A first glance, the operas Saint Francois d’Assisieby Messiaen and L’Amour de loinby Saariaho, do not seem very related to one another, but there is one key connecting factor between the two: Saariaho saw Saint Francois d’Assisieand decided that she, too, could write an opera. It seems instinctual, upon learning that Messiaen’s work inspired Saariaho,…
Author: jacquelinerhale
Music: How Much Does it Matter?
As most people know, it is typical of Western classical music to primarily perform old works by dead composers in different ways, sometimes, to the point where the music ceases to shape the aesthetic world of the work and functions as a separate entity from the music. In an effort to give audiences a new…
Would You Compare the Atomic Bomb to a God?
In John Adams’ Doctor Atomic, there are many allusions to and even direct quotes from sacred texts. This contrast with the scientific components in the opera highlights the social and moral impact that must be considered when something like the atomic bomb is being developed. In act two of the opera, “At the Sight of…
Metaphor: Love it, Hate, Deal With it
Craig Owens, in his article “Einstein on the Beach: The Primacy of Metaphor,” discusses the idea of language as a structure and its ability to define relationships between objects in a logical manner. Language as a structure defines objects and their infinite possibilities of metaphorical relationships with other objects, which makes it “unnatural,” in a…
Einstein on the Beach: Hypnotizing Music, Disorienting Staging
In attempting to examine the “opera,” Einstein on the Beach, I found it very difficult to grasp onto any solid idea that either was presented or suggested in the work. Considering the nature and motivation of both Glass and Wilson, this is exactly the kind of result they were hoping for: that the listener would…
Elusive Depth of Character in Billy Budd
When Billy Budd premiered, it came up against much praise and criticism for its lack of clarity of meaning and characterization. Based on Herman Melville’s almost inexplicable novella, Billy Budd, Sailor, much of the ambiguous nature of the text is preserved, shown in the music, as well as the libretto. Some critics praise the work…
Overtly Subtle Homosexual Themes in Britten’s Billy Budd
In regards to Britten’s opera, Billy Budd, it seems scholars and critics have come to an understanding that the work carries subtle (and not so subtle) ideas about homosexuality. With Britten and Foster both being homosexual, it is not hard to imagine that an opera written by them would have many underlying themes. I’d like…
The “American” Sound
After reading a comprehensive summary and analysis of Bernstein’s senior thesis by Geoffrey Block, it is clear that Bernstein felt that American music owed much of its influence and distinctive sound to African American music, specifically in the way of jazz. Bernstein seems to think that American music influence can be condensed to white and…
Bess: The Loose Woman
Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess has been subjected to much musicological study, criticism, and praise. The prevailing argument among those who extoll the opera is that, at the very heart of the production, lies a compelling and relatable story with complex, realistic characters. Perusing through the multitude of musicological sources on this Gershwin opera, Bess seems…
The Problem With Inaccessible Musicological Research
Musicology may be a word that many laypersons have not heard. Just from looking at the word, it is fairly obvious that it means “the study of music,” but what does it actually entail? Many serious music students don’t even hear the term “musicology” until they get to college, and only the select few who…
UTEP Graduate Music Seminar in 20th-Century Opera 