Frederick Douglass (Ulysses Kay opera)
Frederick Douglass is an opera in three acts composed by Ulysses Kay to a libretto by Donald Dorr. Its story is a semi-fictionalized account of the final years in the life of Frederick Douglass after his marriage to his second wife, Helen Pitts Douglass. The opera premiered on April 12, 1991, at Newark Symphony Hall performed by the New Jersey State Opera in a production directed by Louis Johnson and designed by Salvatore Tagliarino.[1][2]
| Frederick Douglass | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Ulysses Kay | |
 Frederick Douglass, the opera's protagonist | |
| Librettist | Donald Dorr |
| Premiere | |
Background
In 1978 it was announced that both Kay and Dorr received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts to work on the opera.[3] Dorr and Kay worked on the opera beginning in 1979 and completed it in 1985.[1]
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast April 12, 1991 (Cond. Alfredo Silipigni)[4] |
|---|---|---|
| Frederick Douglass | bass | Kevin Maynor |
| Helen, (Helen Pitts Douglass), his wife | soprano | Klara Barlow |
| Howard, Douglass's son | tenor | Gregory Rahming |
| Aubrey, a young officer | tenor | Ronald Naldi |
| Senator Norton | baritone | Mark Delavan |
| Busby, a merchant | tenor | Mark Nicolson |
| Demler, a newsman | tenor | Kirk Redmann |
| Secretary Welles | bass-baritone | Kenneth Church |
| Major Domo | bass-baritone | Richard McKee |
| Mrs. Sly, a guest | Jennifer Gucci | |
| Mrs. Pry, a guest | soprano | Tracy Magliaro |
| Agnes, a servant | soprano | Christine D'Amico |
| Timothy, her lover | tenor | Tony Buonauro |
References
- Hobson & Richardson 1994, p. 72.
- Abdul 1991, p. 30.
- Anon. 1978.
- Anon. 1991.
Sources
- Abdul, Raoul (April 27, 1991). "Ulysses Kay's opera, Frederick Douglass, Makes Makes Impact: Reading the Score". New York Amsterdam News. New York.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Anon. (July 15, 1978). "Dorr Gets Grant". New Pittsburgh Courier. Pittsburgh. p. 19.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Anon. (April 12, 1991). "Frederick Douglass (program for the world premiere)". Newark, New Jersey.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- Hobson, Constance Tibbs; Richardson, Deborra A. (1994). Ulysses Kay: A Bio-Bibliography. Bio-Bibliographies in Music. 53. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0313255466. OCLC 55741536.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
Further reading
- "American Composer Update". Pan Pines of Sigma Alpha Iota. Menasha, Wisconsin: George Banta Company. 84 (Winter): 32. 1992. ISSN 0889-7581. OCLC 609939631.
- Holland, Bernard (April 16, 1991). "The Struggles of a Black Leader in Old America: An operatic life of Frederick Douglass". The New York Times. p. C11.
- Kyle, Margaret Kelly (1979). "AmerAllegro". Pan Pines of Sigma Alpha Iota. Menasha, Wisconsin: George Banta Company. 71 (Winter): 36. ISSN 0889-7581. OCLC 609939631.
Wright, Josephine R. B. (1984). "New Music". The Black Perspective in Music. Cambria Heights, NY: Foundation for Research in the Afro-American Creative Arts. 12 (1: Spring): 143. JSTOR 1214977. OCLC 300234860.
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