Musical Symbolism in the Operas of Debussy and Bart³k

"For its organization, scope, and rigorous theoretic-analytical scrutiny, the book is a landmark in multidisciplinary studies that surround the dramaturgical and musical concepts of these two Symbolist operas. It integrates insights from psychoanalysis, feminist studies, and post-tonal theory to enrich our understanding of dramatic meaning suggested by the musical symbolism. The book is remarkable for its in-depth musical approach to a variety of psychological, social, and historical issues, which the author has drawn into the aesthetic orbit of these pioneering operas."--George Perle "This book provides new and essential technical methodology for approaching the compositional language of these operatic masterpieces. Of equal significance is the author's presentation of profound insights into their psychological issues rarely encountered in musicological literature. Not only will scholars and students acquire a deeper understanding of the radical changes in the traditional tonal language that occurred in the early twentieth century, but also the whole notion of symbolism and its reflection in both drama and its characterizations."--Benjamin Suchoff, University of California, Los Angeles "In Musical Symbolism in the Operas of Debussy and Bartok, Elliott Antokoletz pushes our understanding of music drama to new depths as he, in collaboration with his wife, a psychologist, uses the insights of psychoanalysis to explore a close reading of character, gender relationships, and dramatic motion in music setting Maeterlinck's plays. Exploring the works as symbolic representations of trauma and related emotions, he shows how musical correspondences distinguish between the agency of humans and fate, the unfolding of internal and external processes. This unveils the modernism of these operas in original and provocative ways."--Jann Pasler, University of California, San Diego "In Musical Symbolism in the Operas of Debussy and Bartok, Elliott Antokoletz pushes our understanding of music drama to new depths as he, in collaboration with his wife, a psychologist, uses the insights of psychoanalysis to explore a close reading of character, gender relationships, and dramatic motion in music setting Maeterlinck's plays. Exploring the works as symbolic representations of trauma and related emotions, he shows how musical correspondences distinguish between the agency of humans and fate, the unfolding of internal and external processes. This unveils the modernism of these operas in original and provocative ways."--Jann Pasler, University of California, San Diego "This book provides new and essential technical methodology for approaching the compositional language of these operatic masterpieces. Of equal significance is the author's presentation of profound insights into their psychological issues rarely encountered in musicological literature. Not only will scholars and students acquire a deeper understanding of the radical changes in the traditional tonal language that occurred in the early twentieth century, but also the whole notion of symbolism and its reflection in both drama and its characterizations."--Benjamin Suchoff, University of California, Los Angeles "For its organization, scope, and rigorous theoretic-analytical scrutiny, the book is a landmark in multidisciplinary studies that surround the dramaturgical and musical concepts of these two Symbolist operas. It integrates insights from psychoanalysis, feminist studies, and post-tonal theory to enrich our understanding of dramatic meaning suggested by the musical symbolism. The book is remarkable for its in-depth musical approach to a variety of psychological, social, and historical issues, which the author has drawn into the aesthetic orbit of these pioneering operas."--George Perle