Monday, March 14, 2011

'So let’s hear it for Florence Price, who really is the gutsy and substantial composer that everyone thought she would be.'



[Florence B. Price and Manuscript]

Earlier today, AfriClassical posted: “Columbia Chronicle: 'Florence Price reborn; Local composer’s work found after more than 70 years.'” It discussed Suzanne Flandreau's discovery of two manuscripts of compositions of Florence B. Price, whose works are compiled at AfriClassical.com by Prof. Dominique-René de Lerma. Suzanne Flandreau has been moved to offer her own account of the discovery, which she has made available to us:

“I just opened the envelope--but I did know what that manuscript meant when I saw it. We have Cheryl Wall to thank for knowing its importance and sending it on to us.

“Our manuscript version is for three pianos. Price may have arranged it to perform at music clubs and schools. It belonged to Cheryl’s aunt, Nannie Strayhorn Reid, a Chicago piano teacher. (I like to think she played one of the accompanying pianos, with Price as soloist.) There are two other known two-piano versions (both privately held) and one of them has the orchestra instrumentation noted. The original score and parts are still unlocated, but Trevor Weston, who reconstructed the concerto, told me that our version was helpful to determine voice leadings. So his reconstruction will be recorded in a week or so. Karen Walwyn is the piano soloist.

“Our New BMRE performed the concerto with Karen at our Black Prism concert in February. It’s a very exciting piece and could easily enter the general repertoire. It would be a welcome change from Rhapsody in Blue, which has been over-performed for lack of anything similar! The Symphony No. 1 in E Minor is also historic (as Vanessa points out) but ours will be the first commercial recording. It is also an exciting piece that deserves to be heard and generally performed. So let’s hear it for Florence Price, who really is the gutsy and substantial composer that everyone thought she would be.”
Suzanne Flandreau
Head Librarian and Archivist
Center for Black Music Research
Columbia College Chicago
600 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
Telephone: 312-369-7346
Fax: 312-369-8029

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