Act One |
1-01 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Overture | Scott Joplin | Rate |
1-02 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | The Bag Of Luck | Scott Joplin | Rate |
1-03 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | The Corn Huskers | Scott Joplin | Rate |
1-04 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | We're Goin' Around (A Ring Play) | Scott Joplin | Rate |
1-05 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | The Wreath | Scott Joplin | Rate |
1-06 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | The Sacred Tree | Scott Joplin | Rate |
1-07 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Surprised | Scott Joplin | Rate |
1-08 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Treemonisha's Bringing Up | Scott Joplin | Rate |
1-09 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Good Advice | Scott Joplin | Rate |
1-10 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Confusion | Scott Joplin | Rate |
Act Two |
2-01 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Superstition | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-02 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Treemonisha In Peril | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-03 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Frolic Of The Bears | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-04 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | The Wasp Nest | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-05 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | The Rescue | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-06 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | We Will Rest Awhile | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-07 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Going Home | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-08 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Aunt Dinah Has Blowed The Horn | Scott Joplin | Rate |
Act Three |
2-09 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Prelude | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-10 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | I Want To See My Child | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-11 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Treemonisha's Return | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-12 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Wrong Is Never Right (A Lecture) | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-13 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | When Villains Ramble Far And Near (A Lecture) | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-14 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | Conjurors Forgiven | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-15 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | We Will Trust You As Our Leader | Scott Joplin | Rate |
2-16 | Orchestra And Chorus Of The Houston Grand Opera Production | A Real Slow Drag | Scott Joplin | Rate |
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Gill Sans SUBS 1st Jul 2017
| | Scot Joplin regarded his opera as the crowning achievement of his career, but the cultural Establishment of the time (circa 1910) was not in any state to accept it, so he could not get it performed. The story advocates emancipation and education as the way to freedom, and even has a feminist perspective, having been inspired by his wife Freddie Alexander. By 1976 performer and academic Gunter Schuller was president of the New England Conservatory where he founded The New England Ragtime Ensemble, and artistic director of the Tanglewood Music Center, and was inspired to stage Treemonisha with this very talented cast.
His audience received his production enthusiastically, and when you watch the videos of the show the talents of the performers shines out. The part of the heroine is taken by the magnificent soprano Carmen Balthrop, partnered by a young Willard White as her father Ned. Watch out for the multi-talented Ben Harney as the conjeror Zodetrick as he pirouettes round the stage in his manic portrayal.
A plantation in Arkansas has been liberated and is under the management of Ned who seeks education for himself and his workers. He and his wife Monisha would have liked to have children. They find a baby girl under a tree by their cabin, adopt her and name her after the wife, and the girl grows up as 'Tree Monisha', becoming the first from the plantation to have a formal education. The conjerors feel threatened by her advocacy of rationalism and kidnap her; they have unpleasant plans involving a wasps' nest but all turns out for the best, and Treemonisha is celebrated for her wisdom.
The record notes show that this was recorded in a day, and it appears to have been performed as a dress rehearsal. This video shows a full performance by this cast, conducted by Schuller, and apart from the audience applause is near-identical to the record.
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