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as of 04/20/2024 (Details)
This recording is a revised version of the opera that premiered in a semi-staged format by the City of Birmingham Touring Opera in September 1995 during Africa 95, a three-month long celebration of African arts that took place in various parts of the United Kingdom. The epic poem by Senghor is based on the true story of Chaka, a 19th century king of the Zulu who achieved fame as a brilliant military strategist and empire builder but was also notorious for crimes against humanity. The poem is in two parts subtitled Chant 1 and Chant 2. The music is a fusion of 20th century techniques of composition with stylistic elements derived from African traditional music, particularly the music of the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria. Moreover, the orchestra is a combination of African and Western instruments. The opera exemplifies various theories of composition which the composer has articulated for several decades and include the theories of neo-African art music, intercultural music, African opera, and creative ethnomusicology.
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