Deep River, Op.59, No. 10 for viola and piano by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Arranged by Maud Powell and Paul Neubauer. Published by International
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875) was born in London of English and African descent. He learnt to play the violin, was recognized as a child prodigy and at 15 was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music with Charles Villiers Stanford, where he was a contemporary of Holst and Vaughan Williams. In spite of racial prejudice and his tragically early death in 1912 aged just 37, he enjoyed great success during his lifetime and has recently enjoyed a resurgence of interest.
One of Coleridge-Taylor's most enduring set of compositions is his "24 Negro Melodies", Op.59 (1905), shining a light on spirituals and African folk songs in classical context. Of the collection, he wrote "What Brahms has done for the Hungarian folk music, Dvorak for the Bohemian and Grieg for the Norwegian, I have tried to do for these Negro melodies". He also wrote that "Deep River is the most beautiful and touching melody of the whole series". Prominent American violinist Maud Powell certainly thought so--she adapted his setting of Deep River for violin and piano for recitals; she was one of the few turn-of-the-century white musicians to play music by black composers. The legacy of this piece and its performance history continues with this excellent arrangement for viola and piano by legendary violist Paul Neubauer. Advanced level, Grade 5.
