Dead White Man Music (SCORE ONLY)
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$94.00
$94.00
per item
Composer: Evan Williams
Duration: ca. 30:00
Scoring: solo harpsichord, fl., ob., cl., bsn., hn., pno., 2 vln., vla., vc., and cb.
Materials: score (8.5 x 11)
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Duration: ca. 30:00
Scoring: solo harpsichord, fl., ob., cl., bsn., hn., pno., 2 vln., vla., vc., and cb.
Materials: score (8.5 x 11)
————--
Are you interested in a digital version of this title?
Program Note
The “Great Man” theory was a view of history popular in the 19th Century that posited that society was advanced by a succession of “great men,” who influenced history through the centuries. It may come as no surprise that the majority of these men (besides notable exceptions such as Jesus or Mohammed) were White. In recent decades such views of history have been criticized, and the contributions of women and people of color have been studied in greater detail.
However, even today, there is perhaps no better field of study to see the Great Man theory at work than in the Classical canon. The music of long-deceased White male Europeans reigns supreme in the concert and recital halls, and these men are credited with all of the stylistic progressions of Western art music. To put it bluntly, the performance and study of the canon is one of dead White man music, and that fact often feels like a barrier for female composers and those of color that must be overcome.
Dead White Man Music serves as a personal reflection on this issue, and my own place in Classical music as a young Black composer. This concerto for harpsichord draws on inspiration and influences across the centuries: from Bach and Dowland to Julius Eastman and Nina Simone, and from the Baroque Folia to Post-Minimalism and Rock. Through the work I ask: what music am I called to write and who should be my models?
Dead White Man Music was commissioned by Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra, through the generous support of over sixty donors through a crowdfunding campaign. Special thanks is given to Gahlord Dewald for his very generous gift. The concerto was written for harpsichordist Daniel Walden.
— Evan Williams
However, even today, there is perhaps no better field of study to see the Great Man theory at work than in the Classical canon. The music of long-deceased White male Europeans reigns supreme in the concert and recital halls, and these men are credited with all of the stylistic progressions of Western art music. To put it bluntly, the performance and study of the canon is one of dead White man music, and that fact often feels like a barrier for female composers and those of color that must be overcome.
Dead White Man Music serves as a personal reflection on this issue, and my own place in Classical music as a young Black composer. This concerto for harpsichord draws on inspiration and influences across the centuries: from Bach and Dowland to Julius Eastman and Nina Simone, and from the Baroque Folia to Post-Minimalism and Rock. Through the work I ask: what music am I called to write and who should be my models?
Dead White Man Music was commissioned by Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra, through the generous support of over sixty donors through a crowdfunding campaign. Special thanks is given to Gahlord Dewald for his very generous gift. The concerto was written for harpsichordist Daniel Walden.
— Evan Williams
Reproduction Notice:
This program note may be freely reproduced in concert programs, provided that proper credit is given to the composer.
This program note may be freely reproduced in concert programs, provided that proper credit is given to the composer.