AMISTAD
opera in two acts
(Reduced Instrumentation)
Libretto by Thulani Davis
Piano Vocal Score
from the G. Schirmer Rental Library date of printing ________
G.Schirmer, Inc. New York, NY
Anthony Davis AMISTAD
Libretto by Thulani Davis
Piano Vocal Score
ACT I
G.Schirmer, Inc.
New York, NY
Cast of Characters
The Trickster God, an African deity .................................................................................... Tenor
Cinque, (Sengbe Pieh) African captives’ leader ................................. ........................ Bass-Baritone
Rep. John Quincy Adams, lawyer for captives ......................................................................... Bass
The Goddess of the Waters, an African deity ....................................................... Mezzo-Soprano
The Navigator ........................................................................................................................ Tenor
Abolitionist Lewis Tappan ...................................................................................................... Tenor
The Phrenologist .................................................................................................. Character Tenor
Antonio, enslaved young adult, “cabin boy” ....................................................................... Baritone
Kaleh, captive, adult male .................................................................................................... Tenor
Margru, captive, young adult female ............................................................................... Soprano
Grabeau, captive, young adult male ................................................................................ Baritone
Burnah, captive, adult male ..................................................................................................... Bass
Kinnah, captive, young adult male ............................................................................................. Tenor
Bahia, captive, young adult female ............................................................... Lyric Mezzo-Soprano
American Lieutenant, U. S. Navy .................................................................................. Baritone
The Judge ........................................................................................................................... Baritone
Don Jose Ruiz, a Spanish slaveholder .................................................................................... Bass
Abolitionist Lawyer ...........................................................................................................
Ship Cook .................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................
Bu.
DON RUIZ
East by day, TRICKSTER
We’renot safe yet.
8 TRICKSTER North by night! Theyrule us yet bysleight. Gut
8 lessguile they wield, foul chi can er y, a dir tytrick!
Tr.
8 Weshould cut their throats,
MARGRU Cut their throats
We should cut their throats,
Cut their throats
BAHIA Cut their throats Cut their throats
8 KALEH Cut their throats Cut their throats
GRABEAU Cut their throats Cut their throats
CHORUS TENORS cresc.
8 We should cut their throats and chance the wa 3 ter y roads.
a2CHORUS BASSES
Shif
Shif
Ba.
Ki.
Bu.
KINNAH
BURNAH
Tell the boys to climb up to
8 see if the land lies where those birds fly.
8 inthe wind, Chief. The sails are luf
The bowis
Tr.
Tr.
playeda
(spoken): Burnah! Grabeau! Climb the sails and look!
CINQUE
Tr.
Tr.
Bu. Gr. Ki. Ka.
Bu. Gr.
Bu. Gr. Ki. Ka.
Bu.
(Climbs onto deck from off the side. From the other side, Coast Guard men bring CINQUE and his party back on board)
379 (CINQUE tells KINNAH to show him. KINNAH nods and gestures for the LIEUTENANT to follow. The LIEUTENANT sends two men with him.)
GRABEAU & BURNAH
Gr.
Gr.
Gr.
Ka.
Ba.
Mar. Cin. Ki.
Bu.
Gr. Ka. Ba.
and this has brought us down.
8 saw a god and this has brought us down. brought us down.. brought usdown..
and this has brought us down.
Gr. Ka. Ba.
Mar. Cin.
Ki. Bu.
Gr. Ka. Ba.
Mar. Cin.
Ki. Bu.
Gr. Ka. Ba. Mar.
Ki. Bu.
MARGRU
GRABEAU & BURNAH KALEH & KINNAH BAHIA
We are not slaves—
But we are not slaves—
Gr.
Ka.
Ba.
Mar.
Cin.
Ki.
Bu.
cresc.
Cin.
(to TRICKSTER)
Tell me howto sayit—
TRICKSTER
(The whites, who can’t see the TRICKSTER, are puzzled)
Tell me, Lord Trick ster, Tell me how tosay it—
No words at all = 69
Tell me, Lord Trick ster— Where 3 are the words that
RUIZ, to his first mate) LIEUTENANT
Lt.
Nota
foe to white or black. I haveno chancewith my “broth
ers” here.
An.
cresc.
