Detroit to play symphonic tribute to tennis hero

Detroit to play symphonic tribute to tennis hero

main

norman lebrecht

February 11, 2014

A symphonic work in memory of Arthur Ashe, the only black male player to win Wimbledon and the first to play for the US Davis Cup team, will be given a first read-through next month by Leonard Slatkin and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.The score is by New York composer Kevin Scott.

 

arthur ashe

Comments

  • Babi Banerjee says:

    This is good to hear. I remember seeing an interview with Mr. Ashe who was very well educated and articulate. He was asked something along the lines of whether there should be more support for black athletes going into major league sports. He responded by saying that those top spots were very few and that we needed more black doctors, engineers etc. A real hero and an inspriation. Look forward to hearing the music.

  • Andrew says:

    This is what composition has come to: Take a politically popular topic such as MLK, AIDS, dead soldiers, 9/11 or whatnot and attach it to a composition and suddenly it’s in demand for propaganda’s sake. There’s also the co-opting of obscure topical names to add gravitas to otherwise bland compositions. DSO wouldn’t have played this work without it’s dedication as a hook. Soon there will be breast cancer operas and LGBT awareness symphonies. Stalin is laughing at us from his fiery cave.

    • Babi Banerjee says:

      So you have heard the piece then and it is not good? I thought music is supposed to be an extention of things we care about and want to mark in life. I found the 9-11 memorial piece “On the Transmigration of Souls” quite striking, especially on a decent hifi system. And I think a lot of music has already been written over the centuries as a result of not being free in terms of LGBTQ etc. I agree co-opting topical names as a branding exercise is a cynical unless the composition was inspired or otherwise linked to the event/issue.

  • MOST READ TODAY: