Four composers who clearly “speak through their music” will be heard on Saturday evening, Nov. 13 as Carmel Symphony Orchestra (CSO), under Artistic Director Janna Hymes, presents the season’s Masterworks 2 program.
The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts (CPA), 1 Carter Green, Carmel.
The program includes selections from Russian composer Mikhail Glinka (Russlan and Ludmilla Overture), Mexico’s Arturo Marquez (Danzon No. 2) and Ballet Suite No. 1 from Russia’s Dmitri Shostakovich. The evening’s featured selection is Symphony No. 3 in C Minor from Arkansas-born Florence Smith Price, who was the first African-American female composer to have a symphonic composition performed by a major American symphony orchestra.
Hymes
“Florence Smith Price was a prolific composer who had to work very hard to be taken seriously,” Hymes said. “You literally can hear the native language of all four of our composers in their music, but you can really hear the voice of Florence Smith Price in everything she wrote. Folk music, gospel from the church, Americana, a little bit of jazz, rhythms connected to her African heritage like the juba dance – she took all of that and wove it into a classical texture that’s remarkable.”
Price composed over 300 works, Hymes noted, with Symphony No. 3 in C Minor recognized as among her more important compositions. It was commissioned during the height of the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration’s (WPA) Federal Music Project. Symphony No. 3 in C Minor premiered with the Detroit Civic Orchestra in November 1940 at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Prior to that, Price’s Symphony in E Minor was premiered with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in June 1933, marking the first time music composed by a black woman received such recognition. Additionally, in April 1939, legendary vocalist Marian Anderson included Price’s spiritual arrangement My Soul’s Been Anchored in de Lord in her celebrated performance from the steps of Washington, D.C.’s Lincoln Memorial.
Price’s story and her compositions have been enjoying a resurgence – in fact, PriceFest, the first international festival dedicated to the music of Florence Smith Price, was observed in August 2020 in Washington, D.C.
“Florence Smith Price and all of our Masterworks 2 composers took music of their culture and wrote for their culture,” Hymes said. “You can hear their language in the music.
“Shostakovich is so very Russian, there’s no mistaking his ‘voice,’ you can ‘hear Dr. Zhivago!’” she laughed. “Same with Glinka, he’s high energy from beginning to end and had great influence on the Russian style of music. Glinka is positioned to begin our program because I want to wow the audience with that energy!”
“Marquez, his music is exciting, upbeat, rhythmic, dance-based, a perfect representation of his native Mexico,” she continued. “It’s fascinating to think about where the music comes from, how it relates to where the composers come from, and how it truly becomes their voices.”
Tickets for Masterworks 2 start at just $20 for adults, and are available at CarmelSymphony.org. Abundant free parking – curbside or garage – is available within a short walk of the Palladium.
In accordance with public health guidelines and entertainment industry standards, the Center for the Performing Arts recently announced its campus health & safety policies and protocols for the start of the 2021-22 season:
- Masking: Masks are required upon entry for everyone age 3 and older (worn at all times except when actively eating or drinking).
- Vaccination: All patrons age 12 and up must show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination when entering the Palladium and other CPA indoor spaces. The CPA will accept paper vaccination cards, photocopies, photos or digital images confirming vaccination status, along with valid ID. The Indiana State Department of Health offers vaccination certificates online that can be stored on a smart phone.
As an alternative to vaccination, patrons may present physical or digital proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to the event. For patrons and visitors younger than 12, no such proof is required.
Complete details and updates can be found at TheCenterPresents.org.
For more information and tickets (season or select individual performances), visit CarmelSymphony.org or call the CSO office at (317) 844-9717. For CSO concerts at the Palladium, patrons can call the Palladium box office at (317) 843-3800.
The 2021-22 Carmel Symphony Orchestra season is supported by the City of Carmel, the Center for the Performing Arts, the Palladium, and Pedcor.