Joplin: Treemonisha

Disc 1
1	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
2	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
3	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
4	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
5	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
6	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
7	Treemonisha
8	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
9	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
10	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
Disc 2
1	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
2	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
3	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
4	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
5	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
6	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
7	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
8	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
9	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
10	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
11	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
12	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
13	Treemonisha
14	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
15	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
16	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
17	Treemonisha, opera in 3 a
Joplin: Treemonisha
1.	Treemonisha, opera in 3 acts 1:29:56
	Composed by Scott Joplin
	Conducted by Gunther Schuller
	Performed by Betty Allen, Carmen Balthrop, Raymond Bazemore, Dorceal Duckens, Ben Harney, Kenneth Hicks, Cora Johnson, Edward Pierson, Dwight Ransom, Curtis Rayam and Willard White

Barnes & Noble

For decades, circumstances conspired against the full appreciation of Scott Joplin's Treemonisha as one of the earliest operas to be composed in a distinctively American style. Completed in 1911, it received only a single concert performance during Joplin's lifetime, and it wasn't staged until 1972 -- an event that produced a long-posthumous Pulitzer Prize for the composer. Joplin, of course, was the "King of Ragtime," and his piano rags helped to transform American music around the turn of the century. Treemonisha has its share of syncopation (especially in the wonderful choruses that close Acts Two and Three), but it's not really a "ragtime opera" through and through; rather, its melodies reveal Joplin's versatility by merging the styles of operetta and popular balladry. It's also not quite the neglected masterpiece that some have claimed it to be. In particular, the libretto (also by Joplin) wears less well than the music. But this is easy enough to ignore, and even if Treemonisha's pleasures are found more in the individual moment than in the whole, those pleasures are undeniable: Treemonisha is an immensely enjoyable opera, tuneful and joyful, brimming with the spirit of its times but distinctive enough to transcend them. This historic 1975 recording dates from a revival at the Houston Grand Opera -- conducted by Gunther Schuller, who was a key figure in bringing ragtime back into vogue -- and, now at bargain price, it remains the only one commercially available. It's an essential document of musical Americana that's just as delightful today as it was when Treemonisha was first rediscovered. Scott Paulin

New York Times

Among the recent releases in [the Opera House] series I'm particularly grateful to have the 1976 recording of Scott Joplin's beguiling opera "Treemonisha".... Gunther Schuller lovingly orchestrated Joplin's score and prepared the performing version, which he conducts here with sensitivity and wistful grace. Anthony Tommasini