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The range of music by contemporary African American composers in the concert tradition is large, with by no means all of it drawing on vernacular African American idioms. This disc from the Albany label, recorded in Prague, gives an idea of the range of what's out there, even in the relatively uncommon (in the modern era) genre of the song for soprano and orchestra. The rhythmic content of the music ranges from heavily syncopated (in the Lyric Suite of Robert L. Morris, which borrows both texts and music from the spirituals and other forms of traditional African American song (and from jazz as well), ornamenting and deepening it with attractive low wind and brass writing. The titular Heart on the Wall, by American-German composer Robert Owens, sets poems by Langston Hughes embodying the Italian comic figure of Pierrot in a language little touched by Hughes' jazz age. Myths of History, by Julius P. Williams, is in the dramatic narrative mode; Williams also serves as the conductor for this recording and gets impressive results from the Czech Republic's Dvorák Symphony Orchestra. Perhaps the most successful work is the last, the Songs of Harriet Tubman by Nkeiru Okoye, drawn from a larger operatic work. Okoye forges a convincing idiom that reflects the rhythms of Tubman's speech in a natural way, and these songs would work beautifully paired with vocal works by the likes of Richard Danielpour in a recital. Soprano Louise Toppin is tense in some of the high notes, but delivers the humor of Morris' Humoresque: Scandaliz' My Name in a memorable way. Especially inasmuch as all four of these pieces are world-premiere recordings, this can be recommended for collections of African American concert music.
© TiVo
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Robert Owens, Composer - Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Broude Brothers, MusicPublisher - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Robert Owens, Composer - Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Broude Brothers, MusicPublisher - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Robert Owens, Composer - Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Broude Brothers, MusicPublisher - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Robert Owens, Composer - Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Broude Brothers, MusicPublisher - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Robert Owens, Composer - Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Broude Brothers, MusicPublisher - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor - Robert L. Morris, Composer
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor - Robert L. Morris, Composer
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor - Robert L. Morris, Composer
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor - Robert L. Morris, Composer
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor - Robert L. Morris, Composer
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Nkeiru Okoye, Composer - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Nkeiru Okoye, Composer - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Nkeiru Okoye, Composer - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Louise Toppin, MainArtist - Nkeiru Okoye, Composer - Dvorak Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra - Julius P. Williams, Conductor
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
Albumbeschreibung
The range of music by contemporary African American composers in the concert tradition is large, with by no means all of it drawing on vernacular African American idioms. This disc from the Albany label, recorded in Prague, gives an idea of the range of what's out there, even in the relatively uncommon (in the modern era) genre of the song for soprano and orchestra. The rhythmic content of the music ranges from heavily syncopated (in the Lyric Suite of Robert L. Morris, which borrows both texts and music from the spirituals and other forms of traditional African American song (and from jazz as well), ornamenting and deepening it with attractive low wind and brass writing. The titular Heart on the Wall, by American-German composer Robert Owens, sets poems by Langston Hughes embodying the Italian comic figure of Pierrot in a language little touched by Hughes' jazz age. Myths of History, by Julius P. Williams, is in the dramatic narrative mode; Williams also serves as the conductor for this recording and gets impressive results from the Czech Republic's Dvorák Symphony Orchestra. Perhaps the most successful work is the last, the Songs of Harriet Tubman by Nkeiru Okoye, drawn from a larger operatic work. Okoye forges a convincing idiom that reflects the rhythms of Tubman's speech in a natural way, and these songs would work beautifully paired with vocal works by the likes of Richard Danielpour in a recital. Soprano Louise Toppin is tense in some of the high notes, but delivers the humor of Morris' Humoresque: Scandaliz' My Name in a memorable way. Especially inasmuch as all four of these pieces are world-premiere recordings, this can be recommended for collections of African American concert music.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 01:03:24
- Main artists: Louise Toppin
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Albany Records
- Genre: Klassiek
(C) 2011 Albany Records (P) 2011 Albany Records
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