Selections from Five Folk Songs in Counterpoint
About this Piece
As a dynamic and pioneering composer of the 20th century who is seeing a long-overdue resurgence in the 21st, Florence Price’s compositional style embodies the ideals of the Harlem Renaissance—or the Chicago Black Renaissance of which she was a leading figure. Whether it was the unmatched poetry of Langston Hughes or more humble spirituals, Price’s music presents Black culture and subject matter with sophisticated pride and dignity. Originally titled Negro Folk Songs in Counterpoint before Price revised this quartet adding two more movements, Five Folk Songs in Counterpoint (c. 1950) avoids the simplistic arrangements of folk tunes or spirituals that could be found elsewhere and shows off both a range of character variations and clever technique.