THESIS: NATHANIAL DETT WAS THE GREATEST COMPOSER OF ALL TIME
- Born in Ontario, Canada
- Attended Harvard
- studied composition of piano in New York
- taught at Hampton institute in Virginia and Bennett College in North Carolina
- forest black director at Hampton institute
- did concert at churcges, concert halls, and then toured Europe.
- thought that negro folk music was a gift to the world
- Got his doctorates from Howard University
- Found his true calling after hearing the Kneisel Quartet perform.
- had musical experience since a very early age
- composed music that used negro folk idioms in a new way
- most popular pieces were “Magnolia in the bottom” ,“listen to the lambs (1914)”, “somebody’s knocking at your door (1919)”, “I’m so glad trouble don’t last always(1919)”.
- his performances captured the spirit of the text through frequent and exaggerated changes of dynamics.
- parents were slaves
In all Nathaniel Dent did a lot for his community and set standards for composers as well.
sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Nathaniel_Dett
https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200038840/
R. NATHANIEL DETT COLLECTION
