Florence Price

Florence Beatrice Smith Price (born April 9, 1887 in Little Rock , Arkansas , † June 3, 1953 in Chicago ( Illinois )) was an American composer . She was the first African American woman to become known in the United States as a composer of classical music.

biography

Price first appeared as a pianist at the age of four. She took piano lessons from Charlotte Andrews Stephens at elementary school in her hometown . Her first composition was published when she was eleven years old. After attending Capitol High School , she studied from 1903 to 1906 at the New England Conservatory music theory with Frederick Shepherd Converse and George Whitefield Chadwick and organ with Henry Morton Dunham .

From 1906 to 1910 she taught in Arkansas at Shorter College , then until 1912 at Clark Atlanta University . In 1912 she married the attorney Thomas J. Price and settled in Little Rock, where she gave private lessons and devoted herself to composition. After race riots, she moved to Chicago , Illinois in 1927 or 1928 .

It was here that compositions such as the Fantasie Nègre for violin and piano (1929) and the Symphony in E minor , with which she won the Wanamaker Prize in 1932 and which was performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Frederick Stock at the 1933 World's Fair , were written. At the American Conservatory and the Chicago Musical College she studied composition and orchestration with Carl Busch and Wesley La Violette .

After her divorce from Thomas J. Price she lived off her income as a piano teacher and the composition of popular songs, which she published under the pseudonym Vee Jay . She also worked as a silent film organist and orchestrated pieces for the radio. On June 3, 1953, she died of a stroke in Chicago.

Works

Orchestral works

• Chicago suite for orchestra
• Colonial dance symphony for orchestra
• Concert overture based on Sinner please don't let this harvest pass for orchestra
• Concert overture on Negro spirituals, no.1 for orchestra
• Concert overture on Negro spirituals, no.2 for orchestra
• Concerto for piano, D minor
• Concerto for piano, F minor , 1932
• Concerto for violin, no.1, D major , 1952
• Concerto for violin, no.2 , 1952
• Ethiopia's shadow in America for orchestra, 1932
• Mississippi River suite; the river and the songs of those dwelling upon its banks for orchestra, 1934
• Overture no. 1 for orchestra
• Overture no.2 for orchestra
• Rhapsody for piano and orchestra
• Song of the oak for orchestra
• Suite of Negro dances for orchestra
• Symphonic tone poem for orchestra
• Symphony no.1, E minor , 1932
• Symphony no.2, G minor , 193?
• Symphony no.3, C minor , 1940
• Symphony no. 4, D minor
• The oak for orchestra

Choral works

• Abraham Lincoln for choir, organ and orchestra
• After the first and sixth commandments for choir
• Alleluia for choir
• An Indian summer on the prairie for female choir
• Banjo song for female choir
• Blue bell for female choir
• Communion service for choir
• Heav'n bound soldier for female choir and piano
• Hold out yo 'light for female choir
• Lincoln walks at midnight for choir and orchestra
• Nature's magic for female choir and piano
• Nod for male choir, text: Walter de la Mare
• Ode to man for choir, piano and organ
• Poem of praise for choir and piano, text: Elizabeth Coatsworth
• Seagulls for female choir, flute, violin, viola, cello and piano, 1951
• Song for snow for choir and piano, 1930
• Spring journey for female choir and orchestra
• Summer clouds for choir
• The new moon for female choir and piano
• The waves of Breffney for choir
• The wind and the sea for choir, piano and string orchestra
• Witch of the meadow for female choir and piano, text: Mary Rolofson Gamble

Chamber music

• American folk songs in counterpoint for string quartet
• By candlelight for violin and piano, 1929
• Elf dance for violin and piano
• 2 moods for flute or violin, clarinet and piano
• Negro folk songs for string quartet
• 5 Negro folk songs in counterpoint for string quartet
• Piece for violin and piano
• Playful rondo for violin and piano, 1928
• Quartet , string quartet
• Quintet , piano quintet e.moll, 1936
• Suite for winds and piano
• The deserted garden for violin and piano

