A. Kori Hill
In 1943, William Grant Still wrote a piece for his friend, violinist Louis Kaufman. It was called Suite for Violin and Piano. But first, a little intro: William Grant Still (1895–1978), known as the “Dean” of African American composers in his lifetime, is arguably the most popular classical composer of the Harlem Renaissance era.
Still saw his composing career in three distinct periods: the first was his modernist period in the early 1920s, which included his studies with composer Edgard Varèse. From 1925–1932, Still described this as his racial idiom period, characterized by works like his Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American,” where the use of 12-bar blues, modal harmony, and Black folk quotation became a key element of his style and part of the wider aesthetic movement of the Harlem Renaissance. He called his third and final period his universal idiom, starting in 1932. This period is characterized by his orchestral work The American Scene and reflects his prioritizing of all folk music from the United States.
While his Suite for Violin and Piano was composed during his latter period, some elements show he didn’t leave his racial idiom style behind. Each movement of the suite was inspired by the work of a Black artist: Richmond Barthé’s African Dancer (1933); one of Sargent Johnson’s many works titled Mother and Child (ca. 1930); and August Savage’s Gamin (ca. 1929). Louis edited the published violin part.
“African Dancer” is in G minor. It has three sections, moving from G minor to G major and back to G minor. The second section has a minor quality to it as if it’s trying to get back to G minor. This suggests that Still used modal harmony rather than tonality. Still also used polyrhythm. Right before the violin comes in, the pianist switches to triplets, which overlays with the violin’s straight eighth notes. These elements – modal harmony and polyrhythm – are common in African and African American music.
“Mother and Child” is in E major with a middle section in E minor, another example of modal harmony. This is the most popular of the three movements, often programmed on its own. Like “African Dancer,” there’s a main theme that appears in the first and third sections, with a lyrical theme appearing in the middle section. There’s also a short cadenza near the end of the middle section. The main theme opens with a triplet, evoking a mom rocking a child in her arms.
“Gamin” is in A major, and its main theme is cocky and impish. How does Still do that? With a lot of pickups! The violin either comes in on the “e” of a beat, “a” of a beat or enters on a downbeat with a sixteenth triplet rhythm or a Scotch snap (dotted eighth note with a sixteenth note). This evokes a cocky walk or stride, placing the strong part of the beat in places other than the one or two. While this may seem destabilizing, it reflects Still’s prioritizing African American rhythmic emphasis, which doesn’t always fall on the front of the beat.
