|
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 text | KDobias.pdf |
| |