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Verfremdungseffekt in Busoni's Turandot: a modernist opera

Although well-respected as a pianist, teacher, and theorist, Ferruccio Busoni is overlooked as a composer. His works are viewed as being old-fashioned and conservative, especially in light of his avant-garde ideas. However, his ideas and music, especially his operas, reflect early twentieth-century Modernist aesthetics. This thesis examines Busoni's objective approach, eclecticism, and anti-realist stance in his opera Turandot. Busoni's libretto and his use of the commedia dell'arte and exoticism encourage critical, active participation from the audience. The conscious theatricality in Turandot is remarkably similar to Bertolt Brecht's very Modernist idea of the Verfremdungseffekt. The parallels between Busoni and Brecht demonstrate that Busoni's Turandot mirrors contemporary interests, and even anticipates future developments.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:uvic.ca/oai:dspace.library.uvic.ca:1828/2363
Date15 March 2010
CreatorsShum, Annie
ContributorsFillion, Michelle
Source SetsUniversity of Victoria
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Formatapplication/pdf
RightsAvailable to the World Wide Web

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