LAPR 961 - Opera and Politics

Throughout its history, whether at court or in public theaters, opera has exhibited a magnetic pull on artists and audiences attracted to the exploration of political themes. This course examines operatic instantiations of the conflict between social conformity and personal freedom, the hedonistic abuse of power, the glorification of past achievements in order to deflect attention from present impotence, the retreat from political disillusionment, and idealized interior worlds. General commentary on musical, formal, and dramatic elements characteristic of historical periods alternates with closer analysis of specific works. Formerly HU 294

Prerequisites & Notes
Prerequisite: LACR 102

Credits: 3 cr, 3 hrs