Opera, or the Undoing of Women

Opera, or the Undoing of Women
Author	Catherine Clément
Language	French
Subject	Opera
Published	1979
Publication place	France
Media type	Print

Opera, or the Undoing of Women (French: L’Opéra ou la Défaite des femmes) is a 1979 book by French philosopher Catherine Clément, in which the author explores the way in which traditional operatic plots often feature the death of female characters – in her words, "the infinitely repetitive spectacle of a woman who dies, murdered."^[1] Besides the literal deaths of characters such as Carmen, Cio-Cio-San, Isolde and Mélisande, Clément also discusses metaphorical deaths – for example, Turandot's power and the Marschallin's sexuality. Clément makes many references to works outside the field of traditional musicological and opera scholarship, including Jules Michelet's La Sorcière and Claude Lévi-Strauss's Mythologiques.

The English translation, published 1988, is by Betsy Wing, with a foreword by Susan McClary.

Operas discussed

Reception

Some critics, including musicologist Carolyn Abbate, criticized Clément's failure to discuss the music of opera in her focus on the libretto. These critics argue that although female characters die, they also hold the "authorial voice" and thus, through singing, reverse the tradition of the passive, silent woman as object. Others note that it is exactly the music that reinforces the view of Don Jose as a sweet, romantic boy (his flower aria, for example) who is brought low by the seductive Gypsy Carmen (for example, her serpentine Habanera.) ^[2]^[3]^[4]

References

^ Clément, Catherine (1988) [1979]. Opera, or The Undoing of Women. Trans. Betsy Wing. University of Minnesota Press. p. 47. ISBN 0-8166-3526-9.
^ Pendle, Karyn (2001). Women and music. Indiana University Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-253-21422-5.
^ Abbate, Carolyn (1995). "Opera; or, The Envoicing of Women". In Ruth A. Solie (ed.). Musicology and difference. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-20146-0.
^ Robinson, Paul (January 1, 1989). "It's not over until the soprano dies". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2010.

[1] Clément, Catherine (1988) [1979]. Opera, or The Undoing of Women. Trans. Betsy Wing. University of Minnesota Press. p. 47. ISBN 0-8166-3526-9.

[2] Pendle, Karyn (2001). Women and music. Indiana University Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0-253-21422-5.

[3] Abbate, Carolyn (1995). "Opera; or, The Envoicing of Women". In Ruth A. Solie (ed.). Musicology and difference. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-20146-0.

[4] Robinson, Paul (January 1, 1989). "It's not over until the soprano dies". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2010.

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