Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1975. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 278-300).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1954. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 491-507).

This thesis focuses on the opera text enlightened from four different perspectives: the translator, the librettist, the composer and finally the singer, based on the author’s thirty years of professsional practice, in the spirit of Donald A. Schön’s study from 1983: The Reflective Practitioner; How professionals think in action. The method is basically hermeneutic and the esthetics inspired by Umberto Eco’s Opera Aperta (”The Open Work”) from 1962. Questions from within the perspective of the translator are: In what ways does opera translation differ from other forms of translation, and how does an opera translator work? What is the history of “opera in the ver-nacular” compared to “opera in original language” and are singable translations needed whatsoever in the modern era of subtitling? The perspective of the librettist examines the opera form’s SWOT-analysis, the differences from other “storytelling” art forms, the task of making an adaption compared to choosing to create an original plot, the matter of taste and building the form from dramaturgical principles, the shaping of aria texts, the importance of tight collaboration and cutting, cutting, cutting (“a libretto cannot be short enough” Edgar Istel, 1922). The composer’s perspective contains practical and theoretical words of advice and examples from practice, together with a so ”think aloud”-study from within a composer’s thought process while working. The final chapter, from the singer’s perspective, focuses on whether modern vocal ideals and singing “in original language”, with subtitles, together with expanding performance halls, have made opera text harder to perceive, and rendered earlier established texting techniques forgotten or obsolete. The answers to all these questions are complex. This thesis concludes that the opera form is still expanding, but not necessarily in the direction of creating a new, contemporary canon. “There are about 600 opera houses in the world, all are ‘National Galleries’, none is the Tate Modern” (Per-Erik Öhrn, 2012), but there are also opportunities. Almost all successful new opera productions in recent years have their librettos written in English, a language traditionnally regarded as “weak” in the field of opera. Opera audiences worldwide are nowadays accustomed to hearing and understanding sung English words and comprehending a dramatic context when expressed in English, thanks to 100 years of Anglo-American dominance in popular music and about 50 years of dominance in television and films.

Thesis (D. Mus. Arts)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-72).

Inaug.-Diss.--Cologne. / Vita. Bibliography: p. 232-247.

This opera is the composer’s fanciful speculation on the origin of the banshee, a character out of Irish legend whose keening is a herald of death. In three scenes, the opera tells the story of a witch whose quest for power leads her from one depravity to the next and ends with the destruction of her family. When the witch finally confronts the ruin she has caused, she wails with grief and transforms into the banshee. The work is scored for soprano, mezzo-soprano, baritone, dancer, and chamber orchestra, and it is approximately one hour in duration.

This thesis is a critical comparison of the <I>Macbeth</I> operas of Verdi and Bloch, with an examination of how the challenges posed by the play are dealt with by the two composers. It opens with a brief discussion of what makes the play suitable for operatic adaptation, followed by an outline of the musical techniques employed by both composers, and then a comparison of the two libretti. The main focus of this thesis is the issue of characterisation: the way in which it is altered to suit the operatic stage and how this affects the drama as a whole. There is firstly a detailed investigation of the parts played by the witches and Lady Macbeth, the way in which they are characterised through their music, and their relative importance in the downfall of Macbeth. This is followed by a brief examination of the 'good' characters, the questions raised by their presentation in play and operas, and whether the lack of any credible opposition to Macbeth contributes to the tragedy. The most substantial section of the thesis focuses on Macbeth, the problems posed by the complexity of Shakespeare's character, and the ways in which these are dealt with by Verdi and Bloch. The main issue is whether the inability of opera to present the full complexity of Macbeth's nature as verbally expressed, results in a weaker character and a lesser tragedy. Arising from the relative weakness of the operatic Macbeth is the question of how much responsibility he must bear for his downfall, and how much he is a victim of his wife, the witches, and external fates and events. Finally, taking into consideration the points raised above, conclusions are drawn regarding the success of these two operas, both as adaptations of Shakespeare and as dramatic works in their own right.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität zu Köln. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 247-266) and index.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität zu Köln. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 247-266) and index.

Revision of Thesis (Ph. D.)--Universität Göteborg, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 673-703).