Afro-British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) achieved much in a comparatively short life, attracting the attention and advocacy of Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir Edward Elgar, and Sir Malcolm Sargent.
His cantata “Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast” became a cultural phenomenon between the wars. Sargent led performances of the piece annually, from 1928 to 1939, in a costumed, semi-ballet version, featuring close to a thousand performers. Unfortunately, the composer never lived to see it, and his widow received none of the proceeds. Always in need of cash, he had already sold the rights for a mere 15 guineas. By the time of Sargent’s advocacy, Coleridge-Taylor had already been dead for 16 years.
This Sunday night on “The Lost Chord,” we’ll hear selections from a complete recording – one of the earliest to feature rising star Bryn Terfel – of “Scenes from ‘The Song of Hiawatha,’” released on the Argo label back in 1991. The hour will begin with Sargent’s 1932 recording of Coleridge-Taylor’s “Othello Suite,” and conclude with one of the composer’s musical explorations of his African heritage, “Symphonic Variations on an African Air,” in a performance conducted by Grant Llewellyn, also on Argo, released in 1993.
It’s a program well-suited to your enjoyment. I hope you’ll join me for “Taylor-Made” – music by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – this Sunday night at 10:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.
