Other European Composers

Following the lead of Dvorák, Delius, and Coleridge-Taylor, many other European composers found themselves inspired by the spirituals as a source of creative material for their work. Some of these composers, like Jews and others persecuted by Hitler and the Nazis, experienced a close identification with the messages of courage, determination, endurance and strength contained at the heart of the spirituals, both in the lyrics and in the melodies and rhythms of the songs. Examples of composers in this mold include Erich Korngold, Alexander Zemlisky, and Michael Tippett.

To learn more about the influence of the spirituals in the works of Korngold, Zemlisky and Tippett, consult:

Jack Sullivan. New World Symphonies: How American Culture Changed European Music. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999, Chapter 1: “The Legacy of the Sorrow Songs.”