Impact of Harry Freeman on the Harlem Renaissance Period
Harry Lawrence Freeman was an instrumental figure in the Harlem Renaissance Period. The period was characterized by Blacks in Harlem, creating an artistic identity for themselves. They managed to achieve this by developing their style of music and other forms of art. Harry Lawrence Freeman developed a new version of the Grand Opera to help accomplish this cause (Worley, 2018). Ultimately, this version of the Grand Opera proved instrumental in creating a link between the already established music culture of the Western Europeans and the Harlem civilization that he represented. The successful integration of these two opera versions resulted in the birth of a new genre that slowly gained popularity among African Americans. These groups of people facilitate the spread of the style to other cultures, allowing them to appreciate the work done by Freeman in creating something great that would be specific to African American culture (Gutkin & Newland, 2015).
According to Worley (2018), Freeman’s works were unique as he combined African American spirituals and sound values with conventional European Romanticism. By doing so, he encouraged other African American composers to employ similar tactics in writing opera. Therefore, he was a pioneer for this style of writing opera for which he is famous. In the process, he created a new sub-genre of music, popularly known as African American grand opera.
Worley (2018) notes that contemporary society does not widely recognize Freeman’s works. However, there is no denying the fact that his works have a high degree of greatness attached to them. This greatness becomes evident when comparisons were linking them to the works of Richard Wagner from the Romantic Era (Worley, 2018). Wagner was a great artist during his time, and he happens to be the inspiration behind the works of Freeman. Worley (2018) states that Freeman’s dedication and determination earned him a nickname (The Colored Wagner) from one of his critics.
Freeman dedicated his life to fighting against the oppressive measures that were in place. For the large part, these measures were racists, as they discriminated against African Americans, preventing them from effectively showcasing their artistic prowess. Through hard work, Freeman was able to rise against all these barriers to a point where he managed to enjoy the fruits of his labour. Worley (2018) states that Freeman’s efforts enabled him to see some of his greatest works appear in venues that were initially off-limits for African Americans. These performances included broadcasts on radios, live performances by renowned orchestras, and staging that involved cast members from varying racial backgrounds (Worley, 2018).
Freeman was extremely passionate about opera, encouraging him to come up with the new genre. However, he also had notable contributions in other styles, such as ballet, minstrel songs, orchestral music, and spirituals (Worley, 2018). While dealing with opera, he successfully blended various aspects of genres to come up with the final product that people came to love and adore in the years that followed. He managed to win over the hearts of listeners by incorporating the following aspects: The French grand opera style, the precision and power of Wagnerian musical drama, the chromatic harmony and extended tonality of the Late Romantics, and spirituals and gospels, which many considered to be segments of African American culture that were spiritually uplifting (Worley 2018).
Gutkin & Newland (2015) note that Freeman always showed determination to combine the Europeans’ operatic traditions with African sources from the early stages of his career. However, he initially rejected the influence of African American folk music (Gutkin & Newland, 2015). His actions stunned a famous poet at the time, Paul Laurence Dunbar. He could not comprehend why such a talented artist would want nothing to do with musical styles that were part of his heritage (Gutkin & Newland, 2015).
In his words, Freeman stated that he found the African American sounds disturbing and unsuitable for use in music. He termed them as sounding funny and being moans and groans (Gutkin & Newland, 2015). In other words, such sounds would be noise if employed in any form of music. However, in the period that followed, he began developing a liking for these sounds. At some point, they became more appealing to him than any other type of music he had listened to before. He said that the sounds were offered much more fulfillment than any different musical sound that was accessible to human beings (Gutkin & Newland, 2015).
Following this realization, he began incorporating the sounds into most, if not all, of his works that followed. These sounds gave his productions a unique identity from any other pieces that were produced before. His operas that came after this period had a recurrent setting: “The South Before the War.” He began using African American folk songs and spirituals in his productions, especially the language he used in composition (Gutkin & Newland, 2015).
The addition of African American culture into his expansive operatic vision marked the foundational basis of the new genre, Negro Grand Opera (Gutkin & Newland, 2015). In an explanation behind the choice of names, he indicated that the works were the creations of Negro composers, talking about classical Negro life, and interpreted by Negro artists. Therefore, since everything concerning the genre production was related to Negros, the name given to the genre was overly appropriate for the particular occasion.
Gutkin & Newland (2015) note that, after the successful inception of the new genre, Freeman indicated that the contents of his work were not limited to Americans. He stated that he aimed to have an impact on a global scale, expanding from its typical American origin. He hoped that his work would be empowering for other dark-skinned races such as Mexicans, American Indians and Mongolians (Gutkin & Newland, 2015). Also, he targeted other groups that have resided in Africa for prolonged periods such as Arabs and Egyptians.
Freeman continued to show high levels of dedication towards his work as he continued to produce operas, although most of them went unperformed (Gutkin & Newland, 2015). As time went by, he enrolled in a black company and continued producing operas for them. Initially, the company’s name was to be the Colored Grand Opera Company of New York. However, the company’s name at the time of launching was the Negro Grand Opera Company (Gutkin & Newland, 2015).
Over that period, Freeman tried to get the company’s stock price by encouraging people to show high levels of pride for their racial backgrounds. He hoped that this move would help boost the company ratings by encouraging more people to attend the company’s shows and presentations over the period that followed (Gutkin & Newland, 2015). However, this move was mostly unsuccessful due to the high levels of discrimination that the company was subjected to for promoting Negro pieces of art. In the ten years that followed, the company only managed to put forth a handful of shows, such as Vendetta and Vodoo, in 1923 and 1928, respectively.
Freeman continued to participate in the production of other operas, although very few managed to get to the stage for performances (Gutkin & Newland, 2015). Despite all these setbacks, Freeman did not give up on his dream. He firmly believed that his work would someday attain widespread and critical acclaim for their contributions to American Opera. Fast-forward to 2015, one of his works, Vodoo, attracted sold-out crowds to the Columbia University’s Miller Theater (Gutkin & Newland, 2015). Based on this statistic, it is evident that Freeman’s works were kind enough to have still the power to attract such big crowds almost a century after its last performance.
Freeman’s first composition to hit the stage did so when he was just twenty-four years old. The opera premiered in 1893 in Denver’s Deutsches Theater (Davis, 2008). After enjoying this success, he did not sit back. Instead, he continued to produce more operas. Davis (2008) estimates that he composed fifteen full-scale operas during his lifetime. Out of these fifteen, several received a large-scale performance in different theatres all around the country. From the Harlem Renaissance’s point of view, all of Freeman’s operas address themes of Negro memory and experiences. These features were in line with the objectives of the Harlem Renaissance, therefore earning him a significant place in influencing the developments during the period.
In the years that followed, he successfully founded the Negro Grand Opera Company in Harlem (Davis, 2008). This move enabled African Americans in the area to have a place designated for producing operas that focus on their lives and cultural values. Consequently, they felt appreciated and had something that they could identify with and easily relate to in terms of cultural heritage. However, Gutkin & Newland (2015) note that the high levels of racism that were existent during the time affected the company’s growth negatively. Freeman was unable to get the required following that would help the company grow into an operatic sensation. He even attempted to raise the stock price with the help of his son by encouraging African Americans to show a heightened sense of pride for their cultural heritage (Worley, 2018). These efforts were in vain as they never realized their objectives, and the company eventually collapse due to a lack of adequate support from other parties. Nonetheless, Freeman had already established himself as a true great in the opera world, particularly for African American cultural development (Gutkin & Newland, 2015).
Unfortunately for Freeman, existing records of him in music literature are scarce and corrupted by acts of racism and a noticeable lack of depth (Worley, 2018). This statement implies that Freeman does not receive the full credit he deserves for his enormous contribution to American opera. Most of the available writings are reflective of one writer’s expression of another’s views. Therefore, these writings contain more or less the same information with very little to no elaboration. Consequently, there are no deep, informative sources that can give detailed illustrations of Freeman’s great achievements and unmatched dedication to music education. Nonetheless, his actions helped him gain recognition among the Americans that witnessed him in action.
Effect of the Harlem Renaissance on the Actions of Harry Lawrence Freeman
In the early stages of his career, Freeman was somewhat afraid of incorporating his background culture into the formation of his musical works. However, the Harlem Renaissance period symbolized that different black people are coming together to gain international recognition by leaving a mark in the music industry and art in general (Worley, 2018). Therefore, he knew that he had people from the same racial background backing him up motivated him to express himself more freely to the outside world. He gained enough courage to enable him to experiment with sounds that he once considered unworthy of inclusion in the world of music.
According to Gates & Higginbotham (2009), the Harlem Renaissance was a period that bore extremely great significance to the lives of African Americans. This period saw the rise of many artists in different aspects of the expansive field. Some of the affected fields include theatre, music, musical theatre, visual arts, and critical writing (Gates & Higginbotham, 2009). These developments affected different areas in the lives of African Americans, most notably, the political and social dimensions.
Gates & Higginbotham (2009) notes that one of the most significant developments resulting from the Harlem Renaissance was the new Negro. This development created a sense of pride in African Americans as they became more proud of their racial background. Also, the period marked increased political awareness among African Americans, including Freeman. By getting a greater understanding of the political aspects of the country, Blacks became aware of their freedom of expression, allowing them to take to various platforms to express themselves in the field of art.
Based on this realization, Freeman became more aware of the techniques that he could incorporate into his works without receiving negativity from individuals. This period allowed him to reflect on his racial background and employ features typical of his race to come up with a genre that would be appealing to various populations around the world. The period allowed him to become more open-minded and engage in activities never done before. Also, he was showing solidarity to his Black heritage as he joined his fellow Blacks in developing art that would promote the awareness of their culture and earn them recognition. (Gates & Higginbotham, 2009).
The nature of the Harlem Resistance in promoting African Americans’ ability to work together towards a typical course is not to be overlooked. This period saw many Blacks working together in different fields of art to promote their cultural heritage. Therefore, for Freeman, this period provided him with a variety of free people that were willing to help him showcase his artistic works in opera (Gates & Higginbotham, 2009). This feature means that if he needed performers for operas that he had written, they were readily available. Negros were readily available to participate in such plays as they showcased the beauty of their cultural backgrounds. This fact prompted Freeman to gain confidence when developing his opera as he was guaranteed performers who would not demand much pay for their services (Gates & Higginbotham, 2009).
African American artists experienced varying levels of success during this period. However, the Great Depression had a significant effect on the Harlem Renaissance. The movement declined after the Great Depression because of the economic decline that hit many countries. These financial difficulties meant that there was limited availability of funds for production companies.
Notably, Freeman tried to get Alfredo Salmaggi to participate in the production and conduction of the Voodoo at the Hippodrome Theater (Gutkin & Newland, 2015). He targeted this particular theatre because of the popularity of the house’s orchestra, hoping that it would attract a large number of viewers to witness his work. However, it was a requirement for Freeman to raise two thousand dollars to cater for the scenery and costumes that the performers would use. Unfortunately, Freeman was unable to increase the required amount, and the production never took place. This setback may have been one of the reasons that slowed down Freeman’s rise to stardom and worldwide recognition.
It is important to note that the racial developments during this period were not limited to Harlem but also took place simultaneously in other parts of the world (Floyd, 1998). These developments helped propel the plan to other parts of the world, allowing Freeman to recognize these parts as well for his efforts. This period’s impacts persisted for several decades as African Americans successfully managed to create a culture for themselves (Floyd, 1998). This period promoted Freeman’s actions as other Blacks would recognize him as their own for his efforts in creating a culture unique to African Americans. He gave them something that they can identify with, and this activity helped him achieve a degree of recognition.
Many writings on the Harlem Renaissance focus on the literary side of the movement by dwelling on writers and poets that sprung during the period. However, many musicians also gained prominence in this period, including Harry Lawrence Freeman, the founder of Negro Grand Opera. All these exploits and the desire and drive to experiment with the African American sounds in music became possible due to the Harlem Renaissance.
The impact of the Harlem Renaissance on the acts of Freeman helped him get a high degree of recognition in various parts of the world. The period gave him a confidence boost that saw him delve into projects that nobody had tried before him. Many people still show recognition and appreciation for his great works in the music industry. They regard him as an ambitious musician who was not fazed by anything (Davis, 2008). He rose to the challenges that came his way and managed to overcome most of these setbacks. His place in history books was certified when he became the first African American composer to stage an original opera that he had composed himself triumphantly. Davis (2008) notes that this feat was a very significant achievement considering that he was only twenty-four years old.
References
Davis, E. (2008). Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library. Notes, 65(1), 54. https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-183449239/columbia-university-s-rare-book-manuscript-library
Floyd, Jr, S. A. (1988). The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. BLACK MUSIC RESEARCH, 8.
Gates, H. L., & Higginbotham, E. B. (Eds.). (2009). Harlem Renaissance lives from the African American national biography. Oxford University Press, USA.
Gutkin, D., & Newland, M. (2015). H. Lawrence Freeman and the Harlem Renaissance. American Music Review, 45(1). http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/aca_centers_hitchcock/AMR_45-1_Gutkin-Newland.pdf
Worley, B. (2018). Harry Lawrence Freeman: Pioneering the African American Grand Opera. Journal of Singing, 75(1), 17-24. https://www.nats.org/_Library/JOS_On_Point/JOS-075-1-2018-17_-_Worley_-_Henry_Lawrence_Freeman.pdf