Piano works

• A lovely winter day for piano, 1949
• A morning sunbeam for piano
• A photograph for piano
• A sachem's pipe for piano, 1935
• A wee bit of Erin for piano
• Annie Laurie for piano four hands, 1928
• Anticipation for piano
• Arkansas jitter for piano, 1938
• Autumn echoes for piano
• At the cotton gin; a Southern sketch for piano, 1927
• Bayou dance for piano, 1938
• Birds in the forest for piano
• Blue skies for piano
• Bright eyes for piano
• Brownies on the seashore for piano
• Cabin song for piano
• Climbing the mountain for piano
• Clover blossom for piano, 1947
• Cotton dance for piano, 1931
• Criss-cross, rock-a-bye for piano, 1947
• Dainty feet for piano
• Dance of the cotton blossoms for piano, 1938
• Dances in the canebreaks for piano, 1953
• Dark pool for piano
• Doll waltz for piano
• 5 Easy pieces for grade 2 for piano, 1928
• Echoes for piano
• Evening for piano
• Fantasie nègre for piano, 1929
• Fantasy nègre no. 2 for piano
• Fantasia nègre no.3 for piano
• Fantasia nègre no.4 for piano
• 2 Fantasies on folk tunes for piano
• Golden corn tassles for piano
• Here and there for piano, 1947
• Hiking for piano
• Hoe cake for two pianos
• In the land o 'cotton for piano, 1926
• Joy in June for piano
• Lake mirror for piano
• Levee dance for piano, 1937
• 3 Little Negro dances for piano, 1933
• Little pieces on black keys for piano
• Litte pieces on white keys for piano
• March of the beetles; clover blossom for piano, 1947
• Mellow twilight , tone poem for piano, 1929
• Memories of Dixieland for piano, 1947
• Memory mist for piano
• 3 Miniature portraits of Uncle Joe, written to depict various stages of his life at 17, 25, and 70 for piano, 1947
• Moon behind a cloud for piano
• 3 Negro dances for piano
• Nimble feet for piano, 1953
• Nobody knows the trouble I've seen for piano, 1938
• Nodding poppies for piano
• On higher ground for piano
• On parade for piano
• On top of a tree for piano
• Pensive mood for piano
• Placid lake for piano
• Rock-a-bye for piano, 1947
• Rocking chair for piano, 1939
• Silent night for piano
• 3 Sketches for little pianists , 1937
• Sonata E minor for piano, 1932
• Strong men, forward! for piano
• Swaying buttercups for piano
• Tecumseh for piano
• The bridle path for piano
• The butterfly for piano
• The engine for piano
• The flame for piano
• The froggie and the rabbit for piano
• The gnat and the bee for piano, 1936
• The goblin and the mosquito for piano, 1951
• The old boatman for piano, 1951
• The rose for piano
• The sea swallow for piano, 1951
• The swing for piano
• The waltzing fairy for piano, 1928
• The waterfall for piano
• The zephyr; el cefiro, Mexican folk song for piano
• To a little girl for piano
• Three boughs for piano
• Two traditional Negro spirituals
• Tropical moon for piano
• Undecided for piano
• Up and down the stairs; up and down the ladder for piano
• Were you there when they crucified my Lord? for piano, 1942
• Who will dance with me? for piano

Organ works

• A pleasant thought for organ, 1951
• Adoration for organ, 1951
• Allegretto for organ
• Andantino for organ
• Dainty leave for organ
• Evening song for organ, 1951
• Festal march for organ
• Hourglass for organ
• In quiet mood for organ, 1941
• Little melody for organ
• Offertory for organ
• Passacaglia and fugue for organ
• Prelude and fantasy for organ, 1942
• Retrospection for organ
• Short works for organ
• Sonata no.1, D minor for organ
• Suite no.1 for organ
• The hour glass for organ
• Variations on a folksong, Peter go ring dem bells for organ

