Abstracts
Abstract
Multiple readings of madness are examined in Poulenc’s opera Dialogues des Carmélites (1957) through the framework of mad studies. Several layers of madness can be found in this work: individual lived experiences of madness, the history of mental illness in France during and after the French Revolution, and the cultural metaphor of hysteria as social degeneration, as articulated by Micale. Close readings of two scenes with a discussion of their musical features are included: the first prioress’s death (act 1, scene 4) and the final scene at the guillotine (act 3, scene 4).
Keywords:
- mad studies,
- madness,
- opera,
- hysteria,
- Poulenc
Résumé
De multiples interprétations du concept de la folie sont examinées dans l’opéra de Poulenc, Dialogues des Carmélites (1957) dans le cadre des études de la folie. La folie se retrouve à plusieurs niveaux de cette oeuvre : vécus de folie individuelles, histoire des maladies mentales en France pendant et après la