William Grant Still: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in Music) (Hardcover)

by Judith Anne Still (Author), Michael J. Dabrishus (Author), Carolyn L. Quin (Author)
Key Phrases: first performance, levee land, little red schoolhouse, New York, Los Angeles, William Grant Still (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“Still (1895-1978), 'dean of Afro American composers' and the first African American to conduct a major orchestra in the US, created a distinctive American style in his music by studying the music of African Americans, Caribbean Africans, southern whites, and indigenous peoples of he Americas....This guide gathers most of Still's published and unpublished works, and includes two introductory essays...Highly recommended for all libraries.”–Choice

“...the most comprehensive source available that chronicles....the personal and professional accounts of William Grant Still....This book should be in every Library as well as on every person's bookshelf that is attracted to Americna music.”–The Western Journal of Black Studies

“[A]n in-depth discussion of the life and compositional output of the composer....[I]t will aid in the rewiting of American music history and establish the musical legacy of William Grant Still as "Dean of Afro-American Composers."”–Arkansas Historical Quarterly

Product Description
Presenting the life and professional career of "The Dean of Afro-American Composers," this is the first comprehensive book on the writings by and about Still, the compositions with manuscript sources, the performances of Still's works, and the reviews of those performances. It includes a touching personal reminiscence by his daughter Judith Anne. The full resources of the extensive collection known as The William Grant Still and Verna Arvey Papers at the University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville, give this book the distinction of being the first one about Still that utilizes diaries, letters, scrapbooks, and family papers to provide information on his works and performances.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press; illustrated edition edition (August 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313252556
• ISBN-13: 978-0313252556
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,162,613 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Still Biobibliography, December 15, 2003

By	Catherine P. Smith "author of William Grant S... (Reno, NV United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Carolyn Quin's biographical sketch is particularly useful. Her compilation of the musical works, major performances, and contemporary critical commentary on them is very valuable. The book is not easy to use, however. Still's musical works are listed alphabetically by title, but there is no chronological list, and the book's index does not include the music, a frustrating omission. There are no running headers, making it hard to spot the titles of works on the page. The list of Still's commercial arrangements, an area of his work that has drawn more attention in recent years, is provisional and incomplete. Dabrishus's bibliography of writings by Still and Verna Arvey (Still's second wife) does not include numerous writings by Arvey that aren't about Still. Despite its shortcomings, this book is essential for researchers on Still. I reviewed this book for *College Music Symposium* almost ten years ago; my opinion hasn't changed. Like most Greenwood titles, it's overpriced, now $20 over the original list.

3.0 out of 5 stars William Grant Still, is one of the best composers in history, October 18, 1999

By A Customer

I think this book, is very wonderful. If you need some information about him, or just want to study about him this is the book for it. This BOOK is very GOOd.