Treemonisha

The cover of the Treemonisha score, published in 1911

Treemonisha (1911) is an opera by American ragtime composer Scott Joplin. It is sometimes referred to as a "ragtime opera", though Joplin did not refer to it as such and it encompasses a wide range of musical styles.[1] The music of Treemonisha includes an overture and prelude, along with various recitatives, choruses, small ensemble pieces, a ballet, and a few arias.[2]

The opera was largely unknown before its first complete performance in 1972. Joplin was posthumously awarded the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1976 for Treemonisha.[3] The performance was called a "semimiracle" by music historian Gilbert Chase, who said Treemonisha "bestowed its creative vitality and moral message upon many thousands of delighted listeners and viewers" when it was recreated.[4] The musical style of the opera is the popular romantic one of the early 20th century. It has been described as "charming and piquant and ... deeply moving",[2] with elements of black folk songs and dances, including a kind of pre-blues music, spirituals, and a call-and-response style scene featuring a preacher and congregation.[5]

The opera celebrates African-American music and culture while stressing that education is the salvation of African Americans. The heroine and symbolic educator is Treemonisha, who runs into trouble with a local band of conjurers, who kidnap her.[2]

  1. ^ "Treemonisha". operaam.org. Archived from the original on February 18, 2005. Retrieved September 13, 2005.
  2. ^ a b c Southern (1997), p. 537.
  3. ^ "Scott Joplin Pulitzer Prize". The Pulitzer Prizes. Archived from the original on August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  4. ^ Chase, p. 545.
  5. ^ Southern (1997), pp. 537–540.