Louis Cathedral, as the chapel filled with a collective sense the audience was about to witness history. Joseph told CNN she was among the dozens of people who spent years adapting the manuscript from its original 19th century handwritten notes into modern musical notations. He learned music from his father, studied under skilled Black composers in New Orleans, and was recognized for his musical prowess from an early age, said Candace Bailey, a musicologist who researches 19th century music in the United States with a focus on the South.
He was also an abolitionist who never forgot the plight of the enslaved in the US and in colonies around the world.
But finding the manuscript was only the start of a decades-long quest to stage the opera. Quigley said he spent years working with several people, including arrangers, editors and musicians, who puzzled through every note for each instrument in the orchestra, transcribed the French libretto, or songbook and paired the lyrics with the score to ultimately create the sheet music.
Further complicating matters, many musical instruments have evolved since the 19th century. Violins, for instance, now use metal strings instead of ones made from animal gut, and some of the instruments noted in the original score are no longer used by modern orchestras.
For the upcoming world premiere, the orchestra will perform on instruments used in the 19th century or ones that have been adapted to emulate their sound, Quigley said. The performance has also taken on new meaning amid the attacks on diversity and inclusion and efforts to recognize Black history, Joseph said. It's a name synonymous with local Bay Area news--Dennis Richmond. As the community grapples with the passing of a legendary anchorman who broke barriers in broadcast journalism, reactions pour in from local and state leaders who share their heartfelt sentiment about his death.
