Francis Johnson (1792–1844) was a prolific composer during the United States Antebellum period. African American composers were rare in the U.S. during this period, but Johnson was amidst the very few who was successful. Performing as a virtuoso of the now rare keyed Kent bugle and violin, he wrote more than two hundred compositions of various styles—operatic airs, Ethiopian minstrel songs, patriotic marches, balads, dances, cotillions, quadrilles, quick-steps and other dances. What survives of his music today are only manuscripts and piano transcriptions.

Biography

Johnson served as a director of military bands and society dance orchestras as well a music teacher in addition to violin and bugle performances. His early career consisted of performing for balls, parades and dancing schools. During this period, a majority of his time was spent concentrating on arrangements of "fashionable" music in Europe. He returned from England in 1838 to concentrate on original music. Voice Quadrilles, a musical work performed in London and in major U.S. cities, was a well received and successful

His work New Cotillions and March was performed for General LaFayette in 1824. A townsmen in the city of Philadelphia noted that nothing would be more natural than for a master such as Johnson to perform at the grand LaFayette Ball. This noteriety is cited as a hint to why his music was included in compilations alongside Braham , Beethoven, Belini , Burgmuller , Czerny, Donizetti and Weber.

Johnson successfully rivaled those of white musical organizations receiving patronage from the public against considerable racially oppressive attitudes that were enforced in the period. The accounts available show that his composition and playing must have had qualities which are not reconstructable from the surviving manuscripts. Historical accounts suggest that the performances infused stylistic rhythmic changes that differ from the written versions that were inferred by performers or instructed verbally. This is presumed as similar to the modifications made by jazz today although the current practices and idioms are most likely vastly different than the ones used by Johnson. The qualities that insured his popularity was the ability to create interesting music, harmonies and effects from the modern diatonic harmonies and triadic melodies that were popular in the period. (Southern 112–113)

Johnson served as a teacher to rich white students, who of whome commented on his teacher noting that his studio was covered in images of instruments, physical instruments were around the room, and their were shelves with thousands of musical collections. The student noted that his chair for composing was obvious as it had unfinished manuscripts alongside pen and ink ready for use.

Music

Musical innovations

The Public Ledger newspaper of Philadelphia reported that this piece introduced the extended technique of singing while playing which has become more common today as a way to providing wind instrumentalists a means of producing harmonies. The use of flute obbligato to imitate the chirping of canaries in his "Bird Waltz" was "so natural that the keenest perception cannot discover the difference." Later composers Debussy and Maurice Ravel would adopt Johnson's techniques for their own pieces. Ravel's "Ma Mère l'Oye" orchestration features this effect of chirping "birds" heard among the flutes stealing the breadcrumb trail in the "Tom Thumb" movement.

The work Philadelpia Fireman's Quadrille astounded audiences as Johnson bugle spoke as it was heard the instrument "distinctly cry, 'Fire!' 'Fire!' " Johnson then became associated with such dramatic effects and so he continued to meet the demand. Program music during this period became popular, particularly works that depicted battle. Johnson arranged Franz Kotzwara 's The Battle of Prague impressing the audience with realistic effects in a musical context. Johnson talked of his New Railroad Gallop introduced with steam, the passengers entering the cars and finally the train reaches full speed. (Southern 112)

Musical style

Unfortunately, only the astounded reviews from newspaper critics, audience members and programs survive to report of the realism of the sounds produced as well as the imitations of his contemporaries and copyist who were accounted as being far less effective. Only surviving today are the piano arrangements that were requested by publishers and skeleton guides of the arrangements.

During this period the practice was common not to even write a complete account as works were in such demand that the time consuming task was best left as notes; the performer could more easily be instructed for a desired sound. Arrangements were more commonly published for amateurs to increase the demand of the original band and orchestra. What survives explains that the development of the elaborate virtuosic and extended effects were apparently more important than the straight-foreward composition. Foreshadowing the jazz era, the actual music was simple allowing the composer to instruct the performers in developing the more musically complex versions.

External links

• Master Musician, Performer, Composer

References

1. Southern, Eileen. The Music of Black Americans: A History. W. W. Norton & Company; 3rd edition. ISBN 0393971414