Rocherolle, Eugenie Ricau : It's Me, O Lord (Traditional Spirituals)
Work Overview
First Publisher:Hal Leonard
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:Reduction/Arrangement
Total Playing Time:17 min 00 sec
Commentary (1)
Author : Nishihara, Masaki
Last Updated: March 5, 2023
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Author : Nishihara, Masaki
African American spirituals are said to be the underlying current of American music, encompassing genres such as jazz, blues, country, rock, soul, and funk. This book presents arrangements of representative African American spirituals for piano solo by Rochelle. The difficulty level is approximately Czerny Op. 299 (Czerny 30). The final piece, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," is a renowned song, also serving as the anthem for the England national rugby team, and is beloved and sung worldwide, transcending racial differences. Born and raised in New Orleans, Rochelle was exposed to authentic jazz from an early age, fostering a particularly deep affection and commitment to African American spirituals, the roots of jazz. In the preface to this book, she touches upon the origins of African American spirituals, expresses her reverence for their supreme artistry, and dedicates the book to the memory of five irreplaceable friends from her girlhood. Here, a simplistic approach of merely paraphrasing melodies and codes is rejected. Instead, one can observe passionate creativity aiming to convey the true essence of African American spirituals, including call-and-response elements, through an unadorned compositional style, thereby making them widely known to the world. In slow numbers, the music captures the indomitable resilience of enduring physical and mental suffering while finding the light of hope. In up-tempo, gospel-style numbers, it unleashes an irrepressible ecstasy. For us Japanese, who may vaguely sense the importance of African American spirituals but find it difficult to find a starting point, this book serves as an excellent guide.