The Problem of Genre in Opera and Musical Theater
Location
King Building 341
Document Type
Presentation
Start Date
4-28-2017 3:00 PM
End Date
4-28-2017 4:20 PM
Abstract
The institution, strict adherence to, and singular nature of genres in music has hindered our ability to hear music. The expectations attached to genres are so strong in present day that if these expectations are undermined, the listener fixates on the deviation rather than the inherent artistic value. In addition, there is no way to deal categorically with musical works that do not fit neatly into one genre, or those that fit into many. In order to show that genres are both an unnecessary and flawed way of categorizing music, I will examine two musical works. The ambiguity of genre in West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein) and Porgy and Bess (George Gershwin) have been discussed widely because they contain elements of both musical theater and opera. While West Side Story has primarily been performed on Broadway stages, Leonard Bernstein recorded a classical version in 1984 featuring premiere operatic vocalists such as Kiri Te Kanawa and José Carreras. Although Porgy and Bess was originally conceived as an opera by Gershwin, it was altered and performed in America as a musical from 1942-1976, until Houston Grand Opera produced the piece in its original, operatic form. Through examination of the cultural context surrounding each work and theoretical comparison with the prototypical opera and musical, I will argue that genres are too simplistic a tool to be used musically, and that they are in fact inhibiting for musical appreciation.
Keywords:
genre theory, musicology, music theory, musicals, opera, West Side Story, Porgy and Bess
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Lily, "The Problem of Genre in Opera and Musical Theater" (04/28/17). Senior Symposium. 27.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/seniorsymp/2017/presentations/27
Major
Musical Studies
Advisor(s)
Jan Miyake, Music Theory
Project Mentor(s)
Ben Geyer, Music Theory
April 2017
The Problem of Genre in Opera and Musical Theater
King Building 341
The institution, strict adherence to, and singular nature of genres in music has hindered our ability to hear music. The expectations attached to genres are so strong in present day that if these expectations are undermined, the listener fixates on the deviation rather than the inherent artistic value. In addition, there is no way to deal categorically with musical works that do not fit neatly into one genre, or those that fit into many. In order to show that genres are both an unnecessary and flawed way of categorizing music, I will examine two musical works. The ambiguity of genre in West Side Story (Leonard Bernstein) and Porgy and Bess (George Gershwin) have been discussed widely because they contain elements of both musical theater and opera. While West Side Story has primarily been performed on Broadway stages, Leonard Bernstein recorded a classical version in 1984 featuring premiere operatic vocalists such as Kiri Te Kanawa and José Carreras. Although Porgy and Bess was originally conceived as an opera by Gershwin, it was altered and performed in America as a musical from 1942-1976, until Houston Grand Opera produced the piece in its original, operatic form. Through examination of the cultural context surrounding each work and theoretical comparison with the prototypical opera and musical, I will argue that genres are too simplistic a tool to be used musically, and that they are in fact inhibiting for musical appreciation.
Notes
Musical Studies Capstone Panel
Session II, Panel 9 - Musical | Genres
Moderator: Ben Geyer, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory