59 min
Dr. Naomi André | Ways of Seeing // Black Opera Towards a New Opera!
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- Performing Arts
Towards a New Opera!
Ep 4 | Dr. Naomi André - Ways of Seeing // Black Opera
created by Alexander Gedeon
design by Yuki Izumihara
a co-production of Long Beach Opera & Social Convention
--- for mature audiences ---
This week author and scholar Dr. Naomi André joins us to discuss the continued use of blackface in 21st century opera, opera in South Africa, and all of the cognitive dissonances of race in American opera today. Dr. André is the author of “Black Opera: history, power, engagement.”
Towards a New Opera! is a new podcast intended to engage discussion with diverse artists on the expanding possibilities of new American opera. What does a new opera look and sound like if classical music is not treated as a culturally 'superior' form? How can conceptual artists from outside the field be engaged in the 'public dreaming' of new approaches? Each is a ‘message in a bottle’ — with the dream of awakening new connections across vast cultural seas."
Alexander Gedeon is a stage director and performer born and based in Los Angeles, working primarily in the field of contemporary opera. He is currently Long Beach Opera's Minister of Culture.
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The Towards a New Opera! intro/outro theme is an interpolation of Aretha Franklin's 'Amazing Grace' with Philip Glass's 'Dance No. 1'.
—
RABBIT HOLES:
The title of this episode is partially borrowed from the John Berger book and mini-series “Ways of Seeing” from 1971. Dr. André began a lecture of hers a while back citing this work — a feminist touchstone of understanding the presentation of the feminine in Western media. I encountered it in college and it had a profound effect on me. An obscure but highly recommended (and enjoyable) rabbit hole:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDE4VX_9Kk
Will Liverman’s new album “Dreams of a New Day”
https://open.spotify.com/album/5fLcTLH7sr3J1s29wQwOyG?si=PHT5KmOjQ2asjjRH4OhyXg
In this clip Sibo Bangoura plays a cora and sings in the Senegambian ‘griot’ tradition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdrPmZwsXiM
The moment Winnie Mandela spoke to the crowd after the premiere of “Winnie the Opera”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tozZudTny2M
I’m watching a video analysis of “The Death of the Author”…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9iMgtfp484
… but haven’t read the 8 page essay… YET
https://sites.tufts.edu/english292b/files/2012/01/Barthes-The-Death-of-the-Author.pdf
Towards a New Opera!
Ep 4 | Dr. Naomi André - Ways of Seeing // Black Opera
created by Alexander Gedeon
design by Yuki Izumihara
a co-production of Long Beach Opera & Social Convention
--- for mature audiences ---
This week author and scholar Dr. Naomi André joins us to discuss the continued use of blackface in 21st century opera, opera in South Africa, and all of the cognitive dissonances of race in American opera today. Dr. André is the author of “Black Opera: history, power, engagement.”
Towards a New Opera! is a new podcast intended to engage discussion with diverse artists on the expanding possibilities of new American opera. What does a new opera look and sound like if classical music is not treated as a culturally 'superior' form? How can conceptual artists from outside the field be engaged in the 'public dreaming' of new approaches? Each is a ‘message in a bottle’ — with the dream of awakening new connections across vast cultural seas."
Alexander Gedeon is a stage director and performer born and based in Los Angeles, working primarily in the field of contemporary opera. He is currently Long Beach Opera's Minister of Culture.
—
The Towards a New Opera! intro/outro theme is an interpolation of Aretha Franklin's 'Amazing Grace' with Philip Glass's 'Dance No. 1'.
—
RABBIT HOLES:
The title of this episode is partially borrowed from the John Berger book and mini-series “Ways of Seeing” from 1971. Dr. André began a lecture of hers a while back citing this work — a feminist touchstone of understanding the presentation of the feminine in Western media. I encountered it in college and it had a profound effect on me. An obscure but highly recommended (and enjoyable) rabbit hole:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pDE4VX_9Kk
Will Liverman’s new album “Dreams of a New Day”
https://open.spotify.com/album/5fLcTLH7sr3J1s29wQwOyG?si=PHT5KmOjQ2asjjRH4OhyXg
In this clip Sibo Bangoura plays a cora and sings in the Senegambian ‘griot’ tradition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdrPmZwsXiM
The moment Winnie Mandela spoke to the crowd after the premiere of “Winnie the Opera”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tozZudTny2M
I’m watching a video analysis of “The Death of the Author”…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9iMgtfp484
… but haven’t read the 8 page essay… YET
https://sites.tufts.edu/english292b/files/2012/01/Barthes-The-Death-of-the-Author.pdf
59 min