Exoticism Flashcards
(15 cards)
What are the exoticist themes in Carmen?
1) Gypsiness stereotyped as wildness
2) Exploitation of heritage of Southern Spain
What exoticist issues are raised by La Habanera?
- Based on a piece written by Sebastián Yradier, ‘El Arreglito’
- Two views to take here: ‘authenticity’ because using original source; appropriation because controlling it to represent an orientalised/disparaging version of Carmen.
- Portrayal of Don Jose who notices her when singing - as authority figure, military, symbol of West. Same with Michaela.
What does the first performance of Carmen reveal?
- Unsuccsessful first performance: at Opera Comique, which was more for families - so the sexualised (oriental!!!) portrayals of the women went against the idea of opera as a moral force.
What can we glean from Spanish response to Carmen?
Performed in Teatro de la Zarzuela:
- Corrections were made to the libretto, removing absurd/unrealistic (esp bullfighting)
- Gypsy nature removed
- Performed in Spanish
- Better reception but critics still saw it as French constructions of a non-existent Spain
- Can note sense of hypocrisy - Spanish composers still wrote polonaises.
How is Delibes’ portrayal of Lakme exoticist?
n. b 1883
- Introduction of Lakme showcases stereotyping/disparaging portrayal of Indian princess.
- Typical oriental tropes: harps, drones, augmented 2nds
- BUT some elements of Indian raga modes evident
- Sense of mysterious (typical of orientalist portrayal of women) - first verse of aria is veiled.
What issues does Delibes’ portrayal of the British suggest about orientalism?
- Suggests an oriental portrayal of the British
- Act I they break into a sacred space
- Act I quintet ‘Quand une femme est si jolie’ seems typical of opera comique but can equally be seen as a parody of G&S
- Exoticising British with stereotypes. Consider colonial past of both countries: 18th century conflicts between them had led to the destruction of most of France’s colonia empire etc
Describe/critique Edward Said’s claims of musical exoticism in Aida
Aida (1871)
Edward Said ‘The Imperial Spectacle’ (1987)
- He wrote that the plot distracts from the orientalism shown in the portrayal of the characters
- E.g. Moorish slave dance Act I (tropes)
- E.g. Ramades’ Act I Aria praising Aida (melodic simplicity and use of strange low flute timbre)
- But notable that this is mainly on Ethiopians not Egyptians
How were the Ethiopians othered in Aida?
- Gautier and Harris 2012
- Often referred to as ‘beasts’ in writing, contemporary Egyptian view of supremacy over dark skinned South-East Africans
- Reflected in the libretto, described as ‘barbarians’; contrast between shambolic Ethiopian army and Egyptian army in flanks.
(plus all Ed Said’s stuff)
How are the Egyptians portrayed in Aida?
- Paul Robinson (1993) disagrees with Said, arguing that Egyptians are portrayed with Western military music (in 4, brass heavy, diatonic)
- Verdi actually worried Act I battle scene sounded like the Marseillaise
What can we learn from the portrayal of women in Aida?
- Othered and sexualised, even Amneris (Egyptian)
- Trope of musical exoticism
- Aida in Ramades’ act I aria as unchanging
- Amneris chamber scene, sexualised
How are the Japanese portrayed in Butterfly?
Butterfly wedding entrance in act 1:
- As a slave/commodity
- Link in European minds with Geishas and prostitutes
- Pinkerton leases her just as he leases the house
- Japanese as non-human, Sharpless talks about them as a ‘swarm’; Pinkerton describes them as ‘insects’
Act 2:
- ‘Comedic’ representation as Butterfly as she is ridiculed for not being able to adjust to western modes of living (she is always suffering on stage)
- Prince Yamadori in Act 2 (her semi-Europeanised lover) arrives to Mikado tune - implications of parody immediate.
How does the music in Butterfly raise issues about orientalism?
o Different musical treatments- uses japanese melodies, but also Star-spangled banner.
- Mostly identifiable Japanese melodies, but some come from commercially available Chinese (swiss made) music-box – suggests loose permissiveness in dealings with oriental countries (agrees with Said – controlling narrative, lack of differentiation)
- Use of material as purely sonic: some songs are work songs, patter songs etc but repurposed to sell Butterfly in marriage market, so satire as original context is being railroaded in favour of brand new context – quasi-imperial way of working, appropriating
What do the Japanese/French receptions of Butterfly reveal?
Japan:
Butterfly’s presentation – seen (anonymous review 1914) as a national disgrace (how dare they bring this westernised sexualised disparaging portrayal of Japanese women to Japan), but also as a cautionary tale to show how westerners think about Japan.
France:
- First version lasted only one night in milan – very strongly racist in portrayal of japanese as animals
- Paris version toned down – but still many references
Summarise the general operatic representations of oriental females.
- Highly sexualised
- Fate is usually bad: normally dies
…
What exoticist issues does L’Arlesienne raise?
- Play with music written by Bizet
- Originally flopped but the music became the go-to for those in Provence celebrating their own culture: music had authentic origins but also widely popular
- Reappropriating the music for themselves, and acting as a symbol of resistance to Parisian enforcing of language and culture.
