But Not My Soul

Description

The Ragazze Quartet performs works by two composers, Rhiannon Giddens (*1977) and Florence Price (1887-1953), as well as Antonín Dvorák's "American" String Quartet No. 12 (1841-1904). Price was the first African American woman to be recognized for her symphonies, but her music was forgotten for many years. Her String Quartet No. 2 is a blend of European romanticism, her "Southern" roots, emerging blues, and African American spirituals. The album title comes from a song Giddens wrote after seeing a 19th-century advertisement: a 22-year-old enslaved woman whose 9-month-old baby was also for sale, "at the buyer's choice." The arrangement for string quartet was done by Jacob Garchik in 2016 for the Kronos Quartet's "50 For The Future" project. "This album is a tribute to composers who, despite opposition, have always remained true to their souls. Our own souls are not directly linked to the work songs of African slaves, Czech folk music, or African American spirituals. But we want to help make these voices, these souls, and this music heard." Ragazze Quartet