An.
slave
I’ll land in A mer i ca a slave Not friend nor
(Standing alone in the confusion)
got nochance at all.
LIEUTENANT Take them all = 80 (The captives are tied to one another and taken him off the ship. One of them grabs the TRICKSTER and makes hang on.)
(Wharf, New England port town. The Coast Guard parades the captives through the town en route to the jail. Citizens come out to watch. Parade moves to exterior of jail, circling among people waiting.)
ABOLITIONISTS
man’s the ve ryrea son we call
to bac co chaw
nig ger head, and a rough
nut
Mende, Temne! Mende,Temne! Mende,Temne! Mende,Temne!
Joe, Where is Mam bo?
Joe, Where is Mam bo?
Joe, Mam bo, Sam bo, Mam bo, Sam bo, We
Joe, Mam bo, Sam bo, Mam bo, Sam bo,
He’s a blub ber lipped nap 3 py head sul len lout B head, nig ger toe, Ole Black
head, nig ger toe, Ole Black
head, nig ger toe, Ole Black
head, nig ger toe, Ole Black
Givethemone Givethemone
Givethemone
Givethemone
trade is a tra
R.4
KALEH & KINNAH
Gr.
Ka. Ba.
Gr.
Ka. Ba.
Ki. Bu.
Gr.
Ka. Ba.
Ki.
Gr.
Ka.
Gr.
Ka. Ba.
Ki. Bu.
8 They yap and snap, snick 3 er like mon keys. Af ter so much
8 si lence, so much gloom, the bush re a wak ens me.
re a wak ens me.
Tr.
Tr.
Scat (Whole tone) (F half diminished)
birds
8 hun gry birds, Like hun gry
They squalk and chirp
chirp and squalk like
SCENE 4 (Jail)
Jail cell, interior. (If exterior is shown, streets still jammed with people.) Blacks are in three to four cells: Women in one and CINQUE and the other men in two or three. Men wear dark striped cotton trousers and striped cotton shirts; the women, calico dresses.
Freely, = 69
Gra.
(CITIZENS file through, paying admisssion and gawking, communicating with CAPTIVES by handsigns. TRICKSTER wanders among them, still blind, picking their pockets, looking for food.
BAHIA
KALEH
KINNAH
GRABEAU & BURNAH
slit our throats?
Do you know?
8 slit our throats? Do you know?
Bu. Throats Do youknow? slit our throats? Do youknow?
= 92
PHRENOLOGIST (played by REPORTER 1)
Baseof his brain 272
The base of his brain is small er than (PHRENOLOGIST speaks to reporters)
REPORTER 4
REPORTER 2
Baseof his brain
REPORTER 3
Baseof his brain
= 92
Ka.
Gr.
8 thathe said? What’s thathe said?
thathe said? What’s thathe said?
R.2
R.2
Oh, Je sus Pi lot Me
Oh, Je sus Sa viourPi lot Me Sa viour
(Parlour of former President, and current Representative JOHN QUINCY ADAMS of Massachusetts. Enter Abolitionist TAPPAN and another lawyer. ADAMS welcomes them in and offers them seats. Maybe even tea.)
Ad.
Ad.
ci ti zens of Spain. Span ish law does not ap ply.
Ad.
case lies: these blacks are nei ther slaves nor
ADAMS
ADAMS
SCENE 1 (Court exterior)
REPORTER
CHORUS (AMERICANS)
It’s quite a show.
CHORUS (AMERICANS)
It’s quite a show. REPORTER 2 I hear that sur ly
lea der is him self a slave sel ler cresc.
Dea ler, traf fic ker of slaves
Dea ler, traf fic ker of slaves
Dea ler, traf fic ker of slaves
Dea ler, slaves
TUTTI
TUTTI
TUTTI
TUTTI
8 seen 3 them. Notten 3 years a go
1 Nat Turn 3 er, Nat Turn er
8 Con se cresc. quen ces,con se quen ces, con se quen ces, con se quen ces
Con se cresc. quen ces, con se quen ces, con se quen ces, con se quen ces
8 3 and his 3 mur der ing band; 3 Den 3 mark Ve 3 sey cresc.
8 Con se quen ces,con se quen ces, con se quen ces, con se quen ces R.1
Con se quen ces,con se quen ces, con se quen ces, con se quen ces
R.4
R.2 R.3
R.4
8 Con se quen ces,con se quen ces,
Con se quen ces, con se quen ces,
8 Con se quen ces,con se quen ces!
Con se quen ces,con se quen ces!
R.4
SCENE 2
(Court, interior: deck of ship visible. JUDGE seated on beach. CAPTIVES and their LAWYERS, including ADAMS, on one side; the SPANIARDS and their LAWYERS on the other. The SOUTHERN SENATOR, TAPPAN and the TRICKSTER ovserve. We see the events. The TRICKSTER dances.
Nav.
SCENE 3 (Antonio’s aria, court)
(Court, interior; all as before. We see the events. The TRICKSTER dances, frees the captives with his keys, etc. ANTONIO takes the stand.) = 96 ANTONIO
cresc. cresc.
An.
An.
cresc. cresc. An.
I don’t know why. = 112 (Noise, gasping, among the SPECTATORS, REPORTERS buzz)
(The TRICKSTER dances, frees the CAPTIVES with his keys, etc.)
They’re
cresc.
cresc.
cresc.
(Court, interior. Ship no longer visible. JUDGE seated on bench. CAPTIVES and their lawyers, including ADAMS, on one side; the SPANIARDS and their lawyers on the other. The SOUTHERN SENATOR and TAPPAN observe as before. The TRICKSTER now serves as TRANSLATOR. He makes a gesture, such as doffing his hat or using his keys to animate each speaker, and facilitate the “translation.” Court turns into bush world.
Tr.
(The TRICKSTER dances and the court disappears, spectators remain. The AFRICANS are loaded on the boat. The boat is overcome by mist and clouds, sea and spray. The TRICKSTER disappears in chains.)
213 ADAMS
Theywere forced on to a boat bound for slav ’ry in Cu ba.
on the boat.)
(The AFRICANS are loaded
G.W.
G.W.
the fire 3 is still in side them
Give them to the fire 3 first.
burn ing from with in.
Searthem from me mo 3 ry.
Do not of ferthem to me half lit and scream ing
G.W.
G.W.
G.W.
G.W.
G.W.
G.W.
G.W.
G.W.
G.W.
(The CAPTIVES enter in chains, followed by the crew, including COOK and ANTONIO. The TRICKSTER is blind and has his eyes covered with a cloth band. Black workmen on the dock slowly take notice of him among the CAPTIVES. Whispering turns into a kind of roar of surprise and fear.)
cresc. pere, com pere, Nan si
KALEH
KINNAH
cresc. pere, com pere, Nan si
pere, com pere, Nan si
pere, com pere, Nan si cresc.
Nansi, Nan si, Brer Nan si Nansi, Nan si Brer
Nan si
Nansi, Nan si, Brer Nan si Nansi, Nan si Brer si Nan
Nan si, Nan si Brer Nan si Nan si, Nan si Brer Nan si
8 Nan si, Nan si Brer Nan si Nan si, Nan si Brer Nan si BAHIA Com pere, com pere, Nan si
pere, com pere, Nan si
pere, com pere, Nan
si
pere, com pere, Nan
si KINNAH & KALEH GRABEAU & BURNAH
GRABEAU & BURNAH
Ba.
Bu. Bou cresc.
ki Ti Ma lice
Bou ki Ti Ma lice
Bou ki Ti Ma lice
Gr.
Ka.
They’ve stopped cresc.
They’ve stopped cresc.
They’ve stopped cresc.
They’ve stopped cresc.
Bu.
Gr. Bou ki Ti Ma lice Bou ki TiMa lice Bou ki Ti Ma lice
Ki.
Ka.
Gr. Ka. Ki.
Gr. Bou ki Ti Ma lice. Turn a way, turn a way turn a way
They’re not cresc. liste ning, they bet ter get it right,
They’re not cresc. listen ing, they bet ter get it right,
8 They’re not cresc. listen ing, they bet ter get it right,
They’re not cresc. listen ing, they bet ter get it right,
cresc.
Bu.
Ki. Ka.
ba, the Spi der.
Ba. Leg ba, the Spi der, Leg ba, the Spi der.
ba, the Spi der, Leg ba, the Spi der.
Bu. Gr.
Ka.
Ba. Nan
Bu. Gr.
Ka. T
Ki.
Ba. A
si, Nan si, Brer Nan si Nan si, Nan si Brer Nan si
Mar.
Bu. Gr.
8 Spi der Leg ba, cresc. the Spi der, Leg ba,the Spi der,
They’ve stopped cresc. work
They’ve stopped cresc. work
They’ve stopped cresc. work
They’ve stopped cresc. work
cresc.
Bou ki Ti Ma lice
Bou ki TiMa lice Bou ki Ti Ma lice
Gr.
8 der Leg ba, the Spi der, Leg ba, the Spi der. Leg ba, the Spi der, Leg ba, the Spi der.
Bou ki Ti Ma lice Turn a way, turn
Bou ki Ti Ma lice Turn a way, turn a way
They’re not dim.
liste ning, they bet
ter get it right,
They’re not dim. liste ning, they bet ter get it right,
8 They’re not dim.
liste ning, they bet ter get it right,
They’re not dim. liste ning, they bet ter get it right,
cresc.
Bu.
Ka. Ki. Mar. Ba.
these slaves, damn slaves.
these slaves, damn slaves.
these slaves, damn slaves.
these slaves, damn slaves.
Gr. Ki. Ka.
John a slave too?
TRICKSTER = 116 They know me. They call me.
= 116 dim.
Bu.
Leg ba, the Spi
Leg ba, the Spi
Leg ba, the Spi
Ka. Ki.
Gr.
8 Johna slave too?
Johna slave too?
GRABEAU & BURNAH
KALEH & KINNAH
88 140 (COOK and ANTONIO come over and the TRICKSTER makes a gesture that allows them to understand one another.)
boat for the oth er sideof Cu ba. On you go, you food for goats.
Cin.
Gr.
Ki. Ka.
(Tips hat. Boards boat laughing with COOK. The rest are boarded and night falls on the ship.)
and the CAPTAIN drag a pallet
deck and settle down, ANTONIO at the CAPTAIN’s feet.)
(The TRICKSTER dances a dance of the keys — finding the keys to all the shackles and irons.) cresc.
(On the deck at the end of storm) TRICKSTER
8 but all the mas ters are the same: They don’t think = 116 dim. cresc. 8 = 116
All my tricks areold
8 they’ll be played, they don’t 3 think they can be sold. cresc.
8 They day 3 dream 3 in a dead 3 ly game. The un 3 ex pect ed is my realm.
dim. cresc.
Tr. 16
Tr. 11
Tr. 6
8
send mestraight to Hell, for fetch in’ wa ter from his well.
(CINQUE frees GRABEAU and GRABEAU frees the next one, etc. They huddle and make a plan, then steal into arms locker and take weapons. The TRICKSTER dances. The revolt takes place as described by NAVIGATOR and ANTONIO, first surprising NAVIGATOR in his sleep below, killing the COOK, then killing the CAPTAIN.)
(At last, ANTONIO being held by two of the captives, begs CINQUE for his life.)
122
L.H. cresc.
R.H.
Cin.
Cin.
Cin.
cresc.
CINQUE
8 joy! Go with
joy in be ing saved! You
joy!Go withjoyinbe ingsaved! You
8 Gowith joy! Go with joy! Gowith joy! Go with joy! Gowith joy! Go with joy!
KALEH
8 Gowith joy! Go with joy!
GRABEAU
Gowith joy! Joy!
BURNAH
Gowith joy! Joy!
Cin. MARGRU BAHIA
KINNAH
Bu.
= 112
(The crowd rushes in around them. The TRICKSTER backs and/or sneaks away.)
The court says you are free. What
says
REPORTER 3
The court
156 = 112
REPORTER 2 (to MARGRU)
cresc.
cresc.
BAHIA
KINNAH & KALEH
GRABEAU & BURNAH
Themeaningisclear.
Themeaningisclear.
Themeaningisclear.
Themeaningisclear.
Themeaningisclear.
The meaning is clear.
Gr.
my new vil lage, in my new vil lage,
Stepped 3 on a pin, the pin bent, that’s
the way 3 the sto ry went.