Talk:William Grant Still

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The Dean Of...
I think it unfortunate that Copland has somehow got the title "The Dean Of American Composers", since I am certain that Still held the title for many years, and that Copland would gladly give the nod to Still. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 131.215.115.31 (talk) 16:30, 1 November 2011 (UTC) Definitely not. Copland and Still did not get along. Copland while admitting Still had a natural facility for composing, called his music saccharine. Still inturn denounced Copland as a racist communist. Leveeland (talk) 23:41, 6 December 2016 (UTC)

3rd symphony
Is the G minor his 2nd symphony as I seem to recall? When was his (just published?) Sunday Symphony (Symphony #3) composed? Schissel | Sound the Note! 22:36, 20 June 2016 (UTC) pur — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:644:8000:ABF0:136:B2C2:9FAA:29BC (talk) 18:11, 3 February 2021 (UTC)

Why all the racist nonsense?
He was a composer. What his nationality or race was, is hardly relevant, except perhaps for a brief mention in passing. One notes that, for example, Debussy was French. Then the point is dropped. This is the norm, except when speaking of those of black or African ancestry. Why is that? Enough, already. — Preceding unsigned comment added by MarvinLuse (talk • contribs) 15:50, 6 August 2016 (UTC)

I agree with you. And the lack of entry footnotes flaws the text. 127W111 (talk) 05:14, 30 October 2016 (UTC)


 * I have removed one assertion from the lead which is patently false: This refers to his opera, Troubled Island, premiered at New York City Opera in 1949. Note that The Pipe of Desire by the American-born composer Frederick Converse was premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1910. There is a reliable source for Still being the first African-American composer to have an opera premiered by a major company, i.e. Troubled Island, and I have added an inline citation for that which also supports the other "firsts" in the sentence. I don't think the list of "firsts" in the lead is particularly racist. They are arguably his claim to fame and much has been written about African-Americans' role in US classical music, the barriers they faced, the pioneers in the field, etc. I completely agree about the lack of inline citations, though. Voceditenore (talk) 07:40, 30 October 2016 (UTC)
 * Other operas by American-born composers which premiered at the Met long before Still's 1949 opera were Horatio Parker's Mona in 1912, Reginald De Koven's The Canterbury Pilgrims in 1917 , Charles Wakefield Cadman's Shanewis in 1918 , etc., etc. Voceditenore (talk) 07:56, 30 October 2016 (UTC)

@ Voceditenore (talk)- Sorry I had put this in :"Still was the first American born composer to have an opera produced by a major opera company." The source is Catherine Parsons Smith's biography of William Grant Still (page 68): " Produced in 1949 by the New York City Opera, Troubled Island was the first opera by a U.S.–born composer of any race to be produced by a major company, and the first by a black composer to be produced in the United States." Unfortunately google books doesn't show this page, but you can see it here: https://www.google.co.uk/search?tbm=bks&hl=en&q=first+opera+by+a+U.S-+born+composer#hl=en&tbm=bks&q=first+opera+by+a+U.S-+born+composer+of+any+race+to+be+to+be+produced+by

The source normally would be considered credible, but Smith is either here just mistaken or, she defines "produced" in a certain way. What is however clear is that Troubled Island was the first American Opera produced by the New York City Opera. So'll amend it to say that. Further, I'm not too keen on highlighting Still's race too much. While significant, Still ought to be known for his composition abilities (I think he's one of the finest), not for his race- which is significant because that was a defining aspect of his career and music Leveeland (talk) 23:03, 6 December 2016 (UTC)

Quotes
He said, "I am a firm believer in God, and I certainly have every reason to be so. I am thankful that He has suffered me to go through a troublous period. It was what I needed. Spiritual development is necessary to one who would compose. Through suffering the ego is overcome; one learns the lesson of humility; when one is humble he can hear the voice of God, and he can learn the lessons that will profit him most.

I have now but one great desire. That is to serve humanity. It matters not if I fail to amass money or to win great esteem. But it does matter if I fail to help others."

You can find this quote (notable perhaps for being excerpted by Fred Childs on the Performance Today program, 12/26/2023) and other autobiographical material here: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:UxEJx43PaIAJ:https://california.universitypressscholarship.com/view/10.1525/california/9780520215429.001.0001/upso-9780520215429-chapter-10&sca_esv=593812750&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1&vwsrc=0

which is an archived cache of https://academic.oup.com/california-scholarship-online/book/14892/chapter-abstract/169207642?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Physicsjock (talk) 19:01, 26 December 2023 (UTC)

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William Grant Still Operas
There is a wonderful new source on Still's operas that could be helpful with this article. The source provides the opera's historical context, a brief synopsis, dramatic and musical needs (personnel), and more.

Soll, Beverly. I dream a world: the operas of William Grant Still. Fayetteville : University of Arkansas Press, 2005

Kosenrufu2030 (talk) 04:08, 29 January 2023 (UTC)

Wiki Education assignment: Music in History Intersectionality and Music
— Assignment last updated by AGDickson (talk) 07:10, 23 February 2023 (UTC)

influence
some of WGS's music sounds like Gershwin. Did Gershwin copy his style or orchestration?

Does WSG have any connection to William Still, the Underground Railroad conductor? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Vasa2 (talk • contribs) 19:42, 13 July 2023 (UTC)