From Scarabea, Artusa’s old nurse in Francesco Mannelli’s La Maga Fuminata (1638 Venice) through the Canadian nursing sisters in Stephanie Martin’s Llandovery Castle (2018 Toronto), over one hundred nurse characters appear in opera roles ranging from silent cast extra to principal singer. The Nurse in History and Opera: From Servant to Sister explores that role over the span of opera’s existence.
Judith Barger examines the nurse character in opera within the sociohistorical context of her real-life counterparts off stage; the progression of the nurse from servant to sister, both inside and outside the opera house, is a commentary on how society has viewed its women. The book then discusses textual and musical interactions between opera’s nurses and other characters with attention to what the nurse’s role contributes to opera in six categories identified as common to opera’s nurses – Comic, Former, Knowledgeable, Motherly, Scheming, and Specialized.
When viewed through the lens of social history, opera’s nurse characters merit attention for the glimpse that they offer of a unique musical and dramatic journey from servant to sister, and for the commentary that they offer on women’s perceived place and status not only on the opera stage, but in society as well.
View the author’s website here: Judith Barger | Author, Nurse Historian & Music Scholar
Judith Barger examines the nurse character in opera within the sociohistorical context of her real-life counterparts off stage; the progression of the nurse from servant to sister, both inside and outside the opera house, is a commentary on how society has viewed its women. The book then discusses textual and musical interactions between opera’s nurses and other characters with attention to what the nurse’s role contributes to opera in six categories identified as common to opera’s nurses – Comic, Former, Knowledgeable, Motherly, Scheming, and Specialized.
When viewed through the lens of social history, opera’s nurse characters merit attention for the glimpse that they offer of a unique musical and dramatic journey from servant to sister, and for the commentary that they offer on women’s perceived place and status not only on the opera stage, but in society as well.
View the author’s website here: Judith Barger | Author, Nurse Historian & Music Scholar
Betal nemt med kort, Klarna, Apple Pay eller Google Pay. Ikke tilfreds? Du har altid 14 dages fortrydelsesret. Læs mere i vores vilkår. Har du spørgsmål, så send os en mail på hello@memmo.org.
Memmo gør det nemmere at studere – uanset hvor du er i verden. Hos os samler du dine kursusbøger og smarte studieværktøjer ét sted: resuméer, quizzer, podcasts og flashcards. Og så er der Ted, din studieven, der svarer på alt, du undrer dig over. Over 50 000 studerende studerer allerede her – bygget til at hjælpe dig med at lære hurtigere og stresse mindre.