“Dekoloniale – what remains?!”: Nikolai-Music on Friday

Florence Price’s Passacaglia demonstrates her mastery of the art of variation and stands in dialogue with Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous Passacaglia in C minor.

Florence Price and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy are two composers whose works have a deep connection to the tradition of Johann Sebastian Bach. This concert highlights the stylistic parallels and individual expressiveness of these masters.

This concert programme explores Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s musical world and places his works in dialogue with the ideas and approaches of other composers who may have inspired him. It also references Antonín Dvořák, Johannes Brahms, and Edward Elgar, whose music can be seen as contextual inspiration for Coleridge-Taylor’s work. The programme is complemented by improvisational contributions from Jack Day, who picks up on Coleridge-Taylor’s musical themes.

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875–1912) was a British composer from London who combined European compositional styles with influences from African American traditions. Antonín Dvořák, who explored local musical traditions in his Symphony No. 9 “From the New World” (1893), is often cited as an inspiration for Coleridge-Taylor, even though Dvořák’s music is not performed here. The harmonic density and lyrical design in Coleridge-Taylor’s works sometimes recall Johannes Brahms, while Edward Elgar served as a model for him in melodic expression and orchestral colours. Coleridge-Taylor gained great recognition in England with his Hiawatha Trilogy, based on Longfellow’s poem.

Nathaniel Dett (1882–1943) was a Canadian-American composer, pianist, and choir director known for his innovative fusion of African American spirituals with classical forms. Dett studied at the Oberlin Conservatory and the Eastman School of Music and received numerous awards. His works, including the famous Magnolia Suite and In the Bottoms, demonstrate deep musical virtuosity. Dett dedicated his life to African American musical traditions and had a lasting impact on 20th-century classical music.

Florence Price: Romanticism and Identity
Florence Price (1887, Little Rock, Arkansas – 1953, Chicago, Illinois) was the first African American female composer whose work was performed by a major symphony orchestra. Her music combines romantic influences with spirituals and her own musical signature. This concert features some of her lyrical organ works, complemented by improvisations.

Joseph Bologne and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Contrasting Works for Violin Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875, London – 1912, Croydon) was a British-Sierra Leonean composer whose music is deeply rooted in English Romanticism. His Ballade for Violin and Piano showcases his flair for expressive melodies and harmonic subtleties. The Ballade combines cantabile lines with dramatic accents, illustrating Coleridge-Taylor’s ability to craft musical narratives with great emotional depth.

Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745, Baillif, Guadeloupe – 1799, Paris), was an outstanding violinist, composer, and fencing master of the 18th century. His Sonata for Violin Op. 1 No. 3 is characterized by the elegance and virtuosity of classical aesthetics. It exemplifies Saint-Georges’ skill in blending classical forms with ease and playfulness.

Florence Price and Mel Bonis: Character Pieces and Grand Organ Works Florence Price is one of the Black composers receiving special attention in this series. Her First Suite for Organ combines various genres – Fantasy, Fughetta, Aire, and Toccato (sic!) – in a searching post-romantic texture.
For stylistic comparison, we will play works by Mel Bonis (1858, Paris – 1937, Sarcelles). Her Pièces de caractère are delicate miniatures. As with Florence Price, her music initially places us in a simple tonal framework, subtly enhanced by chromaticism, showcasing the organ’s plasticity. Thanks to the swell box, seamless crescendos are possible.

Florence Price and Max Reger: Organ Sonatas as Narrative In this concert, we have the opportunity to compare two grand D minor organ sonatas. They are moving, whimsical organ works that initially startle rather than comfort, allowing us to feel the full weight of the organ as an instrument and inviting us to a symphonic and narrative listening experience with intermediate stops and a climax.

Nathaniel Dett: Magnolia Suite and Improvisations
Nathaniel Dett (1882, Drummondville, Ontario – 1943, Battle Creek, Michigan) combined the European piano and organ tradition with elements of African American music. His Magnolia Suite is an outstanding example of this synthesis.

Joseph Bologne and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Dialogue between Organ and Flute
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745, Baillif, Guadeloupe – 1799, Paris) was not only a virtuoso violinist but also composed for various chamber music ensembles, such as harp and flute. Mozart shows us how similarly Saint-Georges composed and raises the question of why we often hear one music today and not the other.

Joseph Bologne: Classic Meets Modern
The music of Joseph Bologne is characterized by virtuosity and elegance. His Harpsichord Sonata No. 3 demonstrates classical formal rigor combined with a dance-like lightness. Florence Price’s A Pleasant Thought complements the program with a romantic miniature work.

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Virtuosity and Expression
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875, London – 1912, Croydon) was a Black composer and conductor who drew inspiration from spirituals and English late Romanticism.

His three Impromptus move harmonically slowly, which complements the long reverberation of the Nikolaikirche. With these pieces, we often have the chance to hear the same chord a second time while the original chord is still resonating. This creates the impression that Coleridge-Taylor, who studied with the Anglo-Irish church musician Charles Villiers Stanford in London, took into account the reverberation of a cathedral.

Joseph Bologne: Elegance and Virtuosity of the Classical Era
The String Quartet Op. 1 No. 1 by Joseph Bologne is a brilliant example of his melodic richness and tonal clarity. The transcription for organ preserves these qualities and opens up new sonic perspectives.