Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was 18 years old and a student at the Royal College of Music in London when he composed his Nonet during 1893-4. Realizing he was still a student, he modestly titled his score, ‘Gradus ad Parnassum’ (Steps to Parnassus), suggesting he realised that he still had plenty to learn. His teacher at the RCM was Charles Villiers Stanford, and the work reveals the clear influence of Brahms, of whom Stanford admired. The Nonet is written on a big scale, and the work could easily have received the title Grand Nonet. The first movement, Allegro moderato, is densely written, and when all nine are engaged, the sound often approaches the orchestral. However, this is juxtaposed with smaller groups within the Nonet to achieve the more intimate sound of chamber music. The first subject brought forth by the clarinet is broad and expansive before the rest of the group joins in. A livelier second theme is then given out by the piano. In the lyrical, song-like second movement, Andante, one hears echoes of Coleridge-Taylor’s favorite composer, Dvořák. Next comes a buoyant Scherzo with a nicely contrasting trio section in which the horn is given the lead. Again, the hand of the Czech master seems to be resting on his admiring student's shoulders. The opening bars to the ebullient finale, Allegro vivace, sound as if it is to be a work with piano and orchestra, and what follows does, in fact, on occasion, sound this with its many moods and instrumental colors.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) was born in London, the product of a mixed-race marriage, his father, a doctor, being an African from Sierra Leone and his mother a white Englishwoman. His father returned to Africa when he was a small boy, and he was brought up by his mother in Croydon. His musical talent showed itself early, and he was admitted to study the violin at the Royal College of Music where he eventually concentrated on composition when his gifts were ascertained. His teacher was the renowned composer Sir Charles Villiers Stanford. Stanford immediately recognized his young student's immense talent, later calling him the most gifted of all of the many students he taught who subsequently became famous composers. Not surprisingly, the music shows the influence of the idols of Standford's own teachers--Carl Reinecke and Friedrich Kiel as well as his idol Brahms. Coleridge-Taylor and his compositions gained considerable fame during his lifetime. His oratorio Hiawatha's Wedding Feast for a time became as popular as Handel's Messiah and Mendelssohn's Elijah. He made several visits to the United States because of his interest in American Negro cultural life. His fame was such that he made three visits to the United States. On one visit, he was invited to the White House by Theodore Roosevelt. On another occasion, he was asked to conduct the New York Philharmonic. At the time, Mahler was its music director. Coleridge-Taylor's success was such that they nicknamed him the "African Mahler."
While there has been one other edition, it is almost impossible to obtain, and dealers are offering it at between $275 and $375. As musicians ourselves, we have tried to keep the price for our fellow players as reasonable as possible, offering the parts alone for less than $100. The score however, is nearly 200 pages in length and this reflects the cost of a set of parts and a score, still $100 less than the other edition, assuming you can even find it. Our edition, edited by senior editors Garik Hayrapetyan and Raymond Silvertrust, is based on the manuscript residing at the Royal College of Music in London. Although an early work, it is not a student work but of professional quality and certainly strong enough to be heard in concert, and can be warmly recommended to experienced amateur ensembles.
