Florence Price, underrepresented composer no longer: an analysis of her Symphony in D Minor

Abstract

The 2009 discovery of a substantial collection of manuscripts and other documents belonging to the composer Florence Price led to a renewal of interest in her music. One of the discovered manuscripts was of her Symphony in D Minor, a work previously thought lost. This document provides an analytical overview of the symphony, highlighting the forms, themes, and key areas of each movement. The first and third movements receive further in-depth analyses, focusing on orchestration, harmonic progressions, and rhythms. A background and definition regarding the Juba dance, the genre of Price’s third movement, is also discussed. In addition, a succinct biography of Price, highlighting key moments of her development as a composer appears.