Drew University Library : University Archives : Theses and Dissertations
    
author Kara Dobias
title Rectifying a Historical Wrong: A Critical Examination of the Economic and Racial Politics of American Opera
abstract This thesis examines the recent actions that the American opera industry has been taking towards greater racial equity and systemic change. The Metropolitan Opera is used as a case study for understanding the interplay between economics and race in the operations of American opera institutions. A historic overview of the development of American music reveals how race-based musical hierarchies informed perceptions of opera as a Eurocentric art form. At the same time, minstrelsy as popular culture worked to delegitimize African American composers as "serious" musicians. Both of these factors help point to why the contributions of African American composers have been historically overlooked in the narrative of American opera. In addressing how the opera industry may become more inclusive, this thesis proposes the reclaiming of works by African American composers Scott Joplin and William Grant Still. The benefits of this reclamation are highlighted through an examination of the music, subject matter, production history and critical reception of the operas Treemonisha and Troubled Island. Also considered is the importance of/need for either the staging of existing works by contemporary African American composers, or the commissioning of new works. Offered as examples of contemporary composers are Anthony Davis and Terence Blanchard. For their 2020-2021 season the Metropolitan Opera will be staging Blanchard's new work, Fire Shut Up in My Bones. It will be the first opera by an African American composer to be staged at the Met. In marking this historic occasion, Fire Shut Up in My Bones offers room to consider what benefits the production can offer in moving the industry towards a more equitable future, as well as the challenges it might face with how the industry stands.
school The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University
degree B.A. (2021)
advisor Lisa Brenner
committee Kimani Fowlin
Trevor Weston
full textKDobias.pdf