Florence Price Violin Concerto No. 2

Florence Price Violin Concerto No. 2
Kelly Hall-Tompkins, violin
Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra
Thomas Cunningham, conductor
Program Notes by A. Kori Hill
Florence Price (1887-1953) was a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, where she lived until 1927 when she and her family relocated to Chicago. Fleeing the racial terrorism of the Jim Crow South, Price found herself in a city whose segregation policies had led Black Chicagoans to establish economic, artistic, and scholarly institutions that facilitated creative and communal growth. Already a member of the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM), Price became an active (and famous!) participant in the Chicago chapter, which hosted recitals and conferences and served as an important networking space for Black musicians. Like her contemporary and colleague Harry T. Burleigh, Price was interested in the creative potential of a classical music aesthetic built on antebellum-era Black folk and western classical music genres. Rather than a conservative or conventional venture, Price’s stylistic decisions exemplified how Black Americans were envisioning the creative potential of past artistic material in contemporary expressions of Black American life. Price’s Violin Concerto No. 2 contains four distinct sections; each section contains the same melodic material that reappears in different orchestrations, textures, and/or accompanied with new motivic material. Price’s structural and textual decisions indicate a close study of spirituals and juba dance, from her use of varied repetition, heterophonic textures, rhythmic material, and harmonic language. In less than 20 minutes, Price showed how adhering to standard composing rules, be it for concertos or spirituals, provided innovative ways to engage with these art forms, crafting new ways of hearing the past and understanding its artistic purpose in the present. Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins brings her unparalleled virtuosity and commitment to social justice to this performance.

[@valeriekennedy2757]

Tears. So deeply moving that there are no words. It is both hurtful and infuriating that the divine Miss. Price never received the recognition and acclaim she deserved. But how beautiful it is to see Kelly Hall-Tompkins represent her vision and brilliance with such skill and elegance. The arc of the universe...

[@johnllewlyndavies222]

She received great acclaim in her lifetime but was soon forgotten. Happily, we are all rediscovering one of the truly great composers.

[@kathleenturney4240]

Thank you, WQXR. Annie, I heard Florence PRICE on this classical music station hosted by you. I immediately bought the CD, and I was mesmerized.

[@MichaelConwayBaker]

This is a wonderful concerto composed skillfully and with beautiful, lyrical themes. ( But let us not bemoan the lack of recognition. Kelly Hall-tomkins work will last long after many other works are gone!) Beautifully performed by both soloist and orchestra. Bravo!!

[@annhicks7127]

Thank you Kelly Hall-Tompkins for your passionate interpretation of this profound composition. No doubt, Miss Florence Price crafted her Violin Concerto No. 2 to fit a virtuosic player. Here is a perfect match to prove my point.

[@2009kygal]

Wow! Amazing piece from a masterful composer played perfectly. How did she memorize all that??!!

[@MrInterestingthings]

I'm sure she probably has another dozen at least other concerti snd probably hundreds of movements from sonatas. All concertizing musicians do. I have piano concerti and violin concerti in my head. That ain't da question as serious trained musians know.

[@kevinjohnson9533]

Kelly Hall Tompkins should be a rock star in the U.S. and performances by this Chamber Orchestra should be common fare on PBS, this would be making America great again.

[@fallentreewoodcrafts]

Our state-wide public radio network is playing more Florence Price and I am enjoying every minute of it. The feeling this beautiful concerto generates envisions a dance across a rich panorama. The orchestration behind the solo is brilliant and gives a vastness of depth for the solo to travel through. Bravo.

[@marthabromberg6274]

Beautiful choice to celebrate this holiday. An extraordinary artist and woman! And, a wonderful example of success and freedom in this wonderful country. Happy 4th to all of our citizens.

[@davidfloyd5414]

I was at this concert, and what a concert! The whole evening's programming was spectacular.

[@JimCronin-m1n]

Thx to Dan Rather for sharing this link

[@LJ542]

This violinist plays with ease! Enjoyable to watch as well as listen to.

[@elainewong5267]

Truly awesome performance of the little known work of one our great American composers.

[@joecooke4131]

I love the modulations in this piece.

[@MichelleMisco]

This is gorgeous! Such passion. Love it! Excellent performance.

[@catkeys6911]

This is the first time I'm hearing this one. It's so original, and such a beautiful example of American "classical" music. And it looks quite challenging, as well, requiring nothing less than virtuosic skill on the violinist's part. I have just one cd of Price's work; I'm going to have to search around for more- I hope I can find a cd with this piece on it. __I've just come back to this old post to watch/listen again, and of course, I'm enjoying it, but also wondering how the HELL Mrs. Hall-Tomkins can *remember* all that!! The melody is so original in its form and in its scales that it doesn't lend itself at all to easy memorization. Just amazing!

