This Week in Piano History: The Birth of R. Nathaniel Dett, October 11, 1882

Upon his graduation from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in 1908, Dett was the first Black American to receive the school’s Bachelor of Music degree, double majoring in piano and composition. His study did not end there – Dett received a master’s degree from the Eastman School of Music in 1932 and he pursued lifelong musical study, including summer study with Arthur Foote at Harvard and with Nadia Boulanger in Fountainbleau. 

Although Dett was influenced by a number of composers and performers, Dett’s compositional journey truly began upon hearing Dvorak’s “American” Quartet in a concert at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Dett recollected about the performance: ​​“Suddenly it seemed I heard again the frail voice of my long departed grandmother calling across the years; and in a rush of emotion which stirred my spirit to its very center, the meaning of the songs which had given her soul such peace was revealed to me.”¹ From this point forward, Dett strove to incorporate spirituals and other African American folk songs into his music.

Besides his musical compositions and work as a performing artist, Dett was a passionate writer. As a child, Dett’s mother required him to recite poetry, which developed his lifelong love of writing. Multiple collections of his work have been published including his poems in a work called The Album of the Heart. His essay, The Emancipation of Negro Music, won a literary prize during his study at Harvard University in 1920. Dett’s love of poetry shows up in his musical publications, many of which include short excerpts from various poems.

Dett’s piano music consists of six suites largely in the Romantic style. His most popular suite, In the Bottoms, was a success in his concert tours and was further popularized by pianist and composer, Percy Grainger, who recorded the final movement, Juba, in 1945. 

The legacy of R. Nathaniel Dett is undeniable. He taught at multiple colleges and held guest professorships at institutions such as Northwestern University. Dett received multiple honorary doctorates including from Howard University and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. In addition, he inspired generations of future composers with his brilliant examples of preserving African American folk music and spirituals.