Songs

• A sailor's song for medium voice and piano, 1946
• A smiling face for voice and piano
• A song of living for medium voice and piano
• A white rose for medium voice and piano
• An April day for medium voice and piano, text: Joseph F. Cotter , 1949
• Ardella for medium voice and piano, 1935
• Baby my own for voice and piano, 1928
• Because for medium voice and piano
• Beside the sea for medium voice and piano
• Bewilderment for medium voice and piano
• Bruno, the bear for voice and piano, 1948
• City called heaven for voice and piano
• Cobbler for medium voice and piano
• Cresent moon for voice and piano
• Dat's my gal for medium voice and piano, 1935
• Dawn's awakening for medium voice and piano, 1936
• Death's gwineter lay his cold icy hands on me for medium voice and piano
• Desire for voice and piano
• Deep river for high voice and piano
• Dream ships for voice and piano, 1935
• Dreamin 'town for medium voice and piano, text: Paul Laurence Dunbar , 1936
• Dreamships for medium voice and piano
• Easy goin ' for medium voice and piano
• 4 Encore songs for voice and piano
• Every dream has a scheme for voice and piano, 1929
• Every time I feel the spirit for high voice and piano
• Fantasy in purple for medium voice and piano, text: Langston Hughes
• Feet o 'Jesus for medium voice and piano
• Foggy night for medium voice and piano, 1946
• Forever for medium voice and piano, for text: Paul Laurence Dunbar
• Go down, Moses for medium voice and piano
• God gives me you for medium voice and piano, 1946
• Goo-bye jinks for medium voice and piano
• Hitch up your belts, boys! for voice and piano, 1942
• Hold fast to dreams for voice and piano, text: Langston Hughes
• I am bound for de kingdom, and I'm workin 'on my buildin' for medium voice and piano, 1939
• I grew a rose for medium voice and piano
• I remember for voice and piano, 1934
• If I didn't love you for voice and piano (under the pseudonym Vee Jey), 1945
• I'm going to lay down my heavy load for medium voice and piano
• In back o 'the clouds for voice and piano, 1930
• It's all on account of the sunshine for voice and piano
• It's snowing for medium voice and piano
• Just a dream that never came true for voice and piano, 1929
• Just to be near you for voice and piano, 1948
• Let's build a little love nest for voice and piano, 1930
• Listen, baby for voice and piano, 1928
• Little things for voice and piano
• Looking for someone to love for voice and piano, 1934
• Lord, I can't stay away for voice and piano
• Love dreams for voice and piano, 1930
• Love in a mist for medium voice and piano, text: Mary Rolofson
• Lover's lane for voice and piano
• Memories of you for voice and piano
• Moonbridge for high voice and piano, 1930
• Morning for medium voice and piano
• My dream for medium voice and piano, text: Langston Hughes
• My little soul's goin 'to shine for medium voice and piano
• My neighbor for medium voice and piano
• My soul's been anchored in the Lord for medium voice and piano
• Night for medium voice and piano, text: Louise C. Wallace
• Nightfall for medium voice and piano, text: Paul Laurence Dunbar
• O lamb of God for voice and piano
• On the other shore for voice and piano
• On the playground for voice and piano
• Out of the south blew a soft sweet wind for medium voice and piano, text: Fannie Carter Woods
• Pittance for voice and piano, text: Don Vincent Gray
• Resignation for voice and piano, 1946
• Roll, Jordan, roll for high voice and piano
• Save me, Lord, save me for medium voice and piano
• Sentimental moonlight for voice and piano, 1947
• Ships that pass in the night for medium voice and piano
• Some o 'these days for medium voice and piano
• Song is so old for voice and piano
• Song of hope for medium voice and piano
• Song of the open road for medium voice and piano
• Song to the dark virgin for medium voice and piano, 1941
• 2 songs for voice and piano
• 4 songs for bass baritone and piano
• Summer night for medium voice and piano
• Sunset for voice and piano, 1938
• Sympathy for medium voice and piano, text: Paul Laurence Dunbar , 1943
• The bowl is cracked for voice and piano
• The envious wren for medium voice and piano, text: Alice Cary and Phoebe Cary
• The glory of the day was in her face for voice and piano, text: James Weldon Johnson
• The heart of a woman for medium voice and piano
• The island of my dreams for voice and piano, 1928
• The moo-cow, Fido, and Kitty for voice and piano, 1949
• The moon bridge , for high voice and piano, text: Mary Rolofson Gamble , 1930
• The poet and his song for medium voice and piano
• The retort for medium voice and piano
• The washerwoman for medium voice and piano
• Then I found heaven when I found you for voice and piano, 1938
• They lie, they lie for medium voice and piano, text: David Morton . 1946
• To my little son for high voice and piano, text: Julia Johnson Davis
• Travel's end for high voice and piano, text: Mary Falwell Hoisington
• Trouble done come my way for medium voice and piano
• Wander thirst for medium voice and piano
• We have tomorrow for medium voice and piano
• Weary traveler for medium voice and piano
• What is love? for voice and piano
• What's the use? for medium voice and piano, 1930
• Who grope with love for hands for medium voice and piano
• Winter idyll for medium voice and piano
• Winter must come for voice and piano
• Won't you please play Santa Claus? for voice and piano, 1928
• Words for a spiritual for medium voice and piano, 1948
• You didn't know this baby for voice and piano, 1928
• You're in my heart to stay for voice and piano, 1948
• Your leafy voice for medium voice and piano

literature

• Rae Linda Brown: The heart of a woman: the life and music of Florence B. Price , edited and with a foreword by Guthrie P. Ramsey, Jr.; afterword by Carlene J. Brown, Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2020, ISBN 978-0-252-08510-9

swell

• AfriClassical.com - Florence Beatrice Price (1887-1953)
• Classical Composers Database - Florence Price
• University of Arkansas Library - Florence Beatrice Smith Price (1888-1953)