Overview

For many instructors today, teaching canonical dramatic repertoire can be a fraught proposition: from Don Giovanni to South Pacific, key works in the history of opera and musical theater present challenges related to gender, race, colonialism, class, and more. Teaching Canonic Opera and Musical Theater with Intention: A Teacher's Guide offers instructors a toolkit with which to productively confront the canon, directly engaging in the difficult conversations this repertoire can prompt. Informed by evidence from contemporary and historical context, librettos, and production history, instructors will be able to confidently help students consider best practices for the future. This book presents 15 case studies of exemplars from the opera and musical theater canon, which showcase a close study of the music and text in service of addressing the most provocative aspects. With nuanced explorations of each work, the authors offer a variety of pathways to draw connections between their content and the present day. Teaching Canonic Opera and Musical Theater with Intention is a vital resource for college-level music history and appreciation instructors that will enable them to teach canonic repertoire as part of contemporary curricula, and to help students engage critically with these works, their historical impact, and ongoing relevance.

Full Product Details

Author:   Catherine Coppola ,  Elizabeth A. Wells
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.420kg
ISBN:  

9781032774220

ISBN 10:   1032774223
Pages:   130
Publication Date:   04 December 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

I. Gender & Class Mozart, Don Giovanni: Beyond the Hashtag Bizet, Carmen: Fate or Choice? Rodgers & Hammerstein, Oklahoma!: Rewriting Race and Gender Sondheim, Company: Changing Perspectives on Marriage Lerner & Loewe, My Fair Lady: Class and Colonialism II. Race and Presumed Whiteness Mozart, Magic Flute: Whose Enlightenment? Verdi, Aida: Race and Empire—“Caught Up in the Colors of the Story” Gershwin & Gershwin, Porgy and Bess: Who Tells the Story of Systemic Racism? Kern & Hammerstein, Show Boat: The Dynamics of the South Bernstein & Sondheim, West Side Story: Whose Stories? III. Colonialism and History Rewritten Puccini, Madama Butterfly: Imperialism and Gender Wagner, Tristan and Isolde: From Fierce Fighter to Transcendent Redeemer Handel, Giulio Cesare: Cleopatra Resists Rodgers and Hammerstein, The King And I: The Colonial Mask Comes Off Miranda, Hamilton: A new era?

Reviews

""This book teaches the controversies surrounding some of the most popular works encountered on Broadway, in the opera house, and in music history courses. Packed with critical insight and practical advice, it will be an indispensable resource for teachers and performers alike."" —Richard Will, Professor of Music, University of Virginia, author of ""Don Giovanni"" Captured: Performance, Media, Myth (University of Chicago Press, 2022) “A fascinating and important project.” —Kunio Hara, Associate Professor of Music History, University of South Carolina; cultural consultant Houston Grand Opera, featured speaker Boston Lyric Opera’s Butterfly Process

""This book teaches the controversies surrounding some of the most popular works encountered on Broadway, in the opera house, and in music history courses. Packed with critical insight and practical advice, it will be an indispensable resource for teachers and performers alike."" —Richard Will, Professor of Music, University of Virginia, author of ""Don Giovanni"" Captured: Performance, Media, Myth (University of Chicago Press, 2022) “A fascinating and important project.” —Kunio Hara, Associate Professor of Music History, University of South Carolina; cultural consultant Houston Grand Opera, featured speaker Boston Lyric Opera’s Butterfly Process (2022)

Author Information

Catherine Coppola is Chair of the Thomas Hunter Honors Program and Lecturer in Musicology at Hunter College of the City University of New York. Elizabeth A. Wells is Professor of Music History and Musicology at Mount Allison University.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions