"Music of an Emerging Nation"
as featured in the film "Opening the Door West
"
by Nikos Pappas, Music Director
Music and music making occupied a central place in the lives of all
18th-century
Americans, regardless of race and ethnicity. As one of the few universally
accepted cultural and social pastimes, music could be heard in the home, the
theater, the tavern, and also in areas outside of America’s eastern
seaboard. This recording captures both the musical ebullience of a new
nation, and the artistic expression of a race in bondage as well as a
culture forced into continual exile. While previous recordings of earlier
American music have focused more on mainstream culture, Music of an
Emerging Nation serves as a soundscape for all people in 18th and early
19th-century America.
Originally compiled for use in the documentary film, Opening the Door
West, the pieces featured on this recording have been selected both for
their musical quality and their ability to capture every aspect of American
music during the Federalist period. The music heard on this recording
originates from the Iroquois and Shawnee nations, professional musicians in
New York and Philadelphia, collections for amateur and domestic use from New
England, and African Americans. In putting together this CD, every effort
has been put forth to ensure its authenticity and accurateness in
documenting the musical culture of the formative part of our nation’s
history.
For instance, one of the flutes played by Shawnee musician Butch Shepherd
of Parkersburg, West Virginia originally belonged to his grandfather and is
made of river cane from the Ohio River. Similarly, the drum heard in the
African American pieces is a 19th-century African porter’s drum originating
from Tanzania. Finally, the distribution and number of instrumentalists in
the orchestra heard on this recording correspond exactly to a period account
of the orchestra at the Park Street Theater in New York City for the year
1797, led by James Hewitt, composer of the “Medley Overture” heard on this
CD. In short, not only have the instruments been selected for their
authenticity, but also the size and combinations of instruments correspond
to known ensembles in Federalist America.
As Shelburne Films documented the opening of the door west through the
exploits of the Ohio Company, the music, whenever possible parallels this
exploration of Western culture. The march composed by Harman Blennerhassett
was most likely written in ca. 1797-1805 while living on his island estate
on the Ohio River. Similarly, the pieces played by the smaller orchestra of
string and woodwind instruments, either originated from or were found in an
early orchestral manuscript from Tallmadge, Ohio (outside of Akron) ca.
1820. Thus, the CD comprises not only a collection of music embracing
various American cultures, but also documents both the early music of the
Eastern seacoast and the earliest surviving Western musical documents.
