American Opera Today: Explorations of a Burgeoning Industry

Undergraduate

Contemporary opera constitutes one of the most vibrant sectors of classical music in the United States today. The past decade has seen a range of experimental performances that excitingly challenge stylistic and generic boundaries, and a widening spectrum of creators have been reaching to opera as a medium to center and (re)present stories of historically marginalized communities. Beyond introducing students to the richness of this new repertory, the seminar addresses the broad socio-political and economic currents underlying these recent changes in American opera, including institutional and funding structures; the role of PR, criticism, awards, and other taste-making agents; and cultural reckonings with systemic racism, engrained injustices, and white supremacy. A selection of recent operas or scenes—available as video recordings or audio files—allows us to explore aesthetic issues, such as narrative structures, diverse treatments of the (singing) voice, embodiment, interactivity, immersion, the role of digital media, mobility, site-specificity, and new online formats for opera. Students learn how to write about contemporary performances and works for which little scholarship is yet available; practice both public-facing and academic writing; recognize and critique contemporary canon-formation processes; and relate contemporary artistic practices to a larger institutional and economic ecosystem. At least one trip to the Metropolitan Opera is anticipated, for Anthony Davis and Thulani Davis’ X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X . HU Th 9:25am-11:20am