LISTEN UP!

Rhiannon Giddens and Michael Abels were inspired by many different musical influences when composing Omar. Here are two examples:

The overture to Omar is based on a West African tune, “Koromanti.” Listen to this adaptation for fretless banjo and djembe. https://soundcloud.com/dukeuniversity/koromanti-2-adapted-forfretless-banjo-and-djembe?in=dukeuniversity/sets/musical-passage&utm_source=clipboard&utm_ medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

The “Hoedown” in Act Two, Scene 2 of Omar, is based on the tune “Old Corn Likker,” performed here by Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pemofre-eBk

Listen to examples of Giddens’ and Abels’ previous work. As you watch and listen to Omar, what echoes of Rhiannon Giddens’ and Michael Abels’ past works can you hear in this opera?

Rhiannon Giddens, “Calling Me Home (with Francesco Turrisi)” https://open.spotify.com/track/2C6qZqsYHMFuY0GopknQRr?si=3835df3bae4a4c58

Rhiannon Giddens, “At the Purchaser’s Option” https://open.spotify.com/track/5RmAtT0VaKttU0Eybo6ZWA?si=303608b58de24b28

Michael Abels, “Isolation Variation” https://open.spotify.com/track/01J3ZgHOWdCiMfqSBTaEqS?si=c47d0efee3474f9a

Michael Abels, Soundtrack to Get Out https://open.spotify.com/album/0L7VtXWMySVyhePPAtRlAN?si=wA4prGkuSQ2ooCKIlr0bpA

Slave narratives were written documents, but enslaved people also created music that protested their condition and advocated for abolition. Both were recorded in 2022 for the album Songs of Slavery and Emancipation, a collection of music from the abolitionist movement.

Listen here to “A Song for Freedom,” an 1844 song which adds abolitionist lyrics to the minstrel tune “Dandy Jim.” https://open.spotify.com/track/4N6nQJWYexdOnSpQgwP3Xa?si=a8c6719c8fa44c40 https://open.spotify.com/track/4hcuTvxxYDuB3BV6p0RKaE?si=0cb32ab04b4944af

“Nat Turner” tells of the famed leader of a slave rebellion which occurred in 1831 – the same year Omar Ibn Said wrote his narrative.

General Questions To Guide Your Listening

• What instruments do you hear?

• How fast is the music? Are there sudden changes in speed? Is the rhythm steady or unsteady?

• Key/Mode: Is it major or minor? (Does it sound bright, happy, sad, urgent, dangerous?)

• Dynamics/Volume: Is the music loud or soft? Are there sudden changes in volume (either in the voice or orchestra)?

• What is the shape of the melodic line? Does the voice move smoothly or does it make frequent or erratic jumps? Do the vocal lines move noticeably downward or upward?

• Does the type of voice singing (baritone, soprano, tenor, mezzo, etc.) have an effect on you as a listener?

• Do the melodies end as you would expect or do they surprise you?

• How does the music make you feel? What effect do the above factors have on you as a listener?

• What is the orchestra doing in contrast to the voice? How do they interact?

• What kinds of images, settings, or emotions come to mind? Does it remind you of anything you have experienced in your own life?

• Do particularly emphatic notes (low, high, held, etc.) correspond to dramatic moments?

• What type of character fits this music? Romantic? Comic? Serious? Etc.