Taught by renowned instructor
Michelle Cann
Florence Price's Piano Sonata in E minor is a work of craftsmanship, virtuosity, and originality, featuring musical material derived from African American folk traditions set within a conventional sonata form. But, as Michelle Cann demonstrates, Price is far from conventional. Join Cann as she journeys inside the music to reveal what makes it seem both familiar and new, and to demonstrate the ingenious compositional devices Price uses to weave together the sounds of struggle, spirituality, and salvation in this monumental Sonata.
Background & Influences
Join Michelle Cann as she traces the roots of Florence Price's Piano Sonata in E minor.
1st Movement: Form & Freedom
Join Michelle Cann as she explores the first movement of Florence Price's Piano Sonata. Cann analyzes what makes the music sound so familiar, and demonstrates how Price utilizes musical devices from both folk and romantic styles. On the surface, this is a work in conventional sonata form. But, as Cann reveals, the music is wont to go its own way, deviating from its formal confines in a quest for self-determination.
2nd Movement: Spiritual
Join Michelle Cann as she uncovers the deeper meaning of the second movement of Florence Price's Piano Sonata, the heart and soul of the work. Price composed her own Spiritual to serve as the movement's refrain, with intervening episodes growing in passion and intensity. Just when the struggle embodied in the music reaches a point of hopelessness, the Spiritual gives way and a higher presence intervenes to resolve the tension and provide solace.
3rd Movement: Tarantella
Join Michelle Cann in this lively Tarantella, the third and final movement of Florence Price's Piano Sonata. The tarantella theme returns throughout the movement with intervening episodes meant to show off different styles – from the piano virtuosity of Rachmaninoff and Gershwin to dances from the African American experience, including the Cakewalk and the Juba.
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Unlock Course →Michelle Cann is known for her virtuosic technique, expressive interpretations, and as a champion of the music of Florence Price. She currently serves as a faculty member at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where she holds the inaugural Eleanor Sokoloff Chair in Piano Studies.
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