Darwin's Meditation for the People of Lincoln commissioned by Brooklyn Academy of Music

Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln—two extraordinary men—were born within hours of one another on the same auspicious day of February 12, 1809. If one traced the origin of the human species, the other set its destination in motion. In Darwin's Meditation for The People of Lincoln, composer/musician Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) brings them toe-to-toe for a lush, orchestral event of historic proportions.

A grandly conceived work that employs the expansiveness of SymphoNYC, an eighteen-piece chamber orchestra conducted by Paul Haas, together with four arresting soloists—DBR (violin), Wynne Bennett (prepared piano), Daniel Beaty (spoken word), and Emeline Michel (voice)—Darwin's Meditation for The People of Lincoln sculpts the sound of liberation, survival, and legacy in the image of two of its most tireless proponents. Using texts drawn from both Darwin and Lincoln, plus those of Obie Award-winning playwright Daniel Beaty, DBR creates a brilliantly imagined conversation between two historical giants—and a scintillating, spiritual, sonic vision of what it means to be free.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Darwin
• Lincoln
• DBR
• BAM
• Decatur
• Milliken
• Daniel
• Bernard
• Roumain
• Classical
• Haiti
• Emeline
• Michel
• Beaty

[ForTheArticles]

Lincoln and Darwin were born on the very same day. One man set the slaves free while the other man set the minds of all mankind free.

[SuperCreeper2]

@ForTheArticles Lincoln did not "set the slaves" free. He emancipated the slaves of the Confederate, while the slave states of the Union retained their slaves. A good step, but purely political in the War of Northern Aggression.

[WorldisArt]

Emiline's voice is gorgeous! DBR, keep on coming back to NC State university! =D

[Mr88playmaker]

DNA code is empirical proof that biological life forms are a creative product of information and language. i.e.: Nous / Logos (Mind + Words)

[Mr88playmaker]

(A) Information is: the communication or reception of knowledge or intelligence.

(B) Information exist independent of its medium.

(the same information can be stored in one's mind, expressed verbally, written on paper, typed on a computer etc.)

(C) Code = Language. Language originates in a MIND.

There ore only two types of language known to man: (1) That of human mind origin (2) DNA code.

Information is not matter or energy.

Language is not matter or energy.

[artistsassist]

Speculation is a great activity.

[reid2hai]

What Lincoln accomplished politically is far more significant than his own personal prejudices.

The same can be said for Jefferson and Lyndon Johnson. The precedents they set for the future of the country and personal liberty is what matters.

[bamawuatng]

that's true...

[darkeneddreams]

The photography is brilliant but the build up is too much.

[martoss15]

Not to piss all over a good idea... But Lincoln was considerably racist for a good amount of time of his presidency and life in general. Most abolitionists didn't believe in racial equality, they mostly just wanted the South to have fewer people in Congress thanks to the 3/5 Compromise.

Darwin is a different story entirely.