Scott Joplin's Treemonisha [Original Cast Recording] [Import]

I love Scott Joplin's music, and have always been deeply moved by the story of his tragic life, especially his final descent into insanity. I was excited by the thought of this recording, and badly wanted to like it. So why don't I?

1. The libretto is really dreadful. This is by the composer, so he has no one else to blame. What's wrong with it? Not only is it stilted and false (as Joplin's music NEVER is) not only is the storyline puerile, but there is a strong streak of patronising condecension from the comparitively successful, educated, middle class Joplin towards "ignorant" and "superstitious" working class blacks. I find this particularly inexcusable in Joplin's case, even considered in the light of the times.

2. Generally the whole work shows poor to non-existent stagecraft. For instance, the plot is largely driven by long extended semi-recitative narrative numbers. These drag unbearably when listened to on a recording, although they may work better in a theatre I can see an audience getting lost there, too. Of course if Joplin had received a more sympathetic hearing from the highly prejudiced musical establishment of his day, and had a chance for a proper rehearsal process, he would probably have fixed a lot of this - to be fair he had little or no theatrical experience - but then we have to assess the work as we have it, rather than what might have been.

3. Finally, while the music certainly has its moments - even at its best there is little of the joyous spirit of the great rags. Joplin seems to have been over-intent on producing "serious" music, to the extent of suppressing the best of his own genius.

I am STILL glad I bought this recording - if only because it is such an important historical document. I just wish I really enjoyed listening to it. Perhaps it will grow on me - certainly I will have to give it a chance.

Forget what everyone says about this work: it is not a musical, a "folk opera" or a "ragtime opera", it is a full-blown romantic opera, pure and simple. Like Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" it has been mis-classified for years; unlike "Porgy", however, it has not met with the former's unmitigated success on stage or in the opera house.
Joplin's score languished for years: due mainly to the fact of his early, tragic death, and the fact that the world (or at least the U.S.) was not ready for a grand opera written by an African-American, particularly an African-American composer of "lowly" rag-time music. Certainly, some other composers of African descent had achieved some status by this time, but mostly in Europe (Samuel Coleridge-Taylor comes to mind, his oratorio "Hiawatha" was a concert favorite for years), and I think it was mostly prejudice that kept Joplin's score from being heard.
Luckily, the amazing Joplin revival in the early 70's (in no small part due to its use in the film "The Sting") enabled us to hear his final masterpiece at last, albeit without his original orchestration, which has been lost. Although it caused a brief stir and engendered a complete recording and a TV telecast (which was available for a time on VHS), we've heard little of it since.
And this is altogether puzzling, as the music is some of the most magnificent and appealing ever to be written for the operatic stage. True, it's not forward-looking (much of it hearkens back to Weber and Bellini) and the libretto is not a literary masterpiece (but few are). However, it shows signs of genius that are hard to ignore: Monisha's opening aria, the duet for Monisha and Ned in the third act; and, in particular, the choral writing -- "We Want You to be Our Leader" is nothing short of breathtaking in its complexity and beauty.
There are also plenty of delightful lighter passages as well, full of the magic of Joplin's piano compositions; in fact, the mixture of light and heavier music in the score is perfectly constructed.
But, despite its successful debut in the 70's, the work has never taken hold in the operatic repertoire. Some see it merely as a curiosity; in an artical in the LA times a number of years ago which dealt with operatic works by African-Americans, it was labeled as nothing more than an "entertainment". This is unjust in the extreme. Anyone listening to this work who can remain unmoved and/or uplifted by it must have a heart of stone or a massive chip on their shoulder.
This recording remains, alas, the only complete one to date, and it is simply wonderful, a fantastic record of a lovingly felt undertaking. The cast is perfect, with Balthrop, Allen and White being the standouts, and Schuller's conducting of his re-constructed orchestrations shows his love for and complete understanding of this score. I only say alas because this is a score that's worthy of new interpretation; this only may happen once the work is (finally) taken seriously as the first great American opera. Hopefully this day will eventually come.

This is how I first heard this recording of Treemonisha: In 1978, when I was teaching English in Caracas, Venezuela, I turned the radio on and an opera was playing. I am no opera fan, but after a mere few seconds of listening, I ran to get my tape recorder and recorded the whole thing, not having any idea what it was. I listened in amazement, wondering and wondering what this MIRACLE was. I had never heard anything remotely like it. I am very well versed in music, have written thousands of tunes myself. I know the great composers inside out. Who could this giant be? The only composer that came to mind was Victor Herbert, because I had never heard his music (and he looked distinguished). I couldn't wait for the opera to end, even as I wanted it to go one forever. Finally, I hear the name Scott Joplin, unfamiliar to me. For the next year I listen to this recording about a hundred times, and say to myself, this is the greatest American opera, more impressive than "Porgy and Bess", far more sincere, authentic, charming. It makes most other music sound contrived and overly clever.

Next year, I'm in Los Angeles, and the first thing I do is run to the library to find out who this Scott Joplin is. I found records of his piano rags, and of Treemonisha. The piano music is just as breathtaking. And all this greatness from a humble saloon pianist and a "Negro"! I was in awe. I proclaimed him the greatest American composer, period.

If Gilbert and Sullivan had written Treeminisha, wouldn't it be considered the magnum opus? I think so! Scott Jopin's entire work belongs in every house.