Dawson: Negro Folk Symphony

[Alan Howe]

And so back to the work itself...

[MartinH]

I played in a performance of the Dawson two years ago. It's quite difficult in no small part because of the poor condition of the performance materials. Hand copied, cuts abound. It's a mess. The management was really concerned about using the original - and correct- title. They asked several black players about their feelings. The best response was from a gentleman who said "I'd be offended if you Don't use the real title. Quit pandering to us!" The advertising, promos and concerts went on without any ruckus. Beautiful work that needs a modern edition and more exposure.

[semloh]

Like Wheesht, I bought the MCA recording by Stokowski many decades ago ($1.99), and I do have a soft spot for the symphony. I agree that it will be interesting to compare it with the Jarvi recording. The full symphony can be heard as below:

Jarvi with the Detroit in an official upload at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPhDb3XnXHs (issued on Chandos)
Stokowski with the American SO at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q18yg27GTo0 (MCA 1963, re-issued on DGG)

I note there is another recording, on Naxos, conducted by Arthur Fagen.

[CelesteCadenza]

A short, but thoughtful, notice of this work, Fagen's new recording, and Dawson's activity in Tuskegee was broadcast on NPR in the US last Friday (26 Jun 2020); the sound clip and transcript are available here under the title "Someone Finally Remembered William Dawson's 'Negro Folk Symphony'":
https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2020/06/26/883011513/someone-finally-remembered-william-dawsons-negro-folk-symphony
There is also a link to an article "Whatever Happened to William Dawson's Negro Folk Symphony?" appearing in The Journal of the Society for American Music (2012). https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-society-for-american-music/article/whatever-happened-to-william-dawsons-negro-folk-symphony/AC26FD837CD5DB2EC63B5872C423454D

[semloh]

I've listened to all three recordings, and despite the poorer sound quality I come down firmly in favour of the Stokowski. It's punchy and immediate, whereas the more sophisticated version by Fagen smooths out the symphony's natural edginess. Personally, I find both the newer versions a bit dull.

[MartinH]

I'm buying that disk not because of the Dawson, but because of the Kay. Very interesting, exciting music - and not for discussion on this board!

[CelesteCadenza]

The above cited article "Whatever Happened to William Dawson's Negro Folk Symphony?" JASM 6:633-56 (2012) reveals a fascinating moment in the piece's history and its title in a pair of telegrams between Dawson and Leopold Stokowski in early November 1934:

On 2 November 1934, Stokowski sent the following message:
HAVE JUST CONDUCTED NEW VERSION YOUR SYMPHONY IN REHEARSAL AM
VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IT PLEASE WIRE ME TITLE OF SYMPHONY ALSO
TITLES OF EACH OF THREE MOVEMENTS WHAT WOULD YOU THINK OF TITLE
FOR SYMPHONY AFRICAN AMERICAN SYMPHONY OR NEGRO SYMPHONY WISH
TO GIVE IT TITLE THAT WILL EXPLAIN ITSELF TO LISTENER SAME WITH TITLES
OF INDIVIDUAL MOVEMENTS FEEL THAT INDIVIDUAL TITLE SUCH AS ALLEGRO
ADAGIO MEANINGLESS CONGRATULATIONS ON WONDERFUL SYMPHONY
YOUR FRIEND
Leopold Stokowski

Dawson replied from Tuskegee two days later:
Following is information requested about symphony:
TITLE - Negro Folk Symphony.
1st Movement - The Bond of Africa.
2nd Movement - Hope in the Night.
3rd Movement - O Lem-me Shine! [sic]

So had Stokowski not made this inquiry, would the composer have left his work titled simply Symphony No. 1? The article continues:

Much later, in a 1982 interview on National Public Radio, Dawson stated that the programmatic title had already been part of his plan:
"The Detroit Symphony came to Chicago during the World's Fair in '33. . . . And they played the "New World" Symphony of Dvorak and I was there. And this is what the commentator said: "This symphony is based on Indian themes." And I cried and I got up and walked out. That hurt me. 'Course I knew, I know what's in the symphony. And America doesn't know these folk songs. And I said to myself, I said if I'm successful to complete a symphony based on the music of the Negro I'm going to title it Negro Folk Symphony. Can't remove that title."

A live performance of the symphony with the Atlanta Symphony conducted by Andre Raphael Smith is now in the download section:
http://www.unsungcomposers.com/forum/index.php/topic,7869.0.html

[semloh]

Interesting. Thanks, CelesteCadenza.

[Alan Howe]

Dawson's Symphony appears in a Hurwitz video called 'Sequels: After Dvořák's "New World" Symphony', so I bought it. Frankly, I think it's a bit of a rag-bag of tunes - enjoyable enough, but not the great music that Hurwitz implies. Perhaps I'm just feeling grumpy...

[Mark Thomas]

You? Grumpy? Surely not ....

FWIW, I don't agree with Hurwitz' over-positive assessment of the work either (although I have warmed to him as I've watched more videos). If anything, it's a suite rather than a symphony, pleasant enough but conventional, even old-fashioned, for its time.

[Alan Howe]

'Pleasant enough' is about right, I think. I kept thinking I liked the orchestration, but that the music itself wasn't up to much.

[semloh]

Yes, I agree. My "soft spot" for Stokowski's recording is of a nostalgic nature, and doesn't entail anything more positive. It's interesting, but I don't think it coheres as a symphony, and I don't share the enthusiasm shown by some critics.

[Mark Thomas]

There's been a marked increase in recent months, on BBC Radio 3 at least, of airings of Dawson's Symphony, along with the music of Grace Williams and William Grant Still. Whilst I quite enjoy the works of each of them in their own modest way, IMHO this upsurge in attention has nothing to do with their music's intrinsic quality and much more to do with the BBC's woke awareness, in the wake of recent events, of their ethnicity .

[britishcomposer]

along with the music of Grace Williams

Mark, you probably meant Florence Price, or did you relate to Grace Williams's Welsh ethnicity? 

[Mark Thomas]

Now that's embarrassing, especially as I'm a quarter Welsh myself! Yes, Florence of course, not Grace. Thanks.