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''Kaintuck'' ( Kentucky) is a 1935
William Grant Still: Afro-American Symphony, Kaintuck, Dismal Swamp by Richard Fields (1997-09-01)
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''Kaintuck'' ( Kentucky) is a 1935 symphonic poem
A symphonic poem or tone poem is a piece of orchestral music, usually in a single continuous movement, which illustrates or evokes the content of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape, or other (non-musical) source. The German term ''T ...
for piano and orchestra by American composer
A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music.
Etymology and Defi ...
William Grant Still
William Grant Still Jr. (May 11, 1895 – December 3, 1978) was an American composer of nearly two hundred works, including five symphonies, four ballets, nine operas, over thirty choral works, plus art songs, chamber music and works fo ...
.
Background
The work, written after being inspired by a train trip to Kentucky and commissioned by the League of Composers, and originally scored for piano and symphony orchestra, was first performed on two pianos, with the composer's wife,Verna Arvey
Verna Arvey (February 16, 1910 – November 22, 1987) was an American librettist, pianist and writer who is best known for her musical collaborations with her husband William Grant Still, a musician and composer.
Early life and education
Vern ...
, as soloist, in Los Angeles on October 28, 1935 at a Pro Musica concert. Since then, the work has been played in a full orchestra version by Howard Hanson at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. The work, dedicated to Still's wife ("To my wife, Verna Arvey"), is about eleven minutes long.
Overview
A description of the symphonic poem is as follows: The sound of thesteam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
can be heard on the piece./ref>
Reviews
Music reviewerMary Carr Moore
Mary Carr Moore (6 August 1873 - 9 January 1957) was an American composer, conductor, vocalist, and music educator of the twentieth century. She is best remembered today for her association with the musical life of the West Coast.
Early life
...
considered ''Kaintuck a work of "real power and splendid proportions". James Manheim of AllMusic writes that the work features "impressionist harmonies" and is "a gem".
See also
*List of jazz-influenced classical compositions
The following is a list of jazz-influenced classical compositions. Classical music has often incorporated elements or material from popular music of the composer's time. Jazz has influenced classical music, particularly early and mid-20th-century ...
* List of symphonic poems
This is a list of some notable composers who wrote symphonic poems.
Mily Balakirev
*''Russia'' (Second Overture on Russian Themes)
*''In Bohemia'' (Overture on Czech Themes)
*''Tamara''
Béla Bartók
*'' Kossuth'' (1903)
Arnold Bax
* ''Cat ...
* Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a genre of American roots music
The term American folk music encompasses numerous music genres, variously known as ''traditional music'', ''traditional folk music'', ''contemporary folk music'', ''vernacular music,'' or ...
References
Further reading
*External links
* {{Authority control Compositions by William Grant Still 1935 compositions Works about rail transport