Chattanooga Symphony & Opera - Opening Night: La Mer - Copy

Festive Overture

William Grant Still

Festive Overture
William Grant Still
(b. May 11, 1895 in Woodville, MS; d. December 3, 1978 in Los Angeles, CA)

“The dean of Afro-American composers” is the appellation still regularly given to William Grant Still and rightly so, provided that it is understood that he also claimed a leading position among all American composers of his generation. The story of tonight’s piece affirms it. For its 50th anniversary the Cincinnati Symphony and its director Eugene Goossens created a Jubilee competition seeking an overture to mark the occasion. The judges combed through more than 39 entries, evaluating them without any clue as to the actual composers, and chose Still’s Festive Overture unanimously.

The year was 1944 and the world was war weary. Goossens wanted something upbeat, something that could lift people’s spirits as the prospects for final victory seemed bright but just over the horizon. Still delivered a joyous and optimistic view of the future, offering hope during one of the 20th century’s darkest moments. Goossens conducted the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s first performance on January 19, 1945.

Festive Overture has three distinct sections that flow without stop. A brassy fanfare sets in motion what seems like an Irish jig. The meter is 12/8, four beats in each measure being subdivided into triplets. The rhythmic drive with its celebratory energy continues until four equal notes, markedly slowed, herald the middle section. The jig is retired and a gentle and lyrical theme replaces it in more traditional 4/4 time.

The final section brings back the dominant jig rhythm. The initial fanfare and energetic themes return, building in intensity and excitement to a rousing, triumphant finale. The exuberant conclusion delivers the promise of the "festive" title.

The casual listener may hear the masterful orchestration and merely feel pleasantly entertained, but it’s worth noting some of what is happening under the hood. The brilliant sound of Festive Overture is no accident. William Grant Still pays meticulous attention to detail extending to every family of the orchestra. In the brass, he calls for specific mutes to alter the instruments' tones—the trumpets and trombones make use of the metallic, buzzy Harmon (or “wah-wah”) mutes, a color borrowed from jazz. The trombones also use “soft hats over the bell” for a softer, more covered sound. In the string section, Still creates an exceptionally rich and lush sound by dividing the first violins into three separate parts (divisi), weaving a more complex and beautiful texture than if they all played the same line. He holds back his secret weapon—the bright, sparkling xylophone—until the final section, injecting a fresh wave of festive energy at just the right moment.

William Grant Still was a man of firsts. The first African American to –
– have a symphony (Afro-American Symphony) performed by a leading orchestra (Rochester Philharmonic, 1931).
– conduct a major American symphony orchestra (the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1936).
– have an opera (Troubled Island) performed by a major company (New York City Opera, 1949).
– have an opera nationally televised (Highway 1, USA, 1962).

A final tidbit to reward those who read through to the end: in a chain of connections worthy of James Burke or Six Degrees of Separation, one of Still’s prestigious composition teachers was George Whitefield Chadwick. Chadwick wrote a burlesque opera Tabasco (yes, referring to the McIlhenny salsa) that was performed many times in the late 1890s. One of the places it was performed was Chattanooga. In 2015 your Chattanooga Symphony participated in a revival performance at the Volkswagen Conference Center on Sunday, September 27.