American classical pianist Lara Downes is on a mission. Her stated goal: to popularize classical music by African-American composers.
Downes, presenter of her own radio show, cites Scott Joplin (1868-1917) as one of the key figures in this panorama. Although his influence is felt mainly in American popular music, he also has a place in the classical realm.
Known as the “king of ragtime”, Joplin created her most famous works for piano (Maple Leaf Ragin 1899, and The Entertainerin 1902), but he also composed an opera called Treemonisha (1911), with elements of Negro folk songs and spirituals, along with choruses and arias.
When Joplin appeared in Chicago for the 1893 World’s Fair, “the ragtime it first reached the general public” and caused a sensation, according to Downes. He ragtime which was a forerunner of jazz“was a bridge between the 19th and 20th centuries” as he explains, and Joplin influenced pianists from jazz como Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941) y Duke Ellington (1899-1974).
The syncopated rhythm of ragtime “It was the innovation,” Downes said. “Thats why he ragtime captivated the imagination of the whole world. All the popular music we hear has the syncopated rhythm” introduced by the ragtime: he jazzhe blueshe rock & roll and the hip-hop. “It all goes back to ragtime”.
A great musical heritage
Although black musicians and composers have always played a prominent role in the evolution of American popular music, they have also made significant inroads into classical circles.
Downes admits that she herself grew up thinking that classical music was a European tradition. After studying piano for most of her life as a young adult, she explored her own African-American heritage by looking for works by black composers, and discovered that African-Americans had composed concertos, symphonies, and operas.
Besides discovering Treemonishaby Joplin (which, according to many scholars, inspired the opera Porgy and Bessby George Gershwin, from 1935), Downes came across the works of Florence Price (1887-1953), the first African-American woman whose music was performed by a large symphony orchestra, and William Grant Still (1895-1978), whose prolific production includes five symphonies and eight operas.
In recent years, knowledge of African-American songwriters has “exploded within the artist community.” [clásicos] and music lovers,” Downes said.
Relay to the 21st century
According to Downes, today’s African-American composers of classical music often bring a fresh perspective. He mentioned two examples: Carlos Simon, composer-in-residence at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (in English) of Washington, and Jessie Montgomery, composer-in-residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (in English).
Simon, an Atlanta native with roots in music gospel, composes frequently for the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera, and has written commissioned works for the New York Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. “Music is my pulpit. That is where I preach,” he told the newspaper. The Washington Post in 2022.
Montgomery, from New York, has written solo, chamber, vocal, and orchestral works. “Her music of hers weaves together classical music with elements of vernacular music, improvisation, poetry, and social consciousness, making her a keen interpreter of the 21st-century American sound and experience,” according to the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra website. Chicago.
The music composed by today’s African-American classical artists contains “echoes of jazz and spiritual, spanning the fulness of American music,” says Downes. For example, he cites the music of Michael Abels that includes orchestral pieces, concertos, and operas alongside genre-defying film scores. He also notes that Rhiannon Giddens, who studied opera, explores in her works broad musical traditions that encompass many aspects.
Downes indicates that he collaborates with many black composers who reflect “the kind of world we want to live in, and our common humanity” creating “something beautiful and timeless” from their most harrowing experiences. He added: “What I am most proud of in American music is its ability to imagine something better and convey that hope to audiences” everywhere.
