Opera can reveal something fundamental about a film, and film can do the same for an opera, argues Marcia J. Citron. Structured by the categories of Style, Subjectivity, and Desire, this volume advances our understanding of the aesthetics of the opera/film encounter. Case studies of a diverse array of important repertoire including mainstream film, opera-film, and postmodernist pastiche are presented. Citron uses Werner Wolf's theory of intermediality to probe the roles of opera and film when they combine. The book also refines and expands film-music functions, and details the impact of an opera's musical style on the meaning of a film. Drawing on cinematic traditions of Hollywood, France, and Britain, the study explores Coppola's Godfather trilogy, Jewison's Moonstruck, Nichols's Closer, Chabrol's La C?r?monie, Schlesinger's Sunday, Bloody Sunday, Boyd's Aria, and Ponnelle's opera-films.
Author(s): Marcia J. Citron
Series: Cambridge Studies in Opera
Edition: 1
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2010
Language: English
Pages: 344
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 4
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
Figures......Page 12
Tables......Page 15
Music examples......Page 16
Acknowledgments......Page 18
Introduction......Page 21
Structure and repertoire......Page 22
Music......Page 25
Intermediality......Page 27
Other themes......Page 30
The operas......Page 32
Theory......Page 33
Part I Style......Page 37
1 Operatic style in Coppola’s Godfather trilogy......Page 39
Epic structure......Page 41
Epic style......Page 45
Quality of feeling......Page 52
Nostalgia......Page 54
Nino Rota’s music......Page 56
Intermediality......Page 62
Cavalleria rusticana......Page 63
Beyond representation......Page 70
The cry......Page 71
Intermezzo......Page 73
2 Opera as fragment: “Liebestod ” and “Nessun dorma ” in Aria......Page 78
Roddam’s “Liebestod”......Page 83
Music–image relationship......Page 85
Hearing......Page 92
Film music, intermediality......Page 94
Russell’s “Nessun dorma”......Page 96
Larger aesthetic issues......Page 102
Exoticism......Page 107
A tale of two segments......Page 110
Part II Subjectivity......Page 115
3 Subjectivity in the opera-films of Jean-Pierre Ponnelle......Page 117
Camera work......Page 119
Point-of-view......Page 120
Zooms and pans......Page 123
Sharp angles, differential focus, and other effects......Page 126
Doubling......Page 132
Figaro......Page 138
Interior singing......Page 141
Butterfly......Page 145
Manipulation of time......Page 148
Rigoletto’s loop......Page 149
Butterfly’s fantasy......Page 151
The larger picture......Page 152
4 Don Giovanni and subjectivity in Claude Chabrol’s La Cérémonie......Page 156
Subjective viewpoints......Page 158
Don Giovanni......Page 160
Act i Finale......Page 165
Why the Act i Finale?......Page 171
Act ii......Page 174
Aural remains......Page 180
The opera relay......Page 182
Myths and bodies......Page 186
The Godfather Part iii......Page 187
Don Giovanni and film: Chabrol, Losey, Sellars......Page 189
Part III Desire......Page 191
5 “An honest contrivance”: opera and desire in Moonstruck......Page 193
Who are these people?......Page 195
Ronny......Page 197
Loretta......Page 199
The music: Bohème and more......Page 201
Bohème cues......Page 203
At the Met......Page 212
At the phonograph......Page 217
No. 1. Almost “Addio”......Page 218
No. 2. The climax......Page 220
The desire for opera-film......Page 224
Bohème as kitsch?......Page 228
6 The sound of desire: Così's “Soave sia il vento” in Sunday, Bloody Sunday and Closer......Page 232
Two London films......Page 233
“Soave sia il vento”......Page 236
“Soave” in Sunday, Bloody Sunday......Page 244
The first cue......Page 246
Other cues......Page 249
Intermediality......Page 253
“Soave” in Closer......Page 254
The “Soave” cue......Page 256
More of Così......Page 260
Intermediality......Page 263
Two movies and an opera......Page 264
Epilogue......Page 266
Introduction......Page 270
1 Operatic style in Coppola’s godfather trilogy......Page 272
2 Opera as fragment: “Liebestod” and “Nessun dorma” in aria......Page 283
3 Subjectivity in the opera-films of Jean-Pierre Ponnelle......Page 289
4 don giovanni and subjectivity in Claude Chabrol’s la cérémonie......Page 296
5 “An honest contrivance”: opera and desire in moonstruck......Page 302
6 The sound of desire: così’s “Soave sia il vento” in sunday, bloody sunday and closer......Page 309
Bibliography......Page 316
The Main Films......Page 332
Of Related Interest......Page 333
Index......Page 335
