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Sexual and Gender Non-Normativity in Opera after the Second World War

Project description

Sexuality and gender in post-WWII opera

The role gender and sexuality play in musical expression was first considered in North American musicology only in the 1970s. Two decades later, musicological research took into consideration a new approach due to the development of queer theory. Queer musicology examines music as the field of confrontation between the dominant heteronormative culture and the composer’s non-normative gender identity. Extensive research studies were conducted in North America but very few in Europe. The EU-funded NONORMOPERA project proposes unique research in queer musicology based on the investigation of eight operas between 1945 and 2000 in which participated gay composers of diverse ages, nationalities and educational experiences. It will describe how music can link experiences of marginalisation and protest against discriminatory prejudices.

Objective

In the late 1970s, North-American musicology inaugurated the exploration of the ways in which gender and sexuality affect musical expression. Since the development of queer theory in the early 1990s, a new orientation has manifested in musicological research. Musicology that integrates queer theory – most briefly defined as ‘Queer musicology’ – considers music the site for the confrontation between heteronormative dominant culture and the composer’s non-normative gender identity, who questions social prejudices on grounds of sexual and gender diversity through his art. Research in this recent trend is very productive in North-America, but it has developed less in Europe. Despite the flourishing of this field in small-scale studies across many genres, there are yet few book-length studies of coherent repertoire.

The project is unique in queer musicology in its focus on opera. By comparatively investigating eight operas premiered between 1945 and 2000 by gay composers of various ages, nationalities, educational backgrounds and musical styles, it will shed light on the expressive strategies employed by authors to represent sexual and gender non-normativity. The overall objective will be reached through the developing of three specific objectives: I) to relate the representation of sexual and gender non-normativity to the self-perception of his non-normative identity by the author, on the one hand, and to the perception of sexual and gender non-normativity by the socio-historical context where the opera was composed on the other; II) to identify the aspects of the libretto that refer to sexual and gender non-normativity; III) to identify the musical elements that contribute to the expression of sexual and gender non-normativity.

Through the inquiry into how gay composers use operatic genre to explore non-normative genders and sexualities, the project will highlight how music can relate experiences of marginalisation and challenge discriminatory prejudices.

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Topic(s)

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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITA CA' FOSCARI VENEZIA
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 255 768,00
Address
DORSODURO 3246
30123 VENEZIA
Italy

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Region
Nord-Est Veneto Venezia
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 255 768,00

Partners (1)

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