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 ZABETTE
is
a
three-act
American
opera
with
music
by
Curtis
Bryant
and
libretto
by Mary R. Bullard. ZABETTE premiered in April 1999 in Atlanta’s
historic Rialto Theater. It was produced by Georgia State
University School of Music under the artistic direction of W. Dwight
Coleman. Additional support was provided by the Southeastern
Archeological Center, National Park Service.ZABETTE is loosely based on a true story that took place during the mid-nineteenth century on Georgia’s Cumberland Island. Robert Stafford, a white cotton planter, fell in love with his neighbor’s ward and illegitimate granddaughter, a young woman of color named Zabette Bernardey, whom he employed as a plantation nurse. (play sample from Georgia State University production.  )
Though
never
married,
they
had
six
children.
Stafford demonstrated unswerving
affection for his little family in spite of the restrictive laws
governing antebellum Georgia. Eventually, as the Civil War
approached, he sent Zabette and the children to Connecticut for their
safety and education, while he stayed behind to manage his
plantation. Their prolonged absence moved him to take up with
another “slave” woman, by whom he had two more children. At war’s
end,
Zabette returned home, fondly imagining she could reunite with her
common-law
husband. Upon discovering he had a second family, her heart was
broken.
But her friends and former patients helped her learn that with freedom
come new choices and responsibilities. There
are
five
principal
roles
in ZABETTE for two
sopranos, mezzo-soprano, baritone and bass. There are ten
secondary roles and six minor parts involving solos, some of which may
be derived from a chorus of slaves and freedmen. In addition
there are unison parts for up to five children. ZABETTE is scored
for medium orchestra (2222/2221/3 percussion and strings).
Included in the percussion are an African djun-djun, cabasa and 2
guiros. A prominent feature in Act III is the sea island ring
shout (play sample  ).
This
unusual
dance
form,
indigenous
to
coastal
Georgia
and
South
Carolina,
is
derived from the "zout," a West African dance with Arabian
roots. A major role in the opera is that of Mr. Letterlaw.
Like the messenger of the classical gods, he appears on stage to
announce the relevant
Georgia laws regarding non-whites. Invisible to the other
characters, Mr. Letterlaw represents the restrictive spirit of the
interracial
codes of the South. (play sample from Act III, Mr. Letterlaw,
sung by Uzee Brown, bass ) ZABETTE
was
written
and
scored
as
a
full-length
dramatic
opera.
Total
performance
time
is approximately two
hours, fifteen minutes. Portions, however, are particularly
suitable for recitals and concert performances, such as the “Portrait”
aria (Act I, scene i), the duet “Color Not Loveproof” (Act I, scene
iii), and the trio “Nothing Can Save Us But the Word,”(Act II), an
ensemble of three generations of Bernardey women, different in color,
but united by kinship and love. ZABETTE, as befits an American
opera, calls for performers of different racial backgrounds.ZABETTE is an opera for modern times based upon our difficult past. Its drama touches upon subjects still unresolved in our country. CDs, videotapes, and scores are available. We invite you to hear and see the world premiere performance and to consider featuring Zabette in a future production.
Curtis Bryant, composer
Mary R. Bullard, librettist Back to top |
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