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Jan 20, 2020 · January 20, 2020 by Timothy Judd. Three Black Kings (Les Trois Rois Noirs) was Duke Ellington’s last composition. The orchestral triptych was left unfinished at the time of Ellington’s death in 1974. True to the spontaneous spirit of jazz and guided by superstition, the American composer, pianist, and band leader frequently left pieces ...
Feb 17, 2019 · Intended (in Mercer’s words) as a “eulogy for Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Three Black Kings continues Ellington’s series of narrative pieces on a grand symphonic scale – a series that includes Black, Brown, and Beige (1943), Harlem (1950), and Night Creature (1955). Traversing centuries, each movement captures the psychological depth of ...
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Sophisticated, lush and alluring, Ellington’s music became part of a legendary collaboration with Alvin Ailey and left an indelible mark on American dance. Three Black Kings was the last major work written by Duke Ellington. As he lay dying in his hospital bed in 1974, he gave his son, Mercer, final instructions on how it was to be completed ...
Three Black Kings Composed in 1974 Completed by Mercer Ellington, arranged for orchestra by Luther Henderson Premiered in 1976 at Artpark Theater in Buffalo, NY Solos arranged by Marcus Roberts, World Premiere Performance Time: Approximately 18 minutes. Three Black Kings (1974) was Duke Ellington’s final composition. While hospitalized at ...
The USC Thornton Symphony performs the third movement of "Three Black Kings," entitled, "Martin Luther King" by Duke Ellington on September 23, 2022, conduct...
- 8 min
- 145
- Sharon Lavery
