Florence Price: Concert Overture No.1

[Mark Thomas]

Florence Price is BBC Radio 3's Composer of the Week at present, and today's broadcast included her Concert Overture No.1, based on the spiritual "Sinner, please don't let this Harvest pass", originally broadcast in 2019 and not available commercially. A recording of the original transmission is now available in our Downloads Board here

[eschiss1]

Possibly a repeat from the March 2020 week when she was also CoTW? Or is this a whole new program? In either case, glad to hear.

[Richard Moss]

Mark,

Thanks very much for uploading this.  I 'd missed it when broadcast and, as it is not (yet?) available commercially, I couldn't otherwise get it (it's no longer available on BBC i-player!).  I've got most/the rest of her available orchestral work on CDs and, hopefully the (relatively) recently unearthed manuscripts treasure chest will lead to some further CD releases.

I like her infusion of 'late romantic' style with 'negro spiritual/native' themes and although I would describe much of her oeuvre as 'barely/just' romantic (as I would Elgar, in a different way), I can only say I enjoy listening to her work and I think that trumps 'categorisation'!

Once again - thanks

Richard

[Mark Thomas]

Pleased to be of help. I think Price's music is more "romantic" in spirit and style than anything else - it's hardly progressive by the standards of the 1930s.

[eschiss1]

Mr. Moss- I think all the works have been published and many of the more recently published ones can be at least browsed in full, though not downloaded for free, at ISSUU or similar such, which is often sufficient for reading-along-listening-&c. I may be able to find the links if interested...

[Richard Moss]

Eric,

Unfortunately, I would not be able to make use of links to the scores.  Sadly I stopped studying/playing music nearly 65 years ago in my early teens and, apart from a life-long pleasure in enjoying listening to CDs (previously LPs) I have more or less lost my ability to read a score except very poorly and very slowl  - but also (worse) I'm no longer capable of getting much sense of the melody and harmony from a score.  I have a few scores of some favorites (e.g. Brahms 3rd symphony) but find I can no longer read the score to keep up with the music even when I know the tune.

I envy all those who can read music, particularly for UC members who can read an unknown work/composer and get a good sense of what it would sound like.

So, many thanks for the thought but alas I'll have to wait and hope some of them make it onto CDs in due course

Best wishes

Richard