To contact us Click
HERE
Black Composers Series; Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Paul Freeman, Conductor; Natalie Hinderas, Piano; Sanford Allen, Violin; Sony Music DSO-1111 (2002) [Re-release of part of original CBS Black Composers Series on LP]
Dr. Dominique-Renéde Lerma writes:
ANTHOLOGY- The Black Composers Series
ColumbiaRecords' The Black composer series.
It was about 1971 that PaulFreeman came to see me in Bloomington, where I was on the faculty of IndianaUniversity. He had become aware of my work in the history, while he was wellaware of the major contemporary figures, having already featured their workswhile on the staff of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Now he was with theDetroit Symphony Orchestra and was interested in exploring the past of Blackclassical music.What evolved was a plan toinitiate a series of recordings covering a spectrum of orchestral music. Sucha project needed funding and a non-profit channel to distribute these funds. We had a very promising meeting with the Irwin-Sweeney-Miller foundation in ColumbusIN and I enlisted Indiana University's School of Music to sponsor the projectedgrant. Unfortunately, Indiana's interest was short-lived due to campuspolitics and Dr. Freeman was notified in Detroit by phone that the school wasno longer interested (while I could have been given the news by a short walk tomy office, if not by campus phone). Had Indiana University known that we hadthen enlisted the interest in the world's largest record label, Columbia, somethought might have been given at least to image. At any rate, Dr. Freemanphoned me immediately, concerned that the impending grant lacked an agency. Isuggested contact with the Afro-American Music Opportunities Association, anewly formed organization in Minneapolis without a significant agenda, and thisinstantly became our replacement.The intent was to produce fourLPs per year, in an open-ended series. That pattern was effective for only twoyears. The third year only one recording was issued and Columbia's doors wereclosed -- despite the consistently enthusiastic reviews that blanketed all ofAmerican musical journals and newspapers.Use of European orchestras was inpart an economic move. The regulations of the American Federation of Musiciansat the time required the engagement of the entire orchestra, no matter theinstrumentation of the work in question. Their rules further influenced thechoice in that they required any American who was to conduct a Europeanorchestra to have a title with that group. This news was brought to a meetingwe had at Columbia by John Hammond, who stated that Aaron Copland had just beenfined for a violation of the ruling. Dr. Freeman, beaming, announced that hehad just been engaged as Guest Conductor with the Helsinki Philharmonic. Hadthat not been the case, we were contemplating the recording of the Nunes GarcÃaRequiem in the country of its origin -- Brazil -- if not with anorchestra in Spain or Portugal. But no matter, we had decided on the chorusfrom Morgan State University, which had recently excelled under Nathan Carter'sdirection at a symposium we held in Baltimore.The series soon went out of printafter Columbia's interest ended, until the College Music Society securedfunding from the Ford Foundation for reissue of the entire set. Ford's provisowas that no additional profits were to be made by the reissue of the ninealbums, and Columbia agreed -- but only for LP release, not for issue on thenew CD format.These recordings were madeavailable to the public, with a reduced price for College Music Societymembers, presented in a boxed set with the cover illustration by Dr. DavidDriscoll, and for which I wrote new liner notes. In all orchestral instances,Dr. Freeman was the conductor.
Columbia M-32781 (1973); volume 1Saint-Georges: Symphonyconcertante, op. 13 (ed. by Barry S. Brook; Miriam Fried, Jaime Laredo,violins; London Symphony Orchestra) -----: Symphony no. 1 (ed. by D.de Lerma; London Symphony Orchestra)-----: Scenafrom Ernestine (ed. by D. de Lerma; Faye Robinson, soprano; London SymphonyOrchestra) -----: String quartet no. 1 (ed.by D. de Lerma; Juilliard Quartet)
Columbia M-32782 (1973); volume 2William GrantStill: Afro-American symphony.----: 2 ariasfrom Highway 1, U.S.A. (London Symphony Orchestra; WilliamBrown, tenor) SamuelColeridge-Taylor: Danse nègre.-----:"Onaway, awake, beloved" from Hiawatha's wedding feast(William Brown, tenor; London Symphony Orchestra)
Columbia M-32783 (1974); volume 3 Ulysses Kay: Markings (LondonSymphony Orchestra) George Walker: Tromboneconcerto (Denis Wick, trombone; London Symphony Orchestra)
Columbia M-32784 (1974); volume 4Roque Cordero: Violinconcerto (Sanford Allen, violin; Detroit Symphony Orchestra) -----: Eight miniatures (DetroitSymphony Orchestra)
Columbia M-33421 (1975); volume 5José MaurÃcioNunes-Garcia: Requiem Mass, M. 185 (ed. by D. de Lerma; Doralene Davis,soprano; Betty Allen, mezzo-soprano; William Brown, tenor; Matti Tuloisela, bass-baritone;Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra; Morgan State University Choir [Nathan Carter,director])
Columbia M-33432 (1975); volume 6José White: Violinconcerto (ed. by Paul Glass and Kermit Moore; Aaron Rosand, violin; LondonSymphony Orchestra) David Baker: Cello sonata (JanósStarker, cello; Alain Planès, piano)
Columbia M-33433 (1975); volume 7William GrantStill: Sahdji (London Symphony Orchestra; Morgan State University Choir[Nathan Carter, director]) Fela Sowande: African suite (3excerpts; London Symphony Orchestra) George Walker: Lyric for strings(London Symphony Orchestra)
Columbia M-33434 (1975); volume 8Olly Wilson: Akwan(Richard Bunger, piano; Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Richard Bunger, piano) Thomas Jefferson Anderson: Squares(Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) Talib Rasul Hakim: Visions of Ishwara(Baltimore Symphony Orchestra)
Columbia M-34556 (1978); volume 9George Walker: Pianoconcerto (Natalie Hinderas, piano; Detroit Symphony Orchestra) Hale Smith: Ritual and incantations(Detroit Symphony Orchestra) Adolphus Hailstork: Celebration!(Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
------------------------------------Dominique-Renéde Lermahttp://www.CasaMusicaledeLerma.com
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder