Florence Price - the darling of BBC Radio 3

[Richard Moss]

Is anyone aware, beyond last year's COTW and her currently recorded repertoire, are there any more of her orchestral works (e.g. from that 'recently discovered' treasure trove of her 'lost' works) in the pipeline, either to be recorded and/or performed live??

Cheers

Richard

[eschiss1]

Google search tells me that 2021 seems to have an International Florence Price Festival and an SLSO Florence Price Project in the works so quite possibly.

[Richard Moss]

Eric,

Tks for the updt,  Hopefully some of her previously unperformed/unheard works may get an airing then.

Richard

[Revilod]

Actually, this post isn't about Florence Price's music. Mark's original post invited comments on her status as "darling" of the BBC.  At least, in the days of William Glock ( who would hardly have been the "darling" of this forum ), decisions on what music to promote, however prejudiced they might have been, were based on musical rather than political considerations.

[Hector]

I don't think it is quite as easy as saying good music should be selected and played not on political grounds but on merit as some music has been ignored or judged bad in the past because of unconscious political bias. I don't give a fig for the colour, gender, class, or sexuality of a composer, but I am aware that some music is ignored or judged unfavourably because of the colour, gender, class, or sexuality of a composer.

[Alan Howe]

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[Revilod]

"I don't think it is quite as easy as saying good music should be selected and played not on political grounds but on merit as some music has been ignored or judged bad in the past because of unconscious political bias. I don't give a fig for the colour, gender, class, or sexuality of a composer, but I am aware that some music is ignored or judged unfavourably because of the colour, gender, class, or sexuality of a composer."

These days some music is judged favorably ( or, at least, given undue prominence ) because of various immutable characteristics of the composer. Florence Price is, surely, an example. She was, as Alan says, a "minor talent".  Just because there may have been prejudice in the past that does not mean we should feel obliged to compensate for that now.  Where would that end? Should we pay reparations to Price's descendants?! Surely we should always judge a piece of music according its own merits. Apart from anything else, it is very condescending to a composer to imply that, when judging a composition, considerations other than its inherent worth have to be taken into account.

[joelingaard]

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Thanks Alan!

there are better composers who are women and better ones who are black

Mark Thomas 6/2/21

Better "black women composers" (I will try and have a look) or better "women composers" and better "black" composers"?

[eschiss1]

That would be hard to know. Anyone heard any of the operas of Shirley Graham DuBois?
I would add that to call Price a -minor- talent is, it very much seems to this novice, to over-react to her over-valuation rather than taking a neutral view. Her symphonies and some other works seem superior to Alice Smith's, at least- and probably on a level with those of some who have been probably rightly regarded as moderate, not minor, talents, here, save they perhaps did not commit the mortal sin of being over-promoted for reasons irritating to some readers of the forum.

[Alan Howe]

Her symphonies and some other works seem superior to Alice Smith's

Hmm, I'm not sure where that gets us. If we're comparing her with other female composers - of whatever ethnicity - then I can think of a fair number who are ahead of her.

Anyway, I'm glad she's having her fifteen minutes of fame. She deserves that at least. But I doubt whether it'll be extended much beyond that - and, if it is, then wokeism will have triumphed over objective musical merit. IMHO, of course.

[joelingaard]

Anyway, I'm glad she's having her fifteen minutes of fame. She deserves that at least. But I doubt whether it'll be extended much beyond that - and, if it is, then wokeism will have triumphed over objective musical merit. IMHO, of course.

I do not thing that I will bother with listening to this music then. Time is limited.

[Alan Howe]

I think her music has been worth listening to and I have enjoyed what I have heard. It just depends what one's priorities are in terms of music to be explored.

It might be worthwhile investigating what is available on YouTube...

[Richard Moss]

Alan,

Good suggestion - a couple of items there caught my eye as previously 'unknowns' (to me) - (1) "Dances in the Canebreaks (1953) maybe one of the very last orchestral works she wrote before her death that same year and (2) Ethiopia's Shadow in America (1932). 

Both are relatively short 'suites' and quite pleasant on the ear without  being memorable.  Is it me or do parts of some of her works sound a bit like forerunners to soundtracks to 1950s western films??

Cheers

Richard

[Mark Thomas]

quite pleasant on the ear without  being memorable

That's Price's hallmark IMHO.

[Hector]

That's not what I meant really...but the conversation seems to have moved on.