5.0 out of 5 stars
Twentieth Century Composers get their due, June 7, 2011
This review is from: African Heritage Symphonic Series, Vol. 2 (Audio CD)
Devoted to twentieth-century composers of African descent. Ulysses Kay's (1917-1995) orchestral suite"Theater Set" incorporates march-like rhythms and starts things off with a bang. "Lyric for Strings" by George Walker (b. 1922) is a tender work, a fitting memorial to his grandmother. With "Eight Miniatures for Small Orchestra" Roque Cordero (b. 1917) synthesizes the 12-tone technique with the folk music of his native Panama. Hale Smith's (b. 1925) symphonic poem "Ritual and Incantations" uses idealized African drumming to create a stunning piece full of mystery and sinister undercurrents. Adolphus Hailstork (b. 1941) contributes two pieces: the exhuberant, jazz influenced "An American Port of Call " and the moving, transcendent "Epitaph for a Man Who Dreamed," a memorial for Martin Luther King Jr. The program notes, written in an engaging style by Dominique-Rene de Lerma, provide a thorough introduction to the work of all five composers.
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