Search - Florence Price, Apo Hsu, The Women's Philharmonic :: Florence Price

A Rediscovered African American Woman Composer

Robin Friedman | Washington, D.C. United States | 03/02/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Florence Price (1887 -- 1953) became the first African American woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra when Frederick Stock and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra performed her symphony no. 1 in E minor in 1933. Price was born in Arkansas and displayed musical gifts from an early age. She graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music where she studied composition with George Chadwick. She spent most of her adult life in Chicago. In 1932, four Price compositions won prizes in the Wanamaker competition, including the Symphony no 1 in e-minor. Price composed about 300 works, including orchestral music, piano works, organ music, art songs, and arrangements of spirituals.



This CD is a reissue of a disk issued in 2001 on Koch International Classics, and it offers the opportunity to hear Price's orchestral compositions. The CD also offers an opportunity to hear the Women's Philharmonic, a San Francisco-based orchestra dedicated to the peformance of works by women. Formed in 1981, the Women's Philharmonic disbanded in 2004. Its final artistic director, Apo Hsu, conducts this recording.



Price's music is melodious, strongly rhythmical,, and full of themes derived from African American and folk music. The works on this CD are imaginatively orchestrated, making good use of winds and percussion.

She appears stongly influenced by French impressionism and by Dvorak.



Price's symphony no. 3 in C minor (1940) is the featured work on this CD. It received its first performance from the Michigan W.P.A. Orchestra under the direction of Valter Poole. Price wrote that the symphony was intended to be "Negroid in character and expression." Although the work has a folk-like character, it does not expressly use any traditional folk material. The opening movement of the work develops a rhythmical march-like theme while contrasting it to more lyrical material. The lovely slow movement features choirs of winds and strings responding to each other in themes which show the influence of both spirituals and French impressionism. The third movement, marked "Juba" is a highly rhythmic dance with a Latin-American flavor and extensive use of percussion. The final movement is a scherzo which builds to a sweeping conclusion.



Unlike the symphony no 3, the "Mississippi River Suite" composed in 1934, makes extensive use of folk material. This work is an extended tone-painting in which Price shows her love for the River and its people. The suite begins with a slow introduction depicting the awakening of the River in early morning. It then flows into a section based on Native American themes, replete with drums, timpani, and marimba. In the remainder of the suite, Price juxtaposes original material with arrangements of folk songs and spirituals, such as "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've seen", "Deep River" and "Go Down Moses". The work ends in a lively collage of these folk materials.



The final work on this CD is a 12-minute composition titled "The Oak." The date of this work is uncertain, and there is no evidence that it was ever performed during Price's lifetime. It is a peculiar piece which begins with a growling theme that reappears througout interspersed with material that recalls folk themes. The work begins tentatively, but develops through lyrical passages to a surprisingly forceful conclusion.



Although she was almost forgotten at the time of her death, there has been an increased interest in recent years in Price's music. Florence Price was a musical pioneer who deserves to be remembered. This CD is a good way of getting to know her work.



Robin Friedman"