So Lit Song Lit

John D. Carter's Cantata was premiered in 1959 by Leontyne Price and David Garvey. A great pianist in his own right, Carter's song cycle is challenging for the pianist as well as the singer, with rhythmic displacements and dissonances that bring the melodies of the spirituals he chose into the classical realm. Our guest today, Dr. Casey Robards, earned her doctorate with a dissertation on John D. Carter. Be sure to check out Casey Robards' new CD with Kenneth Overton: What Dreams We Have: The Poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar!

We also talk about Cecil Cohen, a pianist and composer who led a fascinating life including fighting on the front lines in WWI and performing his own music for the Roosevelts. He spent 30 years on the faculty of Howard University teaching piano, and has few extent songs, but this one is a powerhouse.

Recordings featured in this episode, performed by Solomon Onyukwu, baritone, Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano, and Ellen Rissinger, pianist (click on the titles for purchase information):

John D. Carter: Cantata

• 1: Prelude (piano solo)
• 4: Air (Let Us Break Bread Together)
• 5: Toccata (Ride On, King Jesus)

Cecil Cohen, from The Anthology of Art Songs by Black American Composers

• Death of an Old Seaman (Langston Hughes text)

Recorded at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music Recording Studio in Pittsburgh, PA and at Morningstar Studios in Norristown, PA.

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So Lit Song Lit is a production of Cincinnati Song Initiative. You can learn more about its network of podcasts at cincinnatisonginitiative.org/podcasts.

You can follow Ellen and The Diction Police on Facebook and at www.dictionpolice.com.

You can follow Toni Marie on Facebook at Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano and Instagram @ToniMariePalmertree

Solomon Onyukwu is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University.

This episode is sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University. Learn more about CMU and apply today.