Race, Gender, and Presentism in the Opera Studies Classroom

In recent years, there has been much public debate about the staging of operas that might perpetuate racist and misogynist ideologies. Students who are trained to read such texts in the light of contemporary race and gender politics often find these historical theatrical works shocking. However, wha...

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Main Authors: Esther M. Morgan-Ellis, Reba Wissner
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: University of Bologna 2024-12-01
Series:Musica Docta
Subjects:
Online Access:https://musicadocta.unibo.it/article/view/20919
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author Esther M. Morgan-Ellis
Reba Wissner
author_facet Esther M. Morgan-Ellis
Reba Wissner
author_sort Esther M. Morgan-Ellis
collection DOAJ
description In recent years, there has been much public debate about the staging of operas that might perpetuate racist and misogynist ideologies. Students who are trained to read such texts in the light of contemporary race and gender politics often find these historical theatrical works shocking. However, what seems regressive to students today sometimes served liberatory ends for audiences and artists in other times and places. When teachers help students interpret such works through a historical lens, they provide insight into the oppressive structures and forms of resistance that have always shaped the production and reception of musical theater. In this essay, we take Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (1904) as a case study. We introduce primary and secondary sources that students can examine to better understand the politics of this opera at its premiere and throughout the 20th century. In doing so, we lay out a framework for teaching any piece of music that has meant different things to performers and audiences across time and place.
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spelling doaj-art-0354d09aff5143e3b5ce2a861f2aca122025-01-15T14:58:20ZdeuUniversity of BolognaMusica Docta2039-97152024-12-011415916910.6092/issn.2039-9715/2091919291Race, Gender, and Presentism in the Opera Studies ClassroomEsther M. Morgan-Ellis0Reba Wissner1University of North GeorgiaColumbus State UniversityIn recent years, there has been much public debate about the staging of operas that might perpetuate racist and misogynist ideologies. Students who are trained to read such texts in the light of contemporary race and gender politics often find these historical theatrical works shocking. However, what seems regressive to students today sometimes served liberatory ends for audiences and artists in other times and places. When teachers help students interpret such works through a historical lens, they provide insight into the oppressive structures and forms of resistance that have always shaped the production and reception of musical theater. In this essay, we take Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (1904) as a case study. We introduce primary and secondary sources that students can examine to better understand the politics of this opera at its premiere and throughout the 20th century. In doing so, we lay out a framework for teaching any piece of music that has meant different things to performers and audiences across time and place.https://musicadocta.unibo.it/article/view/20919madama butterflyjaponismeprimary sourcescastingstaging
spellingShingle Esther M. Morgan-Ellis
Reba Wissner
Race, Gender, and Presentism in the Opera Studies Classroom
Musica Docta
madama butterfly
japonisme
primary sources
casting
staging
title Race, Gender, and Presentism in the Opera Studies Classroom
title_full Race, Gender, and Presentism in the Opera Studies Classroom
title_fullStr Race, Gender, and Presentism in the Opera Studies Classroom
title_full_unstemmed Race, Gender, and Presentism in the Opera Studies Classroom
title_short Race, Gender, and Presentism in the Opera Studies Classroom
title_sort race gender and presentism in the opera studies classroom
topic madama butterfly
japonisme
primary sources
casting
staging
url https://musicadocta.unibo.it/article/view/20919
work_keys_str_mv AT esthermmorganellis racegenderandpresentismintheoperastudiesclassroom
AT rebawissner racegenderandpresentismintheoperastudiesclassroom