Symphony No. 1

Permeated with the spirit of the blues, William Grant Still’s Afro-American Symphony is considered the first symphony by an African American composer to be performed by a professional orchestra. Composed in 1930, at the height of the Depression, the piece reflects Still’s earlier experience as an arranger for bandleader W.C. Handy, as well as his belief that the blues should be “elevated to the highest musical level”. The symphony was premiered by the Rochester Philharmonic in 1931 and was soon performed by the major orchestras of New York, Philadelphia and Berlin. The first movement “Moderato assai”, subtitled “Longing”, features a muted trumpet outlining a 12-bar blues melody, while the second theme, introduced by the oboe, is reminiscent of a Black spiritual. The bluesy mood continues in the “Adagio”, subtitled “Sorrow”, while the third movement, “Humor” (“Animato”), features the twang of a tenor banjo and a rat-a-tat ragtime feel. The finale, “Aspiration” (“Lento con risoluzione”), is marked by a slow, noble string melody and earlier themes are recounted in the freewheeling coda.