Classical Classroom Research Presentation: It’s Black History Month!

02/22/14 • 11 min

It's Black History Month! Time to learn about all of the amazing contributions that black people have made to classical music. Pay close attention because we had to talk really, really fast to fit this many people into a short. PS, You can check out our timeline of black classical music contributors in the "Raise Your Hand" section of our webpage.

Audio production by Todd "Troubled Island" Hulslander with barely audible suggestions from Dacia Clay.

Thanks to MusicLab intern Princeton Miles for lending his dulcet tones to this episode. Thanks also to St. John Flynn and Daniel Webbon for their contributions to our timeline, and to Daniel for his music research minioning.

Music in this episode includes:

– Ludwig van Beethoven, Violin Sonata No. 9 (Kreutzer Sonata)

– Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Hiawatha's Wedding Feast

– William Grant Still, Symphony No. 1, "Afro-American"

– George T Walker, Jr., Lilacs for voice and orchestra

– Wynton Marsalis, from Blood on the Fields

Audio production by Todd "Troubled Island" Hulslander with barely audible suggestions from Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode includes:

– Ludwig van Beethoven, Violin Sonata No. 9 (Kreutzer Sonata)

– Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Hiawatha's Wedding Feast

– William Grant Still, Symphony No. 1, "Afro-American"

– George T Walker, Jr., Lilacs for voice and orchestra

– Wynton Marsalis, from Blood on the Fields

Previous Episode

Classical Classroom, Episode 38: Stringed Life – on being a quartet, with Enso String Quartet

The Grammy-nominated Enso String Quartet puts the "class" in this episode of Classical Classroom. We discuss where string quartets come from, why the instruments in a quartet go together so well, what sets Enso apart from other string quartets, and what it's like to play live (which apparently sometimes includes hitting yourself in the face and dancing to get away from bees).

Audio production by Todd “Todd Terrific” Hulslander with a few carefully-worded complaints from Dacia Clay.

Music in this episode includes:

– Franz Joseph Haydn, String Quartet in C Major, Op.76 No.3 Hob. III:77, “Emperor”, Mvt. 1. Allegro & Mvt 2 Poco adagio, cantabile. Performed by the Kodaly Quartet (Naxos, 8.550314)

– Franz Schubert, Quartet No. 12 in C minor, “Quartett-Satz”. Performed by Enso String Quartet (currently unreleased)

– Kurt Stallman, “Following Franz” (currently unreleased)

– Richard Strauss, Quartet in A Major, Op. 2: 1. Allegro (from the Enso Quartet website)

For more information about the Enso String Quartet: www.ensoquartet.com

Next Episode

Classical Classroom, Episode 39: Conductor James Gaffigan on Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5

Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 is dramatic, cinematic, erratic, sarcastic, and full of existential longing – according to Chief Conductor of the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, James Gaffigan. Why is it important to listen to this symphony, the musical expression of Shostakovich’s depression and anxiety as he lived under Stalin’s thumb? Listen to this episode and find out!

Audio production by Todd “Taller than Necessary” Hulslander with inspired napping from Dacia Clay.

Music in the episode includes:

– Dmitri Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47, New York Philharmonic Orchestra led by Leonard Bernstein

PS, I found a really cool article and video on this symphony from PBS’s Keeping Score.

To find out more about conductor James Gaffigan, go to To find out more about hilarious comedian Jim Gaffigan, go to a different website. :)

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