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North American Works Directory Listing
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Harriet, the Woman Called Moses
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| Composer: |
Thea Musgrave
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| Librettist: |
Thea Musgrave
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| Other Artistic Personnel: |
Peter Mark, Conductor; Gordon Davidson, Director
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| Original Cast: |
Original Cast: Harriet, Cynthia Haymon; Josiah, Ben Holt; Rit, Alteouise De Vaughn; Old Master, Jay Willoughby; Preston, Barry Craft; Ben, Raymond Bazemore; Benji, Damon Evans; Thomas Garrett, Peter Van Derick; Mr. McLeod, Michael Muziko; Edward Covey, Anthony Zbrzezny
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| Premiere Date: |
November 08, 1983
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| Producing Company: |
Virginia Opera
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| Description: |
Asleep in the home of Thomas Garrett, Harriet dreams of her enslaved people, who are calling, "Moses! Moses! Lead us out of bondage!" Transported back in time to her earlier slave quarters, Harriet sings, "Go down, Moses...Let my people go!" She is whipped for singing this forbidden song. Josiah, a fellow-slave, enters and the two declare their love for each other. Preston, the son of the Old Master, has accrued large gambling debts and, in order to pay them off, asks his father to sell some of the slaves into the harsher slavery of the Deep South. In the next scene, Preston seduces Harriet. The Master decides to sell the slaves, and Josiah escapes. Harriet, in fear of becoming Preston's slave, takes flight when she learns that the Old Master has suffered a heart attack. Safely ensconced in Garrett's home, Harriet vows to return as a deliverer of her people. Act II: Harriet and Josiah meet again before Josiah is recaptured, then set free in the North. The vindictive Preston pursues them to the Canadian border, shooting at Harriet and hitting Josiah, who then dies.
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| Reviews: |
The New Yorker, Andrew Porter, 3-25-85; The New York Times, Will Crutchfield, 2-24-85
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| Chorus: |
Chorus
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| Orchestration: |
2 fl(picc), 2 ob(Eng Hrn), 2 cl, 2 bsn(sbsn) - 3 hrn, 3 tpt, 3 tbn - timp, 2 perc - hp, pf - str
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| Musical Style: |
Post-tonal; use of whole-tone harmonies; contains Negro spirituals and other types of American folk music; gospel rhythms; through-composed
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| Contact: |
Novello & Co Ltd.
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| Address: |
Music Sales Ltd. Newmarket Road Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3YB
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What is OPERAAmerica.org?
Spring 2013 Magazine Issue
- Letter from the President/CEO
- Of One: The Quest for Asian Fusion in the Opera House
- Vancouver: Where Nature Nurtures Art
- Inheriting the Wind
- My First Time
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