Opera in Postwar Venice: Cultural Politics and the Avant-Garde

This book explores operatic production in Venice in the aftermath of fascism and World War II, challenging perceptions of crisis and demonstrating the city's flourishing avant-garde activity. It recasts major composers, works, stylistic categories, and narratives of twentieth-century music, providing fresh understandings of works by Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Verdi, Britten, and Nono.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 242 pages
Publication date: 02 September 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This book delves into the operatic production in Venice's nascent postwar culture, serving as a lens to explore the intricate relationship between opera and politics in the twentieth century. Often portrayed as museums frozen in time and oblivious to the future, this narrative is challenged. Rather than perceiving crisis as a hindrance, opera thrived on it, and despite being physically confined to the past, Venice witnessed a vibrant avant-garde scene. By focusing on the local musical culture, Harriet Boyd-Bennett reexamines some of the prominent composers, works, stylistic categories, and narratives of twentieth-century music. Through her comprehensive study, readers gain fresh insights into the works of composers such as Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Verdi, Britten, and Nono, shedding light on their artistic contributions and their profound impact on the musical landscape.

Introduction:
Beginning from the unlikely vantage point of Venice in the aftermath of fascism and World War II, this book explores operatic production in the city's nascent postwar culture as a lens onto the relationship between opera and politics in the twentieth century. Both opera and Venice in the middle of the century are often talked about in strikingly similar terms: as museums locked in the past and blind to the future. These clichés are here overturned: perceptions of crisis were in fact remarkably productive for opera, and despite being physically locked in the past, Venice was undergoing a flourishing of avant-garde activity.

Opera and Crisis:
Focusing on a local musical culture, Harriet Boyd-Bennett recasts some of the major composers, works, stylistic categories, and narratives of twentieth-century music. The study provides fresh understandings of works by composers as diverse as Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Verdi, Britten, and Nono. By examining the ways in which these composers responded to the political and social contexts of their time, the book offers a nuanced interpretation of their artistic endeavors.

Reexaminations of Composers:
Through her comprehensive study, Boyd-Bennett reexamines the works of composers such as Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Verdi, Britten, and Nono. She explores their compositions within the broader context of twentieth-century music, considering their influences, stylistic innovations, and the social and political messages conveyed through their music. By examining the ways in which these composers responded to the challenges and opportunities of their era, the book provides a deeper understanding of their artistic achievements.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, this book offers a compelling exploration of the relationship between opera and politics in the twentieth century. By examining operatic production in Venice's postwar culture, it challenges the notion of opera as a static and irrelevant art form. Instead, it demonstrates how opera can be a dynamic and responsive medium that reflects the changing social and political landscape. Through its reexaminations of composers and their works, the book provides valuable insights into the artistic contributions of twentieth-century musicians and their enduring impact on the world of music.

Weight: 420g
Dimension: 167 x 243 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781316620571