On February 6, 2025 the Folger’s virtual book club continues with a discussion of Symphony of Secrets by Brendan Slocumb. To prepare for the discussion, we have pulled together a list of resources related to Shakespeare, opera, and Morgiane, the first known opera by a Black American composer.
LEARN more about Black voices in classical music
- Podcast: Every Voice with Terrance McKnight
- Podcast: Melanated Moments in Classical Music
- African American Art Song Alliance
- Sphinx Music
DISCOVER Edmond Dédé’s Morgiane, displayed at the Folger through March 2, 2025
- A Lost Opera is Found: Edmond Dédé’s Morgiane
- Found: A Manuscript That Unlocks a Forgotten Black Composer’s World
- After 138 years, Black American composer Edmond Dédé gets his flowers
EXPLORE Shakespeare and opera
- Shakespeare and opera: Verdi, Rossini, and other composers inspired by the plays
- Bringing Shakespeare’s Macbeth to Operatic Heights
- Adapting Shakespeare’s ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ for opera
- Q&A: Allan Clayton on playing Hamlet in Brett Dean’s opera
- Venus and Adonis: The classical myth that inspired Shakespeare’s epic poem and John Blow’s 17th-century opera
- Shakespeare and opera: Jealousy and tragedy in Verdi’s Otello
- Verdi’s Macbeth: “The opera without a love affair!”
- Charles Gounod: The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in four beautiful duets
- A feast of Falstaff: Sir John in opera
LISTEN to related podcast episodes
- Episode 127: Shakespeare and Opera, with Colleen Fay
- Episode 191: Brett Dean and Matthew Jocelyn on Their Hamlet Opera
- Episode 192: John Adams Gives Antony and Cleopatra the Operatic Treatment
REVISIT past Folger programs exploring opera
- Folger Consort
- Folger Humanities
We would like to thank the following organization for its generous support of this program
Join us for a future event
A Midsummer Night's Dream in May
A Midsummer Night's Dream in May
In this professional development session from Folger Education, teachers will explore the ways that connecting complex texts can help students dive deep into language.
Wed, May 28, 2025, 8pm
Folger Book Club: 'Queen B' by Juno Dawson
Folger Book Club: 'Queen B' by Juno Dawson
Our June 2025 selection sets the stage for 'Her Majesty's Royal Coven' trilogy, tracing the origins of the coven to the days following Anne Boleyn's execution.
Thu, Jun 5, 2025, 6:30pm
Virtual Folger Salon with Charmaine Cordero, Esteban Crespo, and Toby Yuen-Gen Liang
Virtual Folger Salon with Charmaine Cordero, Esteban Crespo, and Toby Yuen-Gen Liang
Learn about research happening at the Folger in real time! Each month, Folger Institute scholar and artist fellows will share their most exciting finds and thought-provoking challenges, followed by casual open conversation.
Fri, Jun 27, 2025, at 12pm ET
Stay connected
Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.