‘Frederick Douglass’ opera by Black composer explores the man behind the myth
“Frederick Douglass” the opera has rarely been performed since its debut in 1991. Gil Rose, artistic director of both Odyssey Opera and Boston Modern Opera Project (BMOP) is resurrecting the production with a concert-style performance this month.
The opera, written by composer Ulysses Kay with librettist Donald Dorr, depicts a very specific slice of Douglass’s life. Audiences meet Douglass after the Civil War during his second marriage and the final years of his life. At this time, rumors and criticism surrounded the abolitionist figure.
Gil Rose is artistic director of Odyssey Opera and Boston Modern Opera Project. PHOTO: KEVIN CONDON
“It delves into the political intrigues that surrounded him at that time as a huge public figure within an interracial marriage,” says Rose. “It’s basically a character exploration.”
The cast includes Kenneth Kellogg as Frederick Douglass and Melody Moore as Helen Douglass as well as a number of supporting characters. This opera is a highlight of the more than 135 pieces composed by Kay, spanning the gamut from opera and ballet to film scores and choral works. A series of negative reviews and difficult production circumstances led the original 1991 production to shutter early and never return to the stage. Rose hopes this version helps audiences to better understand both Douglass and Kay.
“Frederick Douglass was actually a man, he wasn’t carved in marble,” says Rose. “Something I would want in presenting this work is to demystify Douglass. … At its root this is also an effort to bring back forgotten music and composers.”
As part of the process of producing “Frederick Douglass,” Rose partnered with Castle of Our Skins, a Black-led chamber music ensemble, to host workshops with local students from Project STEP about Douglass and the history of spirituals.
Composer Yaz Lancaster used the original music and narrative responses produced by the students in the workshops to put together a new piece that was performed at Symphony Hall in May and at the Museum of African American History last week.
“Frederick Douglass” will be performed at Jordan Hall on June 20. Tickets are pay-what-you-want. This presentation is part of BMOP’s “As Told By: History, Race and Justice on the Opera Stage” project, an ambitious, long-term staging of opera by Black composers.
Rose hopes the production will be informative and stirring for the audience, prompting reflection about our current moment.
“At a time when our democracy is being tested, we look to history to find strength and inspiration,” says Rose. “This Frederick Douglass story provides a conduit through which other significant stories of the time can be told, but most importantly, the role of African Americans in post-Civil War America and Douglass’s influence on it.”
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