Dance of the Cotton Blossoms (1938), by Florence Price

Dance of the Cotton Blossoms is an early advanced piece written by Florence Price in 1938. This piece is not to be confused with another piece by Price which shares the same title, but was written in 1931. She also wrote a piece called “Cotton Dance (Presto)” ca. 1940. Price’s southern and African American heritage is reflected in the titles and musical content of these pieces.

The dance features an energetic and lyrical melody that floats above the thick texture underneath, similar to cotton blossoms floating through the air on a breezy summer day. Strong syncopated rhythms throughout the piece add excitement, suspense, and drive to the music. The lush harmonies are reminiscent of jazz while providing a uniquely rich sound quality. Additionally, the A-B-A structure gives opportunities for the performer to explore different moods between the sections.

Although the piece is only two pages long, there are several challenges. Large, fast, and thickly textured leaps are found in both hands and are especially difficult to play accurately. Depending on the hand size of the performer, some left hand chords will need to be broken, and these should be rolled quickly to maintain rhythmic integrity. The top voice in the right hand should sing clearly above the texture underneath while the performer may choose to bring out some of the lowest bass notes in the left hand. Observing the rests is important for emphasizing the syncopations and for building excitement and suspense. The pedal should be used lightly to support a sense of line and enhance the melody and harmonies while maintaining clarity. Dynamic pacing is important–especially during the piu mosso ending to create a dramatic effect. While the piece involves difficult technical challenges, it needs to sound easy, carefree, and lively.

Practice strategies:

• Play the right hand melody (top voice) by itself to understand the voicing.
• Practice the most difficult measures such as mm. 11-13 slowly in small chunks to develop comfort and technical fluency over the large leaps.
• Practice slowly with the metronome without pedal to develop a strong understanding of the syncopation

Florence Beatrice Price (1887-1953) is perhaps the best known African American female composer in the US.  She was active in the Chicago area, and was the first African-American woman to have a composition played by a major orchestra. For a full biography and information about her works, visit the Florence Price website. 

Sources

• Photo: Classical Lost And Found: Florence Price Rediscovered. NPR
• Florence Price. Wikipedia
• CU Philharmonia honors Florence Price in newly imagined orchestration
• Biography of Florence Beatrice Price