R. Nathaniel Dett was born in what is now Niagara Falls, Ontario, the grandson of refugees who fled slavery on the Underground Railroad. He became an important figure in American music of his time, but it’s not until comparatively recently that we’ve had more opportunities to hear much beyond “Juba,” the concluding movement of one of his piano suites, “In the Bottoms,” once championed by Percy Grainger and others.
“In the Bottoms” will be featured on an upcoming concert by Clipper Erickson, piano and friends, to be held at 1867 Sanctuary in Ewing, NJ, on Sunday, January 15, at 3 p.m. Erickson, a world authority on the music of Dett, and the first to record all his keyboard works, will be joined by violinist Lenuta Atanasiu and cellist George Atanasiu.
Also on the program will be “Lamento,” by Ukrainian composer Bohdana Frolyak, written in remembrance of the the 1932-33 famine; a world premiere, “La petite phrase retrouvée,” by Italian composer Alberto Caprioli, commemorating French writer Marcel Proust; and the Piano Trio in E-flat major, Op. 1, No. 1, by Beethoven. In addition to his most famous music, Dett’s “Ramah,” a rarely-heard work for violin and piano, will also be performed.
The concert can be enjoyed in person or via livestream. You’ll find more information here:
1867 Sanctuary is located at 101 Scotch Rd. in Ewing Township.
Here’s a clip of Clipper playing Dett’s “Barcarolle,” also from “In the Bottoms,” at the venue:
