The Heart of a Woman: The Life and Music of Florence B. Price

by Rae Linda Brown

The Heart of a Woman offers the first-ever biography of Florence B. Price, a composer whose career spanned both the Harlem and Chicago Renaissances, and the first African American woman to gain national recognition for her works. Price's twenty-five years in Chicago formed the core of a working life that saw her create three hundred works in diverse genres, including symphonies and orchestral suites, art songs, vocal and choral music, and arrangements of spirituals. Through interviews and a wealth of material from public and private archives, Rae Linda Brown illuminates Price's major works while exploring the considerable depth of her achievement. Brown also traces the life of the extremely private individual from her childhood in Little Rock through her time at the New England Conservatory, her extensive teaching, and her struggles with racism, poverty, and professional jealousies. In addition, Brown provides musicians and scholars with dozens of musical examples.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Race, Biography Memoir

336 pages, Paperback

Published June 16, 2020

About the author

Rae Linda Brown, an American musicologist, was a scholar, archivist and editor. She researched Black Music, African-American classical music and American classical music. While still a student, she found music by a composer she had never heard of before, Florence B. Price, and one of the things Brown devoted her career to was finding more music by Price, learning about her life and working to get her music heard again.

This photo has been posted by permission of the photographer, John Froschauer, and the rights belong to to Pacific Lutheran University.

Reviews

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very solid and well-written introduction to the life and works of composer Florence Price. Extensively researched over the course of Rae Linda Brown's career, The Heart of a Woman (despite the sentimental and cloying title) is primarily a biography of Price with a bit of music analysis. Non-musicians can easily skip over the short, more technical sections, and still gain an understanding of Price's music and the context in which it was written. While I find there to be a little too much supposition without evidence in the book for my comfort and wish there had been more and deeper analysis, the book serves its purpose as a first stop in getting to know Price and her works. A lot of research has been published--and many excellent recordings issued--on and about Price's work in the last ten years, but Brown's contribution to the understanding of African American composers in the twentieth century cannot be overstated.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I write about this book, I thought I would mention that I first heard about Florence B. Price when my son played something by her with a large ensemble at his college. He was excited to play a piece by a composer he thinks is as good as the best of the best. When I sent links of her music to my father, it turns out his father was a fan of hers. I would love to know if my grandfather got to hear her music live when it was performed in Canada, by reading about her or by hearing one of her recordings. She is now one of my favourite classical music composers. I happened to look for a book about her just after this was released.

The title is a good one. This isn't just a biography, it also discusses her music in some depth. If you are not a musician, you might not want to wade into some of the more detailed bits, but of course, you can hear some of these pieces on Youtube, which will help with those. I can't think of one good reason not to listen to her works, and I am going to link a few of my favourites by her at the end of this. Of course, my favourite Price symphony is not my son's favourite one, so feel free to look for other work by her.

Florence B. Price (her professional name--her mother was also a Florence so she was always called by her middle name, Beatrice) was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas during a time when racism was at a lower point there (before the enactment of the Jim Crow laws legally and an influx of more racist whites), although of course she did have problems with that. The book was helpful, because it explained that even though New England Conservatory (now very diverse) did accept black students, they were still separated in many ways. Her mother insisted she pass herself off as Mexican and that she rent an apartment with a maid. In any event, Price excelled there, but when she returned to Little Rock she never passed for Mexican or anything else again, because she fully embraced her black culture.

I don't want to give a lot of spoilers, but suffice it to say that racism in Little Rock surged and ran rampant, the Ku Klux Klan came in and at one point she and her husband fled to Chicago due to threats on one of their young daughters. Brown lived in Chicago at a good time for black composers, but you really need to read the book to get the good, the bad and the ugly.

Why did her music get forgotten when she was so brilliant? I can't say that it was all because of her race, because of course all women were having a lot of trouble, but racism would have had an effect. But having both a cousin and a very old, good friend who are composers, and having rubbed shoulders with many, it is also true that there are far more classical composers out there than there are places to perform them, even if orchestras didn't have to include known composers to keep their subscribers happy (it isn't cheap to buy tickets). Even today with the much needed push to include more diversity in composers, there isn't enough room to get everyone in.

What I am happy about is that she is finally getting more notice, thanks to dedicated scholars as well as musicians. Dr. Ollie Watts Davis has performed a number of Price's songs, Richard Heard edited and helped put out a book of 44 of her art songs & sprituals via Classical Vocal Reprints, James Greeson offers his transcription of at least one of her songs to those who request it (they are now public domain, I guess).

Dr. Ollie Watts Davis singing one of Price's songs (words by poet Langston Hughes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaCB_...

I love this symphony, which is performed at Rae Linda Brown's alma mater https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPjRu...

I love this violin concerto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMRTU...

Here is the Boston Children's Chorus at Symphony Hall during a MKL tribut singing her Resignation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRDmk...

Price wrote a lot of choral and organ music, including for churches, and here is the University of Arkansa Schola Cantorum singing one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeII8...

I will stop here, but this just scratches the surface. It is so sad that some of her music is lost, including her second symphony, but before computer software, it was very expensive to have orchestral scores published on your own.

[Nicolas Lontel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une fantastique biographie sur Florence Beatrice Price par Rae Linda Brown qui aura consacrée une partie de sa vie à explorer cette compositrice, trouver les partitions à droite et à gauche, trouver une correspondance d'une personne qui aura laissé quand même assez peu de trace au final malgré son importance majeure dans l'histoire étatsunienne (il s'agit de la première compositrice classique afro-américaine "de renom" dans l'histoire).

La biographie compense pour les périodes moins connues dans la vie de Price par des explorations des figures qui l'entourent, mais aussi des analyses musicales (qui demande quand même de bonnes connaissances musicales pour comprendre, mais elles ne sont jamais très longues donc peuvent être sautées au besoin) et des observations des sociétés et mouvements importants à l'époque.

Cette biographie met de l'avant la participation de la vie de Price dans la culture afro-américaine, comment elle s'en est inspirée, mais aussi comment la compositrice elle-même a participé à créer une partie de cette culture. Les questions de métissage, de "passing" sont aussi abordées, impossible de les contourner, et on explore bien comment Price a pu se sentir face à ces enjeux.

J'apprécie beaucoup l'inclusion de partie de partitions et l'analyse qui en est faite (même si je n'ai pas la culture musicale suffisante pour tout comprendre), et de comment ces compositions s'inscrivent dans une continuité de la musique afro-américaine, cela permet vraiment de faire ressortir des éléments importants de l'inscription des américain·es noir·es dans la musique classique sans plaquer un héritage sur un autre, mais comment les deux s'informent et s'harmonisent dans les compositions de Price.

Je pense que toutes les personnes adorant la musique classique devraient connaître Price, à défaut de lire cette biographique, au moins écouter ses deux symphonies et quelques une de ses pièces. L'héritage de cette compositrice est brillamment mis de l'avant par Rae Linda Brown et on ne peut qu'apprécier l'immense travail de plusieurs décennies qui a été mis dans la rédaction de cette biographique.

[Daniel Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars-

A very thorough and fascinating biography of a little known composer! Read this for a research paper focusing on Florence Price and her mentee Margaret Bonds. Hope to keep up with current scholarship on her! Not everything here is super solidly documented, but Brown is pretty much the leading figure on Price research and I trust a lot of her assertions.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from University of Illinois Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Before reading this book I was not familiar with Florence B. Price and the legacy she left with music composition. Rae Linda Brown does a phenomenal job including as much information possible on her childhood, upbringing, education, struggles and of course her work. I am glad she included some music examples that we were able to play and as soon as we hit the first note, we immediately recognized the songs. It is also inspirational not just for Black History but for Women empowerment to see if you put your mind to something just as Florence did, you can accomplish anything despite your race and gender. Even though the story was compelling and inspirational, a lot of our readers may not be familiar with Florence B. Price but I know if we feature it in a display, readers will be curious and hopefully like it.

We will consider adding this title to our Biography collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[A.K. Frailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heart of a Woman is a great book on many levels. First off, Ray Linda Brown, in her life-long, committed effort to write this book, captured not only the "heart of Florence Price" but also the heart of the world she lived in. Excellent scholarship lifted this book from a mere biography to a close analysis of the cultures that came into fruition before Price even came on the scene. Her personal and professional life was intertwined with both white and black cultures in such indelible ways, affecting her just as much as she affected them, that an understanding of her character and her work must take these forces into consideration. Brown detailed the history in a masterfully scholarly manner. On a musical level—one I am not capable of truly appreciating since my musical knowledge is limited—this book delved deep into the musical scores, analyzing and clarifying their brilliance. A dense book that requires as much thought to read as it offers food for thought, The Heart of a Woman is a brilliant examination of many hearts.

[Alison Starnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a violinist in my local symphony orchestra and a lover of classical music. A few months ago, I purchased a CD of music by Florence Price and was fascinated by a woman who, despite her racial background, became successful as a composer. This book offered an opportunity to find out more about her, how she lived, and how she achieved recognition for her talent.

The book is written with a level of clarity and detail that not only presents the achievements of Florence Beatrice Price, but also chronicles the struggles and hardships she faced during her lifetime and chosen career.

The book also sets Florence Price in the context of the times she lived in, when black Americans were not regarded as equal citizens and subjected to disenfranchisement in many forms.

Florence Price was the first black woman composer to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra. She navigated the politics of skin colour, survived an abusive marriage and 'fought her entire life to be heard and seen’.

The story of Florence's life is fascinating, given that it also chronicles the work and achievements of several other important black musicians and composers, many of whom she knew and considered to be friends.

Florence Price was a private woman who suffered from 'unconquerable shyness' and this often inhibited her from promoting her own music.

The author, Rae Linda Brown, writes movingly of Florence's determination and desire to become a composer. She studied for two degrees simultaneously and graduated in both.

By the 1930s, Florence Price was a serious composer, writing in all genres apart from opera, and her music was regularly performed. She was also accomplished as a pianist and organist.

Florence Price composed three major works from 1931-1940, the Symphony in E minor, the Piano Concerto in One Movement and the Symphony in C.

Florence's Symphony No. 1 was performed in Chicago in 1933, with George Gershwin among the audience.

Florence Price continued writing large-scale works during the 1940s and 1950s. She died in June 1953. She had been planning a trip to Europe around that time.

Florence Price was aware of the polemics surrounding female composers. Her ultimate goal was for her large-scale works to be recognised and performed by the East Coast musical establishment; however, this did not happen in her lifetime.

Rae Linda Brown said in a speech that she chose to write about Florence Price because:

“I needed to bring her from invisibility to visibility and document her life and her music so that her legacy could be a lived legacy.”

On the evidence of this book, there is an extensive legacy and the music of this talented and industrious woman deserves a far wider audience.

I look forward to hearing more of Florence Price's music as it becomes available. In the meantime, this book is warmly recommended.

I was sent an advance review copy of this book by the University of Illinois Press in return for an honest appraisal.

[Kayleigh Hills · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a thoroughly researched and complex piece covering the life, trials and achievements of Florence B. Price.

The author provides extensive context to Price’s life, with attention paid to factors relating to her gender, race, socio-economic position in society and how her ambitions and achievements might be viewed in light of all of these.

The depth of detail and breadth of subject makes this much more than a biography of an individual; perhaps it would be more fitting to consider it a piece of social and musical research.

Dr Brown’s dedication to her subject is unquestionable, but I found at times Price’s life was swallowed up by the detailed description of the events of the times and other friends, supporters and colleagues. While it is valuable to understand the influence Price had upon the development of this genre of music (and beyond, including the links with Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and The Heart of a Woman), the inclusion of so many others in her story makes for a complicated read.

That said, her many achievements stand out from the commentary of the book and her legacy clearly demonstrates the influence that she had on musical and political culture. It was a pleasure to read how one woman could achieve so much, while being so modest of her own achievements.

[Jena Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction book presents detailed research on the life and music of Florence Beatrice Smith. (Price). Florence Smith earned her place in American history as a prominent composer of symphonies and other classical type works. She was a woman and an African American and her life shows the challenges of the times.

America’s first significant African American composer was born In Little Rock, Arkansas in 1887. At that time, Little Rock was the pride of the South. Florence Smith’s family was educated, professional class, and well respected. Florence had access to school, the arts and to other prominent African American Leaders. She was able to attend the New England Conservatory of Music. Sadly, at school she identified herself as “Mexican” but her lifelong exploration of self through her music enabled to her to grown beyond the “politics of respectability.”

This book was written by an African American woman, a scholar and professor. The writing is scholarly and somewhat dry, but through it shines the inspiration of Florence Smith as she broke the racial and gender barriers for African American women composers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the University of Illinois Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this biography. Brown covers not only Price's life and music, but the cultural and political contexts of the time and places in which Price lived and worked. She also addresses how race, gender, and class affected Price and her struggle for success and recognition. I especially liked the material about the early 20th century Black classical music scene and how these musicians created careers and fought for advancement in the face of many barriers. This community sustained Price musically and personally and she was very active in it as a teacher and leader.
Brown made Price her life's work and this book the culmination of that work. She presents her extensive research in compelling prose such that this book almost read like a good novel. Her analysis and discussion of Price's works gets to the heart of each piece without being dry or overly technical and makes the reader eager to listen to the works.

[John Kissell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Heart of a Woman” is an excellent biography of composer Florence B. Price. Deeply researched, Rae Linda Brown put Price’s life and work into context and expertly explains the racial, gender, and economic barriers Price faced. In some ways, Price overcame those obstacles in her time, in other ways she was worn down by them. Brown vividly describes Price’s triumphs and tragedies (as much as scant records allow) and explicates and analyzes the major musical works. We Americans should know Price’s music better. (Full disclosure: I worked with Rae Linda for several years and came to admire her intelligence, creativity, and determination.)

[Clarence Goodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sadly, I was a bit disappointed by this one. In reading a biography I always hope to get a feel for the plotted story of the subject's life. While I appreciate the author's dissection of Price's work, I feel this book was too heavy with analyses of her scores and manuscripts. I yearn for the fleshing out of the subject. That said, it is the ONLY adult nonfiction book on Florence Price and as such, must stay in print. Like with so many heroines of the pre-Modern eras, there are more children's books about her than adult books. WHY?

[Jean Marie Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Florence Price

Florence Price was a talented African-American classical music composer and songwriter. Dr. Brown brings her, her music, and her time to life. The sad part is that both Mrs. Price's and Dr. Brown's lives were cut short by illness. There is music theory in this book and not a lot made sense to me....but the book is worth reading to truly understand Mrs. Price's music.

[Janet Lynch · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the definitive biography of Florence Price, the first African American woman who composed a symphony performed by a major orchestra. The late musicologist Rae Linda Brown made researching and writing about Florence Price her major life's work. No only is the biographical information detailed and painstakingly correct, Brown does an excellent job describing and analyzing Price's music. Florence Price wrote over 300 compositions. Advance to YouTube for your listening pleasure.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written story about the life and times of Florence B. Price, an African American Pianist and composer.

She was well known in all the towns that she lived. Boston, Chicago, and Little Rock where she was born and raised.

I will recommend this book to all the people I know who love music an history.

It was well worth the time to read!

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book about a little known singer. Definitely would recommend to music and opera enthusiasts and history buffs. Well researched and a but repetitive in some parts but a good read nevertheless. I found myself noting other people and books referenced that I will be researching.

[Rebecca Maurer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to prepare for a class I'm teaching, but it's one of those rare history books I would have read for my own enjoyment any way. An important read for anyone wanting a more comprehensive understanding of American art music.

[Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is thorough and covers her music and life in wonderful detail. I’m so glad the author’s family was able to have this published. It’s not exciting, but it’s very meaningful. I look forward to referring back to this as I study Price’s works. What a great reference.

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid look at this notable Black female composer and the historical framework and importance of her life.

[Tim Vermande · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://flyingkittymonster.blogspot.co...

[Annm · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well researched book that goes deep into her music, times, and personality.

[Ashley Ertz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just a bio but a snapshot into what life was like during the time in which Price was alive. A fascinating and essential read for all musicians!

[LimeCream · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fascinating biography offers a look at the life and work of the very talented and prolific Florence B. Price. I found this book to be well-written and I enjoyed it very much.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa Titley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book about a phenomenal woman. The book is part bibliography, part music education and part recounting of history. Florence B. Price's contribution to music and culture in America and the whole world should be more celebrated and this book is an excellent source of why.

[Jena Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction book presents detailed research on the life and music of Florence Beatrice Smith. (Price). Florence Smith earned her place in American history as a prominent composer of symphonies and other classical type works. She was a woman and an African American and her life shows the challenges of the times.

America’s first significant African American composer was born In Little Rock, Arkansas in 1887. At that time, Little Rock was the pride of the South. Florence Smith’s family was educated, professional class, and well respected. Florence had access to school, the arts and to other prominent African American Leaders. She was able to attend the New England Conservatory of Music. Sadly, at school she identified herself as “Mexican” but her lifelong exploration of self through her music enabled to her to grown beyond the “politics of respectability.”

This book was written by an African American woman, a scholar and professor. The writing is scholarly and somewhat dry, but through it shines the inspiration of Florence Smith as she broke the racial and gender barriers for African American women composers.

Thanks to NetGalley and the University of Illinois Press for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.