Bonjour, it’s Genevieve from Aix-en-Provence, France!
This past semester, I had the opportunity to take the class Opera, Women, and Politics! Aix-en-Provence is known for its summer opera festival, so it was very special to take this class in a city that appreciates and celebrates the opera. In this class, we progressed through the timeline of opera. We learned about all the different aspects that contribute to the production of an opera. Costume, set, lighting, sound, vocal coaches, orchestration, and staging are all necessary components for the opera. Producing an opera is very collaborative, especially between the composer, director, and librettist, who writes the script. Coordination and communication are all necessary to ensure the success of an opera. It was amazing to learn about how many people are involved in the production of an opera and how communal the community is.
To begin the course, we started learning about the origins of opera. The Baroque period was the first operatic period. The first opera, Orfeo, written by Monteverdi premiered in 1607 in Florence, Italy. From there we discovered notable composers and their operas from each operative period. Following the Baroque period are Classical, Early Romantic, Romantic, Post-Romantic, Post-Great Wars, and Contemporary. For each opera, we would learn about the composer and their unique musical style. Additionally, we would study the plot, famous arias, musicality, perception of women, and historical context for each opera. Also, it was important to compare and contrast various productions of the same opera, noting the different interpretations, for example, contemporary or traditional productions.
Another unique part of the class was speaking with a current opera composer Sivan Eldar. She is currently an artist in residency in Cassis, a nearby city in the South of France. She talked us through her creative process for her opera “Like Flesh.” Learning about her creative process for this opera from the very beginning was super informative and inspiring. She also shared with us about the current opera she is writing with Peter Sellars, a famous opera director.
Lastly, we had the opportunity to watch Puccini’s Madame Butterfly directed by Emmanuelle Bastet and produced by Opéra national de Lorraine at the Marseille Opera House. It was an amazing experience to see an opera we had studied in class in person. The production starred Alexandra Marcellier as Madame Butterfly, who delivered a beautiful performance.
As a result of this class, I can analyze all the aspects of an opera and now know all the notable opera composers. I have also gained exposure to a variety of operas. I am so grateful for this unique opportunity to take this class this semester and can’t wait to see more operas!
Genevieve Manise
Fall 2024
IAU - Aix-en-Provence, France
Elliott School of International Affairs
International Affairs Major