Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Date of Degree
6-2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Program
Music
Advisor
Joseph N. Straus
Committee Members
Scott Burnham
Stephanie Jensen-Moulton
Anne Stone
Subject Categories
Disability Studies | Musicology
Keywords
opera, representation, blindness, Iolanta, Tchaikovsky, disability studies
Abstract
This dissertation explores the main tropes of representing and narrating blindness in nineteenth-century opera and fictional literature with a particular emphasis on Tchaikovsky’s 1892 one-act opera Iolanta, with its blind protagonist. Examination of the production history of Iolanta reveals that misrepresentations and misconceptions ingrained within Tchaikovsky's libretto and music have governed directorial choices, consequently giving rise to a homogeneous, predominantly unfavorable portrayal of blindness on the stage. I suggest an approach to the opera that is more consonant with the lived experience of blindness.
Recommended Citation
Chenib, Nafset, "Unveiling Iolanta: Blindness in Nineteenth-Century Opera" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/5898
Comments
Accompanying musical examples available as a YouTube playlist.