellabelle Davis, Gloria Davy (music by Shulamit Ran with the composer at the piano), Ruby Elzy, Charles Holland, Inez Matthews, Margaret Tynes, William Warfield, and Camilla Williams. Audio restoration engineer Steven Smolian, who did such amazing work with the very early recordings of “Black Swans,” has again worked his audio magic with recordings originating over a wide variety of times and locations. Biographical notes by producer Leslie Gerber help place each singer in the contexts of their places and times.

Disc 1

[1] Handel: Messiah–Rejoice greatly / Adele Addison, soprano; 9:12 with Handel and Haydn Society Chorus, Zimbler Sinfonietta, Thompson Stone, conductor Classics Record Library SRL-4573 (stereo), 1959, originally Kapp 3.8000S

[2] Bishop: Home, Sweet Home 3:42

[3] Anon.: Every Time I feel the Spirit 1:29 Marian Anderson, contralto; unknown accompaniment Voice of America 16" 33 1/3 rpm lacquer disc, unissued (1943-45)

[4] Kern: Show Boat–Old Man River / Jules Bledsoe, baritone 4:26 Decca K 631 (78 rpm), London, c. 1932

[5] Brahms: Alto Rhapsody / Carol Brice, contralto 13:35 with Tanglewood Men’s Choir, Boston Symphony orchestra, Serge Koussevitzky, conductor (live, August 3, 1946)

[6] Mortensen: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (Frost) 1:58 Tono 28022 (mx 3166 A), 78 rpm

[7] Brockway (arr.): The Nightingale, ‘One Morning in May’ 2:44 Tono 28036 (mx 3163 C), 78 rpm

[8] Burleigh (arr.): Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child 2:20 Tono 28021 (mx 3163 C), 78 rpm

[9] Johnson (arr.): Hold On 2:14 Tono 28021 (mx 3164 B), 78 rpm

[10] Jordan (arr.): His Name So Sweet 2:25 Tono 28036 (mx 3817C), 78 rpm

[11] Mortensen: Adventures of Isabel (Nash) 2:02 Tono 28022 (mx 3165 C), 78 rpm Anne Brown, soprano; Kjell Olson, piano (c. 1949-50)

[12] Rossini: Stabat Mater–Fac ut portem 3:43 Betty Allen, mezzo-soprano; St. Hedwig’s Cathedral Choir, Berlin Symphony Orchestra, Karl Forster, conductor HMV (Germany) SMVP 8076 (stereo), June, 1960

[13] Hayes (arr.): Sister Mary 3:29

[14] Hayes (arr.): Little Boy 3:20 Thomas Carey, baritone; Lois Gauger, piano Century 39417, LP, “Christmas on the [Oklahoma] Campus”

[15] Bachelet: Chère nuit (mx AA 56502-1G) 4:34

[16] Sauguet: Berceuse creole (mx. AA 56502-2C 3:26 Ellabelle Davis, soprano; Kjell Olsson, piano Philips A-56502 (78 rpm) (c. 1950)

[17] Delibes: Lakmé–Ou va la jeune indoue (“Bell Song”) 7:30 Mattiwilda Dobbs, soprano; Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Joseph Post (conductor) (live performance, Sydney, 1955)

Disc 2

[1] Shulamit Ran: O, the Chimneys (poems by Nelly Sachs) 17:54 Gloria Davy, soprano; Shulamit Ran, piano New York Philomusica Chamber Ensemble / Robert Johnson (1973) Vox Turnabout TV 34492, stereo LP (By kind permission of Naxos)

[2] Brahms: Von ewiger Liebe 4:08 Philips A 45403, 78 rpm

[3] Saint-Saëns: Danse macabre 3:06

[4] Mussorgsky: The Seminarianist 3:39 Todd Duncan, baritone; William Allen, piano Philips A 56503, 78 rpm (c. 1950) (mx A 56503 A/B)

[5] Gershwin: Porgy and Bess–My Man’s Gone Now 4:12 Ruby Elzy, soprano; rehearsal orchestra, George Gershwin, conductor (July 19, 1935) Mark56 LP (from lacquer disc)

[6] Dawson: Talk About a Child that do Love Jesus 2:20

[7] Johnson (arr.): Honor! Honor! 2:51 Charles Holland, tenor; Ralph Lindsey, piano Victor 4556 (78 rpm), c. 1939

[8] Foster: Old Folks at Home 2:29 Inez Matthews, soprano; Juanita Hall Choir Hit Record 8078 9 (mx M-269-2)

[9] Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro–Dove sono 6:30 Dorothy Maynor, soprano; Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy, conductor live performance, Oct. 20, 1945

[10] Verdi: Aida–Quest’ asissa 2:19

[11] Verdi: Aida–E in uo potere lo sto! In poser di lei! 7:10 Robert McFerrin, baritone; Anna Maria Rovere, soprano; Vincenzo Bellezza, conductor (Naples Opera -live, July 15, 1956)

[12] Gershwin: Porgy and Bess–Summertime 2:49 Margaret Tynes, soprano; orchestra conducted by Warren Edward Vincent Design DLP 110 (mono LP), 1960 Daugherty (arr.): Sea Shanties: William Warfield, baritone; Otto Herz, piano

[13] Rio Grande 3:43

[14] Blow Ye Winds 1:27

[15] Across the Western Ocean 3:36

[16] Mobile Bay 2:02

[17] Shenandoah 3:13 Columbia 10" ML 2206 (LP), 1952

[18] Carpenter: When I bring you coloured toys (Tagore) 2:48 Camillia Williams, soprano; Borislav Bazala, piano

Website links

Sony Music

Parnassus Records

Further Resources

Conversations with Black American Composers:

Musical Landscapes in Color by William Banfield