Recent scholarly discourse on the so-called Zeitopern of the Weimar Republic has tended to focus on the novelty of these works: their obsession with technology, the prevailing political climate or jazz idioms, for example. Indeed, very few academics have examined the operas’ close links to music and opera of the past (especially Wagner, who apparently stands in direct opposition) and to contemporaneous, non-‘Zeit-’ music drama. To what extent, then, were these pieces ‘of their time’? Investigating these issues, as well as the disparity between the works’ ambition for mass appeal on the one hand and their swift departure from the repertoire (unprecedented for works of such initial popularity) on the other, the Zeitoper’s apparently most fundamental defining quality – ephemerality – will be brought into question in an approach novel for its broader outlook and thoroughness.
Table of Contents
‘Hier berührt sich das Zeitkunstwerk mit dem »Ewigkeitswerk«’: To what extent was the Zeitoper truly ‘of its time’?
‘A highly complex, functional, polished art work’: Demythologising the Zeitoper
A Context for the Zeitoper
‘This stupid marriage is forever getting in our way’: The influence of the eighteenth century
‘Eyes to the rear, not ahead’: The nineteenth century in the Zeitoper
Conclusion: ‘Today things are important that earlier were hardly noticed’
Research Objectives and Topics
This dissertation aims to demythologize the genre of the "Zeitoper" by challenging the prevalent academic tendency to view these works as isolated, radical, and purely "modern" phenomena, and instead recontextualizes them within the broader traditions of music history, demonstrating their deep-seated, often overlooked reliance on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century operatic conventions.
- Critical re-evaluation of the definition and categorization of "Zeitoper".
- Examination of the interaction between contemporary thematic elements and traditional musical forms.
- Analysis of the influence of eighteenth-century opera buffa and nineteenth-century models on interwar stage works.
- Investigation into the aesthetic paradox of utilizing "modern" subjects within traditional operatic structures.
Excerpt from the Book
‘A highly complex, functional, polished art work’: Demythologising the Zeitoper
Thanks, supposably, in large part to Sally Bowles, the character portrayed by Liza Minnelli in the 1972 film Cabaret, Berlin during the Weimar Republic has carved itself a certain reputation in popular and intellectual imagination, into which it is tempting indeed to squeeze the Zeitoper. Although a Guide to Decadent Berlin, complete with recommendations of ‘bohemian cafes, cabarets, nightclubs and low-life bars’, was in fact circulated throughout the city during the ‘roaring’ 1920s, such a representation is largely misplaced. In truth, there was a strong conservative aspect which is consistently overlooked today: at the time, much of the Republic opposed the very spirit which cultural historians now celebrate.
Most accounts single out Berlin – and, specifically, the Krolloper (‘mid-wife to a new operatic age’) – as the innovative centre of Weimar cultural life, yet premieres frequently took place outside the city, or in one of its supposedly more conservative venues. Smaller houses in the provinces competed with one another to secure premieres of new works which would earn them prestige: of just some of the works discussed in this dissertation, Krenek’s Jonny spielt auf and Weill’s Der Zar lässt sich photographieren were both premiered in Leipzig; Hindemith’s Hin und Zurück in Baden Baden; Krenek’s Der Sprung über den Schatten in Frankfurt; Alban Berg’s Lulu in Zürich. Weill’s Die Bürgschaft was staged in Berlin, but at the Städtische Oper (today the Deutsche Oper); in fact, Hindemith’s Neues vom Tage was the only work to premiere at the Kroll in its entire history.
Chapter Summaries
‘Hier berührt sich das Zeitkunstwerk mit dem »Ewigkeitswerk«’: To what extent was the Zeitoper truly ‘of its time’?: This introductory chapter outlines the common misconceptions surrounding the Zeitoper and establishes the dissertation's goal to recontextualize the genre through a more authentic, historically informed evaluation.
‘A highly complex, functional, polished art work’: Demythologising the Zeitoper: This chapter challenges the established image of the Zeitoper as a radical product of Berlin's "roaring" culture, highlighting instead the conservative environments in which many of these works premiered and questioning the supposed centrality of jazz in their composition.
A Context for the Zeitoper: This chapter argues against the artificial partition of early twentieth-century music history, demonstrating that production of mainstream and traditional works continued alongside contemporary compositions throughout the era.
‘This stupid marriage is forever getting in our way’: The influence of the eighteenth century: This chapter reveals the strong, often ignored ties between the Zeitoper and eighteenth-century opera buffa, analyzing how composers utilized traditional forms while simultaneously attempting to capture the "tempo" of their own time.
‘Eyes to the rear, not ahead’: The nineteenth century in the Zeitoper: This chapter demonstrates the significant influence of nineteenth-century musical models, including Wagnerian idioms and the verismo movement, on the compositional structure and sound world of the Zeitoper.
Conclusion: ‘Today things are important that earlier were hardly noticed’: This final chapter synthesizes the findings, arguing that the Zeitoper is defined by a stylistic plurality that has led to its misinterpretation and neglect, and asserting its fundamental dependence on long-standing operatic conventions.
Keywords
Zeitoper, Weimar Republic, Musicology, Operatic Tradition, Modernity, Neo-classicism, Jazz Idioms, Ernst Krenek, Kurt Weill, Paul Hindemith, Opera Buffa, Verismo, Richard Strauss, Alltäglichkeit, Gebrauchsmusik
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this academic work?
The dissertation fundamentally challenges the musicological classification of the "Zeitoper" as a purely radical or "new" phenomenon, arguing instead that these works are deeply rooted in historical operatic traditions.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
The study covers the interaction of modern subject matter with traditional forms, the role of popular idioms like jazz, and the aesthetic relationships between interwar composers and their eighteenth- and nineteenth-century predecessors.
What is the primary goal or research question?
The primary goal is to perform a thorough demythologization and recontextualization of the Zeitoper to provide a more authentic evaluation of its place in music history, questioning to what extent it was truly "of its time."
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The work utilizes a methodology of historical contextualization and comparative analysis, re-examining the scores and historical reception of works by Hindemith, Krenek, and Weill against their contemporary and historical counterparts.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body examines the geographical and cultural contexts of premieres, the influence of eighteenth-century opera buffa and neo-classicism, the presence of nineteenth-century aesthetics like Wagnerism and verismo, and the paradox of the Zeitoper's "ephemeral" nature.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
The research is best characterized by terms such as Zeitoper, Weimar Republic, musicological recontextualization, operatic tradition, and the interplay between modernity and historical form.
How does the author view Susan C. Cook’s 1988 study?
The author views Cook's study as a groundbreaking but now-outdated work, arguing that its narrow focus and desire to portray the Zeitoper as entirely novel led to a significant distortion of history.
What is the significance of the bathtub scene in Hindemith’s "Neues vom Tage"?
The scene is analyzed as a dramatic situation that Hindemith deemed essential, contrasting with the moralistic outrage it provoked in figures like Joseph Goebbels, and highlighting the disconnect between the work's intention and its later reputation.
Why are the "jazz" elements in these operas considered problematic by the author?
The author argues that jazz was often used as mere "couleur locale" rather than a foundational musical language, noting that it was typically distinct from actual improvised American jazz of the period.
- Quote paper
- Christopher McNulty (Author), 2008, "Hier berührt sich das Zeitkunstwerk mit dem »Ewigkeitswerk«". To what extent was the Zeitoper truly "of its time"?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/272931
