The operatic genre is considered to be locked in a rigid itinerary, which cannot perform detours of any kind. Therefore, it is thought to be genre that is more revered than respected bearing, thus, a resemblance to religion rather than art. What this dissertation seeks to explore is a certain possibility in the form of a hypothesis. We will explore the “what-if” of unlocking this rigidity and attempting a sort of transfiguration. By painting the scenery, or rather the landscape of opera in colors of current American trends and traits. USA has always been a country which has had the privilege of nurturing opera fans by supporting the popularity of opera in a variety of ways. What will be examined are the ways that inspired directors Jonathan Miller and his 1975 “Mafia” production of Rigoletto for the ENO as well as James McDonald’s 2002 “White House” production of the opera for the WNO, to present the opera in an American context. Giuseppe Verdi’s masterpiece Rigoletto along with its manifestations and interpretations by these two directors that design and paint an American landscape for European either by provoking the audience and in particular, opera-buffs and hardcore fans, or by triggering images known and popular to the wider audience bestowing upon opera a most welcome sense and nuance of familiarity and belongingness. Rigoletto offers and carries the powerful potential to function as a canvas for this venture to be formulated. The opera’s characters, as viewed through the landscapes that these two directors have painted, invite the audience to familiarize themselves with figures that are flexible enough to unfold as space-less, deterritorialized images that have the ability to provoke and boast an Americaness which can be either welcome or cause a bit of an uncomfortable spine-tingling wonderment of political and cultural nature.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Conclusion
Research Objectives & Core Themes
This dissertation explores the diachronic quality of Giuseppe Verdi's Rigoletto by examining its adaptability through a hypothesis of "relocation." The primary objective is to investigate how the opera can be reinterpreted within a contemporary American framework, specifically analyzing how two distinct productions—Jonathan Miller’s 1975 "Mafia" version and James McDonald’s 2002 "White House" version—transfigure the original socio-political context while maintaining the work's inherent emotional and dramatic power.
- The potential for opera to transcend its original historical and geographical constraints.
- The critical role of directorial intervention in "Americanizing" European operatic narratives.
- The persistence of characters as flexible iconic figures that maintain dramatic coherence across disparate settings.
- The balance between fidelity to the original musical text and the necessity for radical recontextualization.
Excerpt from the Book
Dramatis Personae, the Past and the Interpretative Potential
In a world of different cultural tastes and values, opera bears the same stigma with classical music: It’s the stigma of the old, the obsolete and the idealized in an old-fashioned way and manner. According to Julian Johnson in Who Needs Classical Music?,
Classical music today occupies a position similar to that of religion in other ways. For a majority of people, it derives from an earlier age, very different from our own, and survives only as an anachronism. While its apparent lack of modernity puts many people off, it is occasionally welcomed for the touch of solemnity and historical gravity it brings to big public occasions. It is tolerated so long as it presents itself as a wholly private matter – “a matter of faith” – but given little space if it begins to preach or make claims binding upon others. It has a place as one of many diverse cultural choices whose value is conferred by their use, by what they do for the people who use them rather than by any intrinsic properties. It is seen as a relatively closed world, defined by formal ritual and practices that divide it from the everyday. Classical music, like religion, thus survives in contemporary society shorn of the claims with which it was earlier identified. (7)
What Johnson’s rightful claim, regarding classical music, points to is a current, generically inevitable truth in relation to opera as well, and that would concern its place in the modern world of taste and cultural values which is the same as classical music. Opera, like classical music, is respected but it is not at all times willingly understood. Such is the case with Rigoletto and such is also he case with this dissertation. To show an all but harmful disrespect to the genre that has been mainly revered as well as feared due to its elevated status. To speculate upon a potential change in the origins of the work under consideration would eventually point to a much-desired demystification of the genre.
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: This chapter defines the core project of exploring the "Americaness" of Rigoletto and outlines the hypothesis that opera is a diachronic genre capable of meaningful relocation.
Chapter One: This section provides a historical overview of the opera's creation, the composer's struggle against censorship, and a detailed analysis of the characters' dramatic potential.
Chapter Two: This chapter analyzes James McDonald’s 2002 production for the Welsh National Opera, focusing on its relocation of the narrative to an American 1960s "White House" setting.
Chapter Three: This chapter examines Jonathan Miller’s 1975 production for the ENO, exploring its "Mafia" aesthetic and the implications of removing the author/composer's original framework.
Conclusion: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, confirming that Rigoletto’s success in these diverse productions proves the genre’s capacity for evolutionary rediscovery.
Keywords
America, Americaness, Audience, Canvas, Censorship, Composer, Europe, Familiarity, Icons, Imagery, Interpretation, Landscape, Mafia, Relocation, Textuality
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental premise of this dissertation?
The work explores whether Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto can be relocated from its original Italian context to a contemporary American setting, thereby demonstrating its enduring, diachronic quality.
Which specific productions are analyzed?
The study focuses on Jonathan Miller’s 1975 "Mafia" production for the English National Opera and James McDonald’s 2002 "White House" production for the Welsh National Opera.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to move beyond traditional operatic studies and investigate how "Americaness" can function as a lens for reinterpreting classic European opera without losing its core essence.
What methodology is applied?
The author uses case-study analysis of these two specific productions, supported by theoretical frameworks regarding opera, adaptation, and the "death of the author."
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main chapters provide a historical background to the opera's creation, investigate the political nature of the chosen modern productions, and discuss the impact of relocating the text.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key concepts include Americaness, diachronic quality, interpretative relocation, operatic landscapes, and the socio-political context of the 1960s.
How does the author interpret the character of Rigoletto in the 2002 production?
The author notes the character’s complex emotional state, highlighting how the production hints at political parallels—specifically mentioning a resemblance to Henry Kissinger—to enhance its satirical impact.
What is the significance of the "infernal" nature described in the text?
The "infernal" quality refers to the opera's inherent political critique and anti-authoritarian force, which the author argues is effectively amplified when the work is placed in a modern American framework.
- Quote paper
- Dionysis Tzevelekos (Author), 2008, American landscapes in european opera, Guiseppe Verdi's Rigoletto paradigm, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/263193
