Paul Robeson was an American treasure. He had one of the most powerful and celebrated voices of his generation. Perhaps more importantly, he was one of the heroes of the civil rights movement. As early as 1924 he was performing on stage in Britain and the US in roles that were very unlike the stereotypes normally promoted when he was cast as a black lawyer who marries a white woman in All God’s Chillun Got Wings. He was later cast as Othello to rave reviews in both the UK and US. The performances are often quite minimal, using only a piano and solo voice. This is highly appropriate to these works, as this lends a highly personal atmosphere. Additionally it brings solid focus to the incredible talent that Robeson possessed. The symphony-accompanied performances are equally strong from Robeson, but less strong musically. The orchestration is unmistakably that of a radio orchestra from the 1940s. When that sound is properly employed, it is a good sound. When it is little more than a lush transcription of piano accompaniments, there are many times that the piano would be preferred. The lone exception here is Love At My Heart, which includes a male chorus as well as the orchestra, reinforcing the arrangement in a way unlike the majority of the other string works.
The recordings are quite well produced with minimal tape hiss and no noticeable album noise. The fidelity is bright and far better than many vintage recordings. Generally this seems to be a project that the production team truly cared about.
As the work is by a true master, and the pieces are among the highlights of his career, this is a collection that can be truly recommended.
Tracklist:
1. Joe Hill (with Lawrence Brown) 1942 2:29
2. John Henry 1945 2:36
3. The Peat-Bog Soldiers 1942 2:24
4. Kevin Barry 1947 2:11
5. The Four Insurgent Generals 1947 2:28
6. The Purest Kind of Guy (Joe's Birthday Song) 1942 3:19
7. From Border to Border 1942 2:24
8. Oh, How Proud Our Quiet Don 1942 3:17
9. Within Four Walls 1942 3:29
10. Native Land 1942 2:18
11. Song of the Plains (Red Army Song) 1942 3:04
12. Cradle Song 1942 3:50
13. Passing By 1938 2:18
14. Thora (Walter Goehr) 1939 3:29
15. Love at My Heart (Walter Goehr) 1939 2:02
16. Ebenezer (The Proud Valley) with male chorus 1939 2:26
17. Lazini (Big Fella) with Orchestra/Eric Ansell 1937 2:44
18. Encantadora Maria (Ronnie Munro) 1938 2:38
19. Just-A-Wearyin' For You 1938 2:33
20. St. Louis Blues 1934 3:26
21. Mah Lindy Lou 1932 3:11
22. Summertime (Porgy and Bess, Gershwin; Heyward) 1938 2:33
23. Swing Low Sweet Chariot with Ruthland Clapham 1933 2:43
24. Ol' Man River (Showboat; Kern;Hammerstein 11) 1927 3:49
25. The Little Black Boy (Songs of Innocence) 1939 2:16
Paul Robeson - Songs Of Struggle (Regis)
(256 kbps, cover art included)
3 Kommentare:
Thank you for this and all of the other Robeson posts. When I was younger I read about Robeson being blacklisted for his political views and activism against racism, but never heard him sing. His significance was diminished by his being reduced to an historical footnote. Moreover, he was criticized for being naive politically for his support of the Soviet Union by white critics who dismissed the racism inherent in this society as being as overtly horrific as it was during the Jim Crow era. Today many of my fellow citizens are apoplectic about alleged Islamic terrorism and all too willing to forget the far more prevalent Christian terrorism of the Klu Klux Klan and the federal, state, and local governments that, at a minimum, remained silent during and did little to halt its reign of terror for nearly one hundred years. Terrorism in any guise is unacceptable; but focusing on only one manifestation of it and overlooking or dismissing its historical antecedents is inexcusable.
Twenty years ago I sought Robeson's music to hear his artistry because he received no airplay on radio or television in this country. I was astonished at the power and range of his voice. I played his music for my father; however, like most white Americans, he only recalled Robeson during the blacklisted years and had not heard much of his music. Although my father admired Harry Belafonte, I don't believe he appreciated the road Robeson paved upon which Belafonte and others would later travel to champion many of the same causes.
Robeson sacrificed and lost so much because of his opposition to racism, inequality, and the excesses of capitalism in the United States. One of the people who stood by him was Leon Bibb, the father of folk/blues musician Eric Bibb. All too many people in the entertainment industry who profited from his success abandoned Robeson when he needed defenders and supporters. I'll wrap this up by noting that too many of us don't like to look at the abuses of the past even though our failure to remember has lead to the rise of fascists like Donald Trump who now seek to impose the same unconstitutional and inhumane restrictions upon Muslims that were once imposed upon the Japanese in this country. The vast majority of Muslims in this country are African-American yet the media is silent about the impact proposed discriminatory laws and restrictions would have upon them. So many seem to have learned so little from prior episodes of intolerance and oppression in our history. I don't think we have to wonder where Robeson would have stood. He would have reminded us about the humanity of all peoples.
Robeson was an intellectually gifted and immensely talented artist denied a voice because of the worst aspects and prejudices of this country's cultural and political spokespersons and the silent acquiescence of too many who once appreciate his talent. He was an intellectual giant and artist who deserves to be remembered and your posts of so much of his music go a long way to ensuring that he is. Thanks, again. So much of what you do is important to ensuring that we never forget.
Thanks again for your always very inspiring comments. It´s good to know that people like you are out there and that you concern about what happened in the past and what is going on in the present days. Best wishes!
I agree, his voice is great.
Kommentar veröffentlichen