Black Opera: History, Power, Engagement

by Naomi André

From classic films like Carmen Jones to contemporary works like The Diary of Sally Hemings and U-Carmen eKhayelitsa, American and South African artists and composers have used opera to reclaim black people's place in history. Naomi André draws on the experiences of performers and audiences to explore this music's resonance with today's listeners. Interacting with creators and performers, as well as with the works themselves, André reveals how black opera unearths suppressed truths. These truths provoke complex, if uncomfortable, reconsideration of racial, gender, sexual, and other oppressive ideologies. Opera, in turn, operates as a cultural and political force that employs an immense, transformative power to represent or even liberate. Viewing opera as a fertile site for critical inquiry, political activism, and social change, Black Opera lays the foundation for innovative new approaches to applied scholarship.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, Sociology, Race

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2018

Reviews

[Marie-Therese · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

An exceptional book in every way. Thoughtful, well-researched, and very well-written. A must read.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thought-provoking and exceedingly well-written book covers black people and blackness in opera during the 20th and 21st centuries in American and South Africa. André focuses primarily on Porgy and Bess, Carmen and three of its adaptations, and Winnie: The Opera (about Winnie Mandela). She covers issues of representation, liberation, activism, justice, and how opera can be a locus for any or all of these things. She gives a fresh view of opera and what it can do culturally and artistically.

[Kristen Flock-Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a classical music fan, not necessarily an opera fan (I see productions from time to time), and this book was engaging for me. The topic is very important and is approached in a very thoughtful and thorough way. The analysis provided around operas like Porgy and Bess and Carmen and the song cycle From the Diary of Sally Hemings as well as all the accompanying, contextualizing details was incredibly well done. It was a very academical read, but felt important to try my best to digest such an important piece of musicology as someone who enjoys classical music.

[Julesie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really well written book centering around Porgy & Bess, Carmen and Winnie: the Opera. With every opera she discusses the importance of representation, activism, justice and liberation - learning about the character archetypes in black opera was fascinating and reminded me of the archetypes in commedia dell’arte. I took the time to listen to some of the listen as I was reading about it - hearing the song cycle about Sally Hemmings while reading that chapter was so moving. I would love to see/hear Winnie:the opera. I got emotional reading about that opera and Winnie’s legacy.

[Mills College Library]

782.10899 A555 2018