Geter | Amanirenas

R E

Amanirenas

SC O

for soprano and piano

Music by Damien Geter

PE R

U SA L

Text by Lorene Cary 2023

Commissioned for Karen Slack by the Ravinia Music Fes�val, Aspen Music Fes�val and School, Boston Symphony Orchestra for the Tanglewood Learning Ins�tute, Denver Friends of Chamber Music, Washington Performing Arts, The 92nd Street Y, New York, and the Newport Classical Music Fes�val

PE R U SA L SC O

R E

R E

SC O

Amanirenas for soprano and piano

U SA L

Music by Damien Geter Text by Lorene Cary

PE R

2023

Program Note When Karen approached the Blacknificent 7 to be a part of the African Queens project, I knew immediately that my subject would be the great ruler, Amanirenas, the “One Eyed African Queen,” ruler of the kingdom of Kush. Little is known about her life, but perhaps what she is most well known for was defeating Caesar in his failed attempt to conquer Kush.

The music’s contrasting phrases highlight two sides of Amanirenas; the fierce warrior, and the gentle mother which is symbolic of the everyday queens I have known throughout my life.

R E

—Damien Geter 2023

Dedicated to my dear, dear friend, Karen Slack.

SC O

Text No, Daughter! No! Do not take up my sword.

Do not strap on my shield.

My sword.

Patience...

This is not Egypt And I am not Cleopatra.

I am Amanirenas.

I will not hold Death to my breast And give my people Over to Rome.

U SA L

Rome marched into Kush, Bringing death: To your father, Your brother, Our soldiers, Our women, Our children, Our cattle and grain.

Patience...

PE R

And I cut off the head Of their statue, Caesar’s head, And buried it Under the door To my temple.

Go step on it When you pray.

But do not take up

“If you want peace, take these with my blessing; If you want war, you will need them.”

Rome has scooped out my eye.

But the eye that is left Can see the future: We will live!

Queen-mother and queen, Qora and kandake, Ruling Kush, Free of Rome!!

No!

We steal into their stinking camps.

Night after night And as they Dream of our blood, We slit their throats And choke on their own.

And your daughter And hers And hers, And hers!

Do not take up my sword.

Do not strap on my shield.

Patience -

Patience!

I have sent Golden arrows to Caesar and said:

I will give you a crown!

Pronunciation Note: Qore (KOOR-ray) and Kandake (KUN-duh-kay) Amanirenas, Kush’s Great Woman/Queen/ Kandake, recovers from wounds from her in a night raid, and speaks to her daughter, who is preparing to follow her dead father and brother and wounded mother into battle against the Romans.

Duration: c. 6 min.

First printing, November 2023 Music Copyright © 2023 Damien Geter. All Rights Reserved.

Program Note Copyright ©2023 Damien Geter. All Rights Reserved Text Copyright © 2023 Lorene Cary. All Rights Reserved.

Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

Vocal Score

Commissioned for Karen Slack by the Ravinia Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival and School, Boston Symphony Orchestra for the Tanglewood Learning Institute, Denver Friends of Chamber Music, Washington Performing Arts, e 92nd Street Y, New York, and the Newport Classical Music Festival

Amanirenas for soprano and piano Lorene Cary

Damien Geter

Strongly Declaimed  = 79



 3       





6





            



Do not take up my sword.



     



      

Pa - tience...



                                           

PE R



No!

   



            

Maestoso  = 70



Do not strap on my shield.



Daugh - ter!

   

U SA L

rit.

No,

   



SC O

Piano





SOPRANO

               

R E

 

  

 slow roll 

  

 

Rome marched

   

                   

    in - to Kush,

 



   

bring - ing death

   

to your

                                                                           marcato                                               

Copyright © 2023 Damien Geter. All Rights Reserved.

Published by Just a eory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

JAT 112-025-VS

2

   

Damien Geter | Amanirenas

9

fa

bro - ther, our

sol

-



diers.

our



 

wo - men,



12

  

our

     



R E

                                                              legato                                                            





chil - dren,

our cat - tle



     



and

                                                                                15            grain.

And                                                                                                                                     18                                                        

PE R



ther, your



 

SC O



-

  

U SA L



    

  

I

cut off the head

                              

of

their

                    

sta - tue.

    

Cae - sar’s head,

                                  

              

Vocal Score

 

     



And

           

22



un - der

  

the door

to my

 

                                

   

 

 







step on it

when you pray.

 



U SA L

25

    

 

But do not take up

 



my

sword.

 

                                                                                                    

27 Dolce  = 64

       

        







Go



 

                                                                                                       

          

PE R



bu - ried it.

                                           

tem - ple.



 

 

SC O



I

3

R E

20

 slow roll 

   

Pull back slightly  = 65

 

Pa - tience...

          

        

      









 







Damien Geter | Amanirenas



 

 

                  is

   

 

32

I



 not

Cle - o - pa - tra.

 

I am

A - man

 



      





  

    

    

     

        

 

E - gpyt.



                      34

 

is not

  

 

  



36



 

breast







 

-

 



    







 

 

  





  

  

  

  

 

    



    

 

And

   



  

 



 

 

i - re - nas.

   

   



      

  

 

 

 

 

    

 

    

I will not hold death

to my

 

                           sub.                         

PE R



am

 

 

U SA L



 

  

SC O

30

R E

4

         



and give my peo - ple o - ver to Rome.

                               





 

 

No!

                                           

   



 

Vocal Score

  

39

We steal



in - to their stink - ing

camps.

   

 

    

and as they dream of our

                                           

U SA L

44



We

slit



        

their throats...

     



And choke on

    

their

own.

                                                                                                           

PE R



 



R E

                              

blood.



  

                                                                                                     42                       Night a - fter night





SC O



       

   

5

47









     Pa - tience.

                                                                                                                  

6

Damien Geter | Amanirenas

 

  











Pa - tience, pa - tience.











53



  

 

  



    

  

                      



 







    

   

57







                

  

take



U SA L

  





these

with my

     



bles - sing.



    

  

61

 







     

  

and said:



If

 







you



want

  

   

  

          

you want

 peace

  

   



 

                                                 

war,



If

 

accel.

    

   



            

    

 





I have sent Gol - den

                        



PE R



Pa - tience.

          

ar - rows to Cae - sar





  

SC O



 

   

Pesante  = 55

rit.

R E



50





  

you

will

need them!

 





   

 



 

Vocal Score

65 As before  = 65

poco accel.

   

R E

scooped out my

SC O

has

71

eye.

But the eye that is left can see the

  

    -

-

-

 



ture.

   



We will live!

                                                                        sub.                                                        

PE R





                                                                                                                                     

fu



 

                                                                                                                           68                             Rome





 

Poco più mosso  = 70

U SA L



7

74







 

 

We will

live.



       



                                                                                                                         

8 77

Damien Geter | Amanirenas



 

gliss.

Queen

-

-



and

79



 

 

R E

                                       

    

Queen

mo - ther



and

   

82



U SA L

                                                                                                                   



 



 

PE R

                                                                                                        

85



Qo - ra





                                            

Queen.



 



mo - ther

queen.





SC O



-

  







and

 

 

kan - da - ke.





                                                                                    

Vocal Score

87





   



Ru - ling Kush,

Free

of

 

R E



   

  

rit.

Rome!!



                                                                                        

PE R

U SA L

                                          

93

Dolce  = 50 

 





                                                                             

90





SC O



   

9

 



 









And your daugh - ter,

                       molto legato                  

  

and hers,

                

 



  

  

    

  

  

   

Damien Geter | Amanirenas

 



 

  



 

R E

10

 

95

 

and

hers,

and hers!

                                                                                             

    

   

 

 









PE R

 

      



I’ll give you

a

Dolce  = 50

102

   





Do not strap on my shield.

U SA L

Do not take up my sword.

 

     

  crown!

                                   

  

 

 



 



 

Pa - tience!

    

     



98 Freely and well articulated





SC O



    

     

 very slow roll 



 

  

 

Suddenly  = 70

 



                            

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