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Francis Johnson (1792-1844) : chronicle of a black musician in early nineteenth-century Philadelphia /
"In the rich cultural life of post-Revolutionary War Philadelphia, Francis Johnson (1792-1844), a free black musician, absorbed the musical traditions of his city: European music, local white and black folk music, dance and theater music, religious and martial music. By adding his own particula...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Bethlehem :
Lehigh University Press,
©2006.
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| Subjects and Genres: | |
| Online Access: | Table of contents |
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| Summary: |
"In the rich cultural life of post-Revolutionary War Philadelphia, Francis Johnson (1792-1844), a free black musician, absorbed the musical traditions of his city: European music, local white and black folk music, dance and theater music, religious and martial music. By adding his own particular genius for innovation, composition, and performance Johnson achieved a popularity unsurpassed in this time of relative racial tolerance." "Music publisher George Willig recognized the fifteen-year-old Johnson's talent for experimentation and became his lifelong publisher and friend. By 1815, Johnson and the core of his later Military Band became the musical support for a local militia group. His innovative military music and his compositions for the recently introduced Kent (keyed) bugle made him so highly prized that in time he could play when and where he pleased. Over time he led the bands of nearly every militia unit in the area, often compositing original music for performances." "Patronized by the social elite, Johnson regularly composed and played for society events, and with his Cotillion Band was the premier summer entertainment for over twenty years at fashionable resorts in Saratoga Springs, New York." "For the return of the legendary General Lafayette, Johnson was the principal composer for military events and the visit's culminating Grand Ball. Days later, he debuted a musical theater score at the Philadelphia Circus (now Walnut Street Theatre). In Europe in 1837, Johnson met Johann Strauss who gave him a group of waltzes that Johnson introduced to America. In Paris, he saw Philippe Musard's "promenade concerts" as an attractive model for American entertainment, which he made phenomenally popular at home." "Johnson pursued all phases of his music with unmatched skill and fervor, even to the detriment of his health. At the time of his untimely death in 1844, Johnson had become the most prolific and widely traveled American composer, bandmaster, and performer in our nation's first century."--Jacket. |
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| Physical Description: |
330 pages : illustrations, music ; 25 cm |
| Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 303-312) and indexes. |
| ISBN: |
0934223866 9780934223867 |