Description
Nanon, for euphonium and tuba duo with optional electronic track, was commissioned by Gail Robertson and Stacy Baker, and premiered in Memphis, Tennessee at the International Tuba Euphonium Association South Central Regional Conference in March 2024. The musical score is presented in graphic format, as a map of the city of Paris in the late eighteenth century, beautifully designed and drawn by Qiudi Zhang. The performance involves the players making choices between elements of melodic material placed within the map.
In 1755, a young woman sailed to Paris from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe, to be reunited with her son Joseph, who had been sent there to school. She was Nanon, and she was enslaved. Her courage to leave home, and seek something new, inspired this work. Nanon lived the rest of her life in the bustling, artistic center of Paris, and raised her son, who showed unusual musical talent from a young age. She cared for and supported him, as he was educated at the finest academies in the city. Joseph grew up to become one of the most popular performers in France, known across Europe, for his work as a violinist, conductor, and composer of hundreds of works. Nanon’s bravery, and her willingness to work and move in a world with unending restrictions, is the story behind the scenes. Today we revere Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799) as a central figure in the Classical musical scene, but we do not know enough about the woman who made that possible. Nanon passed away in 1795, less than four years before her son’s own death. This work encourages us to pause and acknowledge the life of Nanon, and honor her love, care, and spirit.
The players can traverse the city in any manner, and choose the musical elements found at each place along their journey through the community. From the market at Les Halles, where we might find Nanon doing her morning shopping, to the sounds of Joseph in concert at the Hôtel de Soubise, or the Palais-Royale. Each musician performs at their own pace, choosing where to travel next, and how to arrange the melodies they find on the map. The river Seine flows serenely through the center, it’s melody calm and soothing. Both Nanon and Joseph would have often crossed the Seine as they went about their days, feeling the calm steady foundation of Notre Dance Cathedral alongside the river. Their apartment at 49 rue Saint André des Arts serves as home base, though Joseph lived for a time at the Hôtel de Montesson, where he likely met Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, eleven years his junior. The landmark Musée de Louvre, a royal palace with extensive art collections, which opened to the public in 1791, and the adjacent Jardin des Tuileries, were common concert locations.
The performance is designed to transport the performers, as well as the audience, to another time, and allow us to envision other lives and experiences. Through this honoring, the story of Nanon and Joseph allows us to broaden our understanding of the history of music, as well as our shared responsibility to showcase the stories of all.
Length: 6 minutes (length is flexible, shorter performances are welcomed).
Difficulty Level: III/IV (includes optional improvisation, moderate register, flexible length and tempo, suitable for advanced high school and beyond).
