BRUCH VIOLIN CONCERTO NO . 1 WITH JONATHAN CARNEY
Florence Price
Born April 9 , 1887 in Little Rock , Arkansas Died June 3 , 1953 in Chicago , Illinois
SYMPHONY NO . 1 [ 1931 ]
“ I found it possible to snatch a few precious days in the month of January in which to write undisturbed . But , oh dear me , when shall I ever be so fortunate again as to break a foot !” Florence Price wrote to a friend . The accident had forced the teacher , freelance pianist / organist , single mother , and aspiring composer to stay still and focus on her Symphony in E minor . The work would pay off : She would win first prize in the Wanamaker Competition – established by the National Association of Negro Musicians ( NANM ) and business magnate Rodman Wanamaker – and see the work debuted by Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1933 . The work ’ s performance was underwritten by Maude Roberts George , Price ’ s colleague and president of one of NANM ’ s Chicago branches , the Chicago Music Association , and when the composer ascended the stage after the performance , she was met with flowers and rapturous applause .
Like Kodály , Price was keenly aware of how processes from classical and folk traditions could be brought together . The Symphony in E minor is the first large-scale work where she put those observations into practice . Allegro ( ma ) non troppo begins with hints of the main theme that slowly builds into a fortissimo statement in the brass , a technique she would use again in her Concerto in One Movement ( 1934 ). Both the main theme and secondary theme are built on pentatonic scales , utilized to evoke a soundscape associated with Black music during this period . Largo , Maestoso opens with a gorgeous brass chorale that leads into a hymn-like character as more orchestral parts enter the texture . Juba is Price ’ s answer to the tradition of dance forms serving as the third movement of symphonies . Engaging with the 19th century music-dance form juba , as well as the more recent , satirical cakewalk , this movement highlights Price ’ s clever humor and whimsy ( keep an ear out for the Acme whistle !). Finale : Presto balances a sinister character with a whirling , triumphant tempo that leaves listeners wanting more .
Instrumentation Four flutes , two oboes , two clarinets , two bassoons , four horns , two trumpets , three trombones , tuba , timpani , percussion , celeste , and strings .
From the Stage
by Jonathan Carney
I first learned Bruch ’ s Violin Concerto No . 1 in G minor with my first violin teacher , Christine Dethier , when I was about 15 years old . My teacher , as many were at that time , was very methodical about what concerto you studied and in what order . After Mozart and Viotti , you would start the “ big concertos ”— Mendelssohn , which I had done a year prior , and the Bruch G minor . It ’ s amazing how the time has flown since then , but fortunately , this concerto is timeless .
I have played this concerto dozens of times over the last 50 years , and it
has never become less beautiful to me . It is just as challenging as it was when I learned it as a teenager , but in completely different ways . Bruch had an excellent sense of writing for the violin , so everything fits onto the instrument very naturally . But the more I delve into its intricacies , particularly in the super romantic slow movement , I realize how much more the piece offers , and that ’ s where a little wisdom and experience go a long way .
MAY-JUN 2024 / OVERTURE 29