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Navigating Musical Tensions: African American Themes against Western Structure in Florence B. Price's (1887-1953) Piano Sonata in E minor (open access)

Navigating Musical Tensions: African American Themes against Western Structure in Florence B. Price's (1887-1953) Piano Sonata in E minor

Florence Price (1887–1953) was one of the most important African American woman composers of the early twentieth century. Price's music is known for combining techniques of Western art music with elements of the African American musical heritage. Although Price composed many works for piano, from large virtuoso pieces to characteristic miniatures, this study will address only her Piano Sonata in E minor. The purpose of this study is to analyze this sonata and discuss her compositional techniques and musical style as a combination of African American elements and Classical European procedures, combined and coordinated yet remaining in tension. Traditional European harmony, tonality, and form are successfully combined with African American characteristics: pentatonic scale, spirituals, syncopations, repetition, and dance rhythms. Indeed, Price's work is a considerable achievement, and she is one of the important African American women composers who should be better recognized today.
Date: December 2021
Creator: Chun, Yeo Hun
System: The UNT Digital Library