[@adietrinitymusic7407]

What a fun piece of music! So dramatic and played beautifully!

[@davidgrupper7921]

Such a privilege to hear you live. Thank you!

[@PatriciaMcGowan52]

Absolutely marvelous! Bravo!

[@WilliamVyvyanMurray]

Great work!!! Thanks for putting it up online!!!

[@theopaopa1]

bravo ! 👏👏🙏🎶

[@JAMESLEVEE]

Per Professor Er-Gene Kahng, who premiered the concerto: "The Concerto no. 2 is in the key of D major; it is a single movement work with the first theme marked quarter = c. 132; second theme, marked 'Andante Cantabile'. It is a double variation, so the first and second theme alternate throughout the concerto."

[@blairranells5453]

I’ve studied with her! Seeing her preform this tomorrow night

[@andrewhcit]

She also edited it for publication, so probably knows the piece better than anyone else alive today. I had the privilege of being in the viola section for a performance in 2019, with Professor Kahng as soloist. As far as I can tell, it was only the fourth live performance of this concerto.

[@richardwalker9826]

the small stage gives it a cramped look but the solo violin shines out like a star in the night!

[@storypoetproductions]

A beautiful classical piece played to perfection!!!

[@shin-i-chikozima]

The comfort of this performance she plays with wonderful skill is irreplaceable , and incomparable, and full of admiration and emotion

[@violinguru07]

Simply gorgeous.

[@robertoa.m.3984]

Marvelous work 👌😸!!

[@cywiringwlad]

A keep hearing little snippets of Dave Grusin's score for "The Goonies" in here and I'm curious if Price could have been an influence for Grusin, which would be amazing...

[@rainyday6430]

Since she wrote this in the 1920s, I venture to guess the goonies borrowed from her, not the other way around :)

[@timburns6413]

@@rainyday6430 How is this not obvious from their question? They asked if Price influenced Grusin......good job.

[@rainyday6430]

@@timburns6413 you must be having a hard day. don't worry, tomorrow will be better. and maybe you wont be as much of an asshole then!

[@raffertybradford8286]

Interesting oboist at the end

[@ericdevaughn5941]

Impressive! Most Impressive! Oh I like this. Violinist is clearly way beyond the orchestra in virtuosity. I want hear MORE!!! Oh Please.

[@EuniceCChina]

Absolutely beautiful!!!

[@pilouetmissiou]

Sì, una bella partitura anche se il violino non è sempre pulito pulito.. però ha anche dei bellissimi momenti...un bel suono... sicuramente da riascoltare...

[@shkyrbty]

It is a wonder that Florence Price's 2nd Violin Concerto is not a part of the standard repertoire. Bravi Kelly!!!

[@inotmark]

Nice piece and excellent performance. Thank you for bringing it out.

[@Alex-u7v]

Fascinating

[@traceymathews2686]

🎶 incredible

[@herminioteixeira5921]

Florence Price, conquistando visibilidade mais do que merecida entre os grandes autores musicais americanos do norte. Que bom que assim possam ser vistos, admirados e amados. É de se esperar que novos vultos da divina cultura ressurjam, enriquecendo patrimônios que alternam preferências.

[@michaelrobbins1908]

All around Great Performance! The Soloist, The Orchestra - Excellent!

[@linzierogers7479]

Excellent playing.

[@amusicment4829]

Wonderful piece, and wonderful playing by Kelly Hall-Tompkins

[@gailthomas5818]

On my goodness absolutely breathe taking.

[@ericwyness9089]

Fascinating ! We must hear more of Price's music. And a top drawer performance.

[@matthewv789]

Samantha Ege plays a number of the wonderful piano works.

[@matthewlasar-dz8sp]

So hauntingly beautiful. What a great concerto.

[@Mo_B-xv2hv]

5:28 is probably one of the most orgasmic structures of sound I've ever heard.

[@andrewpetersen5272]

Do clean up after yourself.

[@roymariano7116]

I'm sorry, but no orgasm was felt at that moment in time. Perhaps at another time.

[@georgepantzikis7988]

What are you on about? There was no strong climax in the entire piece.

[@richardwalker9826]

i think 5:29 is where it starts- just kidding but there is definitely a change of pace

[@tahiragibson6407]

@@andrewpetersen5272 🤣

[@cloudfa1177]

Absolutely stunning!

[@Alice-gr1kb]

I like this

[@erlandschneck-holze6931]

...eine große Entdeckungen auch für Europa - eine beeindruckende Komponistin, vgl. z.B. ihre Symphonien.... neuerdings mit Alsop (RSO Wien) oder dem Philadelphia Orchestra unter neuem Chef ... .die gezeigte Interpretation ist ausgezeichnet ...

[@barbarascott4520]

Oh, the best is yet to be🙏

[@annpringle8219]

I love the violin!!

[@piernicofe2214]

splendido