Published on Feb 4, 2013
Artis Wodehouse performs her arrangement of the Overture to Scott Joplin’s 1911 opera, Treemonisha. The scrolling score seen here is Joplin’s original notation. While written on two staves and performable on the piano, Joplin intended it as a template for a future orchestration that he apparently did not complete. In the tradition of the 19th C. piano transcription (by Franz Liszt and many others), Artis Wodehouse has arranged Joplin’s original score for pianistic playability, interpretive sweep and to suggest the sounds of a potential orchestral arrangement. Wodehouse’s piano solo Overture opens a set of 14 numbers chosen from the opera that she arranged for concert performance utilizing a compact group of only 3 musicians — soprano, baritone and keyboard.
“Treemonisha Suite” was premiered at Church of the Epiphany, NYC on 1/6/13 as part of a concert given by MELODEON. MELODEON is a chamber group founded by Artis Wodehouse for the performance of 19th and early 20th century American music. Wodehouse was joined by MELODEON members Soprano Marti Newland and baritone George Spitzer.
Videographer and sound recordist is Whitney Slaten.
The recording was made at AC Pianocraft in Queens NYC courtesy of Alex Kotsakis.
