Classical Pop

Tomoko’s heart lies in classical music. It comes alive in her hands on the piano. Classical piano music also comes alive in the hands of contemporary composers, who have inspired enough to adapt their music to their own pieces.

The opening of the final movement of Italian composer 17^th century Clementi’s Sonatina in G minor, Op. 36, No. 5 echoes in Phil Collins' “A Groovy Kind of Love.”

Billy Joel credited Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata in his album An Innocent Man for the chorus of “This Night.” Joel stated that his classical training has impacted his compositions.

When Yoko Ona played Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, John Lennon asked her to play the chords backwards, which resulted in the basis of “Because.”

Barry Manilow thought he had created impressive chords when composing “It Could It Be Magic,” when he realized that he had been playing Chopin's Prelude in C Minor No. 20 earlier that day. Chopin's chords moved from Manilow's subconscious to his writing instrument.

Pop music Ted Mossman based the song “Till the End of Time” (lyrics by Buddy Kaye) on Chopin's Polonaise in A flat major, Op. 53. Singing is as a softer, reflective piece, Perry Como made it a hit tune. The song's introduction is a direct echo of Chopin's composition.

Robbie Williams' “Party like a Russian” duplicates the hard beat of Prokofiev's “Dance of the Knights.”

To the classical year, Eric Carmen's “All by Myself” immediately recalls Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, including the melancholy feeling.

Hiphop rapper Nas sampled Beethoven's Für Elise in his performance of “I Can.”

Electronic music has sampled the classics too, as exemplified by Alan Walker ad Sophie Simmons' s “Lovesick.” The tune's chorus transforms Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 5. for the current audience.

AND a Broadway musical example is Rodgers and Hammerstein's tune “March of the Siamese Children,” inspired by Grieg's Wedding Day at Troldhaugen.

So if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then several classical composers are indeed complimented.

Classical Piano Enriched by Black Musicians

The classical piano world has been helped by a variety of musicians. Because February is celebrated as Black History month, it is good to focus on Black contributions.

Scott Joplin is one of the most recognized piano composers of the 20^th century, and even won a Pulitzer Prize in 1976. As a teenager, he studied classical piano and recognized the art of music, not just for entertainment. In his ragtime compositions, he merged European romanticism with American folk music syncopation to achieve both contrapuntal and innovative harmonies in a classical miniature form.

Another notable pianist and composer was George Walker, who wrote almost 100 piece of music, including vocal works. He too blended spirituals and Western classical forms. In 1996 he became the first Black composer to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Tom “Blind Tom” Wiggins was the highest paid pianist at one point in the 19^th century – at the age of ten! He was known for performing pieces by Bach and Beethoven, and wrote more than 100 piano compositions.

Noted songstress Nina Simone studied classical piano. In her song writing and piano performance, she has incorporated complex contrapuntal features inspired by Bach.

Another musical prodigy, Hazel Scott, studied at Julliard when she was eight years old. She performed both jazz and classical music “live,” on the radio, and in film. She was the first African American to host a network TV show in America, which featured a variety of musical performances.

Music is both international and culturally developed. We have much to thank Black musicians for enrichening the classical piano experience. Including their work in piano repertoires benefits everyone.

Black Notes in Classical Music

 Tomoko appreciates the multicultural aspects of classical music. Among those composers who are notable but sometimes not as well known are Black composers. Here are five notable ones.

Known as the Black Mozart, Creole Joseph Bologne was born on Christmas Day, 1745, in Guadeloupe, and was schooled in France. Bologne was first an expert fencer, but always had a love of music. He performed as an orchestra violinist, and became its concert master. Joseph wrote several sonatas, including for the forte-piano. He chiefly wrote operas and symphonies. Bologne, who lived next to Mozart for a while, is considered the first-known classical composer of African heritage.

George Bridgetower is most known for his violin virtuosity, and as such, the original dedicatee of Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata. He was born on October 11, 1778 in Poland of a West Indian father and Polish mother. He moved early to London, and performed publicly as a teen in England and Paris. Most of his own compositions were piano pieces, but many were lost over the years.

Another African British composer was Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, called the African Mahler. Born on August 15, 1875, Samuel studied at the Royal College of Music in London, and was a professor at the Crystal Palace School of Music. Many of his works were choral pieces, the best known one was The Song of Hiawatha. Samuel drew upon traditional African music in his compositions. He also wrote poetry, which he would sometimes set to music.

Florence Price is known as the first African American woman recognized as a symphonic composer. She also wrote for the piano – among her over 300 compositions. She was born in Arkansas on April 9, 1887. She performed publicly on the piano at age four, and had her first composition published at age eleven. Florence’s mother was a music teacher, and Florence attended the New England Conservatory of Music where she earned an artist diploma in organ and a teaching certificate. Florence played an importance role in the Chicago Black Renaissance, making her name first with her piano work Negro Fantasy. She wrote prize-winning piano sonatas and symphonies, and arranged spirituals, which Marian Anderson regularly performed.

George Walker was first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music – for his piece Lilacs. Born on June 27, 1922, he began playing the piano at age five. He earned his doctorate at the Eastman School of Music and taught at Rutgers University. He published more than ninety works, including five sonatas for piano, duet sonatas for piano and another instrument, as well as choral works and songs.

These accomplished composers of African descent certainly should be noted and listened to.