Amazing how one can listen to a composer many times unmoved until one day the brilliance and beauty of his work emerge into consciousness. Today is the day!
This work, which is new to me, is a perfect introduction to symphony in the 29th century. It is not too long - on a Mozart or Haydn scale, and is full full of mengaging fragments which are tossed to and fro. Some would place it in the light music category, akin to Robert Farnon or Leroy Anderson, but there patches of purple harmony, especially in the finale, which pull one up short and compel attention.
This certainly has a charm and there is a lot to like. The first 3 movements seem to have a light-weight quality to me and not terribly sophisticated. (excepting certain harmonies in the 2nd movement). The first movement tries to make too much out of too little material (ex. Three note principal theme). The fourth movement is the best of the four with sumptuous orchestration, more musical ideas to develop. It seems strange to apply such a program after creating the composition. Perhaps Still thought that such a program would make the symphony appear weightier than it is (at least those first 3 movements).
Joachim Raff was a prolific Swiss composer who applied programs to his works to make them appear weightier than they are. However, Raff's music was less interesting than Still's. For Raff sounded like a generic German Romantic composer. He didn't have a voice of his own.
Gershiwn stole directly from WGS! He is not Gershiwn's heir. We Africans do not owe anything or bow down to cultural appropriators!! Wake up! Daaaaammmmnnn.
One man's "American historical reality" is another man's myth created by Zane Grey, Walt Disney and Margaret Mitchell. William Grant Still's achievements are very great and deserve much more recognition in his homeland.
William Grant Still was an American of African descent, and of all composers in his day, doubtless he was the most aware of America's shortcomings. Yet he chose to express himself in this manner. Like many Americans of African descent, he was born in the United States, knew no other countries well, and loved the country of his birth. I believe that his generation believed that things would improve over time. However, it is also true that Still was a fierce opponent of Marxism, and would undoubtedly have little patience with today's "social justice" dialogue, precisely because of its Marxist tendencies.
He does use certain gospel/jazz/blues harmonies in combination with "western" ones... maybe that's what you're hearing. As far as melodically, he's one composer, his music is going to have similarities to itself.... but by no means is he limited to variating one theme.
The first composer that gave me the motivation to listen to all of their symphonies in full
Deserves to be part of the standard symphonic repertory
Absolutely!
One of my favorite composers!
Amazing how one can listen to a composer many times unmoved until one day the brilliance and beauty of his work emerge into consciousness. Today is the day!
William Grant Still is a genius. It is a shame he did not get the same recognition as Gershwin.
This is a magnificent symphonic masterpiece, full of great moments!
Nice. 2nd Movement is very lovely
0:00 is a good place to start. ^
Wow
This work, which is new to me, is a perfect introduction to symphony in the 29th century. It is not too long - on a Mozart or Haydn scale, and is full full of mengaging fragments which are tossed to and fro. Some would place it in the light music category, akin to Robert Farnon or Leroy Anderson, but there patches of purple harmony, especially in the finale, which pull one up short and compel attention.
Mr. Still: famous composer of the 2860s, contemporary to 𐌀ፏ𐌋ቹ𐌌ጎ𐌍ቹ ጮ𐌂ፏ𐌵ቻ𐌅ጎ𐌍
I feel like Washington is judging me.
Could this be inspired by Dvorak's Symphony #9?
This certainly has a charm and there is a lot to like. The first 3 movements seem to have a light-weight quality to me and not terribly sophisticated. (excepting certain harmonies in the 2nd movement). The first movement tries to make too much out of too little material (ex. Three note principal theme).
The fourth movement is the best of the four with sumptuous orchestration, more musical ideas to develop.
It seems strange to apply such a program after creating the composition. Perhaps Still thought that such a program would make the symphony appear weightier than it is (at least those first 3 movements).
Joachim Raff was a prolific Swiss composer who applied programs to his works to make them appear weightier than they are. However, Raff's music was less interesting than Still's. For Raff sounded like a generic German Romantic composer. He didn't have a voice of his own.
Still was on another level when he made his stuff omg he’s like Gershwin’s heir
Gershiwn stole directly from WGS! He is not Gershiwn's heir. We Africans do not owe anything or bow down to cultural appropriators!! Wake up! Daaaaammmmnnn.
Nice music, even if the descriptions of it do not at all match America's historical reality.
One man's "American historical reality" is another man's myth created by Zane Grey, Walt Disney and Margaret Mitchell. William Grant Still's achievements are very great and deserve much more recognition in his homeland.
@@jonblair648 True. But I think it's somewhat insulting to subtly compare Still to Zane Grey and Walt Disney.
over shadowing kindness and justice has not been my understanding of the western hemisphere. just the overshadowing part is accurate
Music is subjective, and needn't be bound by the cold hard facts.
William Grant Still was an American of African descent, and of all composers in his day, doubtless he was the most aware of America's shortcomings. Yet he chose to express himself in this manner. Like many Americans of African descent, he was born in the United States, knew no other countries well, and loved the country of his birth. I believe that his generation believed that things would improve over time. However, it is also true that Still was a fierce opponent of Marxism, and would undoubtedly have little patience with today's "social justice" dialogue, precisely because of its Marxist tendencies.
Is it just me, or is this person's entire music a variation on one theme?
What do you mean? What theme you think is omnipresent in Still's music?
He does use certain gospel/jazz/blues harmonies in combination with "western" ones... maybe that's what you're hearing. As far as melodically, he's one composer, his music is going to have similarities to itself.... but by no means is he limited to variating one theme.