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Now available in paperback, William C. Banfield’s acclaimed collection of interviews delves into the lives and work of forty-one Black composers. Each of the profiled artists offers a candid self-portrait that explores areas from training and compositional techniques to working in a exclusive canon that has existed for a very long time. At the same time, Banfield draws on sociology, Western concepts of art and taste, and vernacular musical forms like blues and jazz to provide a frame for the artists’ achievements and help to illuminate the ongoing progress and struggles against industry barriers. Expanded illustrations and a new preface by the author provide invaluable added context, making this new edition an essential companion for anyone interested in Black composers or contemporary classical music. Composers featured: Michael Abels, H. Leslie Adams, Lettie Beckon Alston, Thomas J. Anderson, Dwight Andrews, Regina Harris Baiocchi, David Baker, William C. Banfield, Ysaye Maria Barnwell, Billy Childs, Noel DaCosta, Anthony Davis, George Duke, Leslie Dunner, Donal Fox, Adolphus Hailstork, Jester Hairston, Herbie Hancock, Jonathan Holland, Anthony Kelley, Wendell Logan, Bobby McFerrin, Dorothy Rudd Moore, Jeffrey Mumford, Gary Powell Nash, Stephen Newby, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Michael Powell, Patrice Rushen, George Russell, Kevin Scott, Evelyn Simpson-Curenton, Hale Smith, Billy Taylor, Frederick C. Tillis, George Walker, James Kimo Williams, Julius Williams, Tony Williams, Olly Wilson, and Michael Woods

This study is an attempt to help the merits and musical worth of Renard to be realized, and to fill some of the existing lacunae which are the origins of Renard's traditional misconceptions. The paper is a logical presentation of those events leading to the composition of Renard, its performance history, and an in-depth analysis of its compositional traits and performance problems. Introduction: Historical Perspectives Leading to the Composition of Renard I. Background Information on the Composition of Renard. II. Performance History--A survey of major productions with information and photographs on the original Diaghilev, Balanchine, and Bejart productions: costumes, sets, staging, and critical reviews of their premiere performances. III. An Analysis of Renard--Including an examination of Stravinsky's handling of the pribaoutki technique, Concept and Structure: (A) Structural Analysis--Musical. (B) Structural Analysis--Dramatic. (C) Pitch Organization. (D) Melodic and Harmonic Materials. (E) Orchestration. (F) Tempo Relations- use of proportional ratios throughout the entire work. IV. Problems in Preparation and Performance--Including musical and dramatic unity, problems of intonation and balance, text translation, problems with using a cimbalom, and alternatives when one is not available. Appendices: (A) Historic Productions--A list of the landmark productions of Renard: those by major companies using original choreography and decor. Includes a personnel list. (B) Discography. Stravinsky's Renard is a musical and dramatic masterpiece inminiature, and it is one of the most important and unusualexperimental works of the early twentieth century. It combines music,dance, and drama in a new, non-operatic form. Renard's tightly knitstructure and symmetrical forms lend themselves perfectly to theminute asymmetric details which Stravinsky instilled within them,thereby supplying Renard with a wide range of contrast and interest.The driving rhythms and dance forms used in Renard provide theperfect musical construction necessary for choreography. Theimpact of Renard's new vocal style and rhythmic-metronomic approach possesses the impact necessary to influence the development of twentieth century compositional style. *D.M.A. granted to author for this dissertation (Pub. #8223039);and A Study in The Re-Orchestration of Stravinsky's \"Concertino\",(Pub. #8217383). UMI