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Commissioned as a competition entry by "Sam" Falcetti for the Springfield Accordion Orchestra in 1985, Oroonoko: Rhapsody for Bayan Accordion Ensemble has been performed by virtuoso accordion ensembles in concerts and musical competitions around the world. Inspired by the 1688 novel, Oroonoko, by British author Aphra Behn, the composition evokes the narrative of the eponymous African prince who, having been tricked into slavery, suffers many hardships but ultimately finds redemption in love, honor, and death. Divided into three connected movements, depicting Oroonoko's heroism in battle, his subsequent enslavement with the woman he loves, and the rebellion he hopes will free him, the score juxtaposes African rhythms with Western tonalities to create a work that is both primitive and accessible to musicians and audiences.
John Franceschina, composer, has created scores for the National Shakespeare Company and the Provincetown Playhouse in New York City, the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, Baltimore's Center Stage, Washington's Ford's Theatre and the Arena Stage, the Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Florida Studio Theatre, Geva Theatre, Syracuse Stage, Papermill Playhouse, Music Theatre Works, and the Moscow Art Theatre, in addition to the Asolo State Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, where he acted as composer-in-residence from 1976 to 1993. His Fanfare for the Fiftieth was commissioned by Philippe Entremont for the fiftieth anniversary of the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra in 1985; his secular oratorio, Houtebeen, for male chorus, string orchestra and accordion ensemble, toured the Netherlands in 2014, and his opera, Scenes from the Jungle toured the Netherlands in 2019.
