Pavilions, Serpents, and High Cs: European and Asian Opera

Opera is a dramatic art and a product of a creative collaboration between a musical composer and a writer (librettist). When composers such as Mozart, Monteverdi, Puccini, and others came together with their librettist counterparts, provocative operas came into being. In this seminar we will explore the composer-librettist interface with a focus on operatic songs (called arias) and their associated texts. We will study how words convey meaning and emotion, and how music in the context of opera, can elevate words to more fully express meaning. Students will view, listen to, and come to understand the operatic genre through written responses, creative writing, research papers, in-class discussions, and an informal presentation of their own creative work. All levels of ability are welcome, including students with little musical background and those who consider themselves to be serious musicians. 3 hrs. sem.