SAMUEL TAYLOR-COLERIDGE (1875-1912)
N.B. Coleridge-Taylor was English, but had a significant impact on African-American music. He visited the US three times in the early 20th century and—according to his article in The New Grove Dictionary of American Music—considered his mission “to help establish the dignity of African-Americans.” The fact that he has an entry in American Grove supports our decision to include him in our list of composers for FAMI.
ORCHESTRAL WORKS:
Hiawatha Overture. (opus 30, no. 3, 1899)
Score:
London: Novello, 1899
Recordings:
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Joshua Weilerstein, conductor (duration: 13:00)
Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast (opus 30,1891) for choir, tenor, and orchestra.
Score:
(London: Novello, 1898)
Fleisher Collection 1763. Selections from Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast, arranged by W. G. Ross (London: Novello, 1921). Score and parts. (from WorldCat: New York: Kalmus, 1970s)
Recordings:
Uniorchester Mainz; UnioChoir Mainz. Conductor : Felix Koch (duration: 30:08)
Hiawatha’s Departure (opus 30 no 4, 1891) (third part of the trilogy, completed 1900)
Score :
Fleisher Collection 225K. (Boca Raton: Kalmus, n.d.) score and parts.
Recording:
BBC Concert Orchestra Frederick Bridge, conductor (duration: 45 minutes)
Death of Minihaha. Cantata for soprano and baritone solo, chorus, and orchestra. (1899; sequel to Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast)
Score:
Fleisher Collection 224K (NY: Kalmus, n.d.). Score and parts.
Recording: 40 minutes.
Welsh National Opera, Kenneth Alwyn, cond. (duration: 4:24)
Symphony in A minor (opus 8, 1896)
Score:
IMSLP: holograph at Royal College of Music, London
Scholarly edition, edited by John L. Snyder, available from A-R Editions, (2013), full score and parts.
N.B. A-R Editions is willing to offer a discount on the purchase of scores/parts and to reduce the rental fees on orchestral parts for ensembles interested in using one of their publications for a FAMI-related project. For further information, contact James Zychowicz, permissions manager at A-R Editions (james.zychowicz@areditions.com).
Recordings:
Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, Douglas Bostock, conductor. (Duration: 37:16)
Also available on CD Musical Concepts ALC 1462, 2022 via Naxos Musical
Library. Aarhus SO, Douglas Bostock, conductor.
Legend for Violin and Orchestra (opus 14, 1897)
Score:
IMSLP has holograph score from Royal College of Music.
Recordings:
London Philharmonic, Nicholas Braithwaite, conductor. Lorraine McAsian, violin. (Duration: 7:13)
Four Characteristic Waltzes, (opus 22, 1898)
Score:
Cincinnati: Willis Music, 1910
Fleisher Collection 1274 (Novello score)
Recording:
RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Adrian Leaper, conductor (duration: 13:47)
Naxos 8.555191, 2022. (Duration 16:00)
Danse nègre (Opus 35:4, 1898) (from the African Suite)
Score:
London: Augener, 1898
Fleisher Collection, 3540. Score and parts
Recording:
Chicago Sinfonietta, Paul Freeman conductor 2012. (duration: 6:24)
Also available: (Black composers series No. 2). Sony Classical, 2019. Cat. No: 886447262719
London Symphony Orchestra. Available in Naxos Music Library. (Duration: 6:00)
Ballade in A minor for Orchestra (opus 33. 1898)
Score:
Fleisher Collection 1223 (Boca Raton: Kalmus, 2001). Score and parts.
IMSLP has Novello reprint of Munich: Musikproduktion Höflich, 2007.
Recordings:
Minnesota Orchestra, Thomas Søndergärd, conductor. (Duration: 12:00)
African Suite for piano (arranged orchestra) (opus 35, 1898)
Score:
Fleisher Collection, 3540. (London, Augener, 1901). N.B. Danse nègre (#4 of the suite) only, not the whole suite.
IMSLP has Augener score (for piano)
Recordings:
Chineke! Orchestra, Kevin John Edusei, conductor (Duration: 20:30)
Romance in G for violin solo and orchestra (opus 39, 1899)
Score:
London: Novello, 1899.
Fleisher Collection 831V (Novello score). Score and parts
Recordings:
London Philharmonic, Nicholas Braithwaite, conductor. Lorraine McAsian, violin. (Duration: 9:24)
Cedille Records. CDR90000-935. Encore Chamber Orchestra, Daniel Hege.
Available on Naxos Music Library
Solemn Prelude for Orchestra (opus 40. 1899)
Score:
London: Novello, 1899
IMSLP has score (for piano) from Novello (London: Novello, 1899)
Orchestral score: London: Novello & Co., 1899
Recording:
Minnesota Orchestra, Ryan Bancroft, conductor (duration: 9 :35)
Idyll for Orchestra (opus 44, 1901)
Score:
Fleisher Collection, 1764 (London: Novello, 1901). Score and parts
IMSLP has the Novello score which is in the hand of a copyist, part of a rental set made by Novello
Idyll, Opus 44, edited by John L. Snyder, available from A-R Editions, (2013), full score and parts. A-R Editions is willing to reduce the cost of rental and/or royalties for ensembles interested in using their editions for a FAMI-related project. More info coming soon.
Recordings:
Minnesota Orchestra, recorded March 2024. (Duration: 9:18)
Toussaint l'Ouverture (opus 46, 1901)
Score:
no sources identified.
Recording :
Royal College of Music Philharmonic, Toby Purser, cond. Recorded Nov 2023. (Duration: 3:06)
Herod Suite for Orchestra (opus 47, 1900?)
Score:
IMSLP has score for piano and violin.
London: Augener, 1901.
Recording:
none known.
4 Novelletten for String Orchestra (with tambourine and triangle) (opus 52, 1903). No. 1 in A
Score:
London: Novello, 1903; Boca Raton: Edwin F. Kalmus, 1990.
Fleisher Collection: individual numbers (1-4): 521S, 539S; 540S, 541S (Novello score)
IMSLP has the Novello score
Recording:
Minnesota Orchestra, Sarah Hicks, cond,. Recorded June 2021. (duration: 5:00)
Unidentified orchestra (duration: 22:34)
Suite Nero, Incidental Music (opus 62, 1906)
Score:
Fleisher Collection 1766 (London: Novello, nd). Score and parts (duration: 24:00).
IMSLP has this score (copy of holograph MS)
Recordings:
none known
Symphonic Variations on an African Air for Orchestra (opus 63, 1906)
Scores:
Symphonic Variations on an African Air, John L. Snyder, ed. (Middleton, WI: A-R Editions, 2007). N.B: A-R Editions is willing to reduce the cost of rental and/or royalties for ensembles interested in using their editions for a FAMI-related project. More info coming soon.
Recordings:
1. Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Grant Llewellyn, cond. (Duration: 20:35)