CLCS 216 Opera: When Music Meets Literature
The unique alchemy of word and sound, of music, literature and theater led to the creation of a complex art form - Opera. The objective of this course is to familiarize students with all the elements that contributed to its popularity throughout the centuries. It is meant to enlarge the cultural horizon through a historic prospective from its origins to present day, overcoming the largely diffused pre-concept that opera is only for connoisseurs.
Based on extensive listenings, readings and discussions, the course emphasizes the musical and literary aspects of opera history, as well as its theatrical, architectural and political context. It presents students with the essential elements needed to attend a performance, the variety of singing voices and the complexity of preparation and staging of an opera. It encourages students to comparative listening of different versions and reading of the original literary sources.