-
36 R. Nathaniel Dett
- University of Illinois Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
488 lost sounds Florence Cole-Talbert did not achieve the fame of such later black female artists asMarianAndersonandLeontynePrice,buthersuccessinthe1910sand1920shelped pave the way for their triumphs. Her recordings preserve a voice that was an important factor in gaining entree for African Americans into the modern concert hall. 36 R. Nathaniel Dett One of the most eminent black musical figures of the early 1900s was pianist, composer , and academic Robert Nathaniel Dett. Best known as a choral conductor and composer of piano pieces, he spent much of his life advocating the preservation of black folk music, both in its original form and by incorporating it into newly composed art music. Many of his own refined works reflected African American themes. Unfortunately the demands of making a living and supporting his family, which left limited time for creative endeavors, may have prevented him from reaching even greater heights. Dett was a Canadian, born in Drummondville, Ontario, on October 11, 1882.1 His mother was a cultural leader in the community and encouraged young Robert’s musical tendencies. When the family moved across the nearby border into Niagara Falls, New York, in 1893, Dett continued his musical education and soon began playing piano at hotels and churches in the resort area. He also worked as a bellhop at the Cataract Hotel and at other jobs. His first composition, a piano piece called “After the Cake Walk,” was published in 1900. Dett’s ability to improvise at the keyboard attracted the attention of hotel patrons , and a wealthy banker from Cleveland offered to support his further study at Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio. Dett enrolled in 1903 and was the first black to complete the five-year program in music, receiving a bachelor’s degree in 1908. He then taught at Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee (1908–11), and Lincoln Institute in Jefferson, Missouri (1911–13). He was profoundly affected by his first extended exposure to the American south. During these early teaching years Dett began to write and compose, finding time when he could in his busy teaching schedule. A collection of poems, The Album of a Heart, was published in 1911; while at Lane he completed his first piano suite, Magnolia. The latter brought him to the attention of the QRS piano-roll company in Chicago, which invited him to record selections from the suite in 1912. This was a highly unusual honor. Most piano rolls were made by white studio pianists or, occasionally, by well-known white concert artists. Dett’s are believed to be the first commercial rolls ever made by a black pianist. He recorded five selections from Magnolia Suite on QRS rolls: “Mammy,” “The Place Where the Rainbow Ends,” “Magnolia,” “Deserted Cabin,” and “My Lady Love.” The four that have been heard reveal a thoughtful artist, playing in a neoclassical style not particularly reflective of black influences.2 While the QRS rolls are of interest, there is some debate about the authenticity of piano rolls as sonic documents, due to the fact that they could be easily altered 05.335-496_Broo 12/22/03, 1:44 PM 488 489 and did not necessarily reflect the dynamic range intended by the performer. Nevertheless , these early examples of Dett’s work are historically significant and worthy of preservation. In 1913, through the influence of black arts patron E. Azalia Hackley, Dett was appointed to the faculty at prestigious Hampton Institute in Virginia, a post he would hold for the next eighteen years. Under his leadership the Hampton Institute Choir developed a national and, eventually, an international reputation. He did much for the university, establishing a Musical Art Society in 1919 and a full- fledged music department in 1928. He also wrote and composed when he could, lectured widely, and became known as a leader in black academic music circles in the United States. Dett’s wider reputation was based on his piano works and choral arrangements. In 1913 he published a second piano suite, In the Bottoms, which included a catchy little number called “Juba Dance” that became popular. One modern writer has called it “one of the best evocations of black folk dance in the classical literature.”3 Dett himself described it as follows: “This is probably the most characteristic number of the suite, as it portrays more of the social life of the people. ‘Juba’ is the stamping on the ground with the foot and following it with two staccato pats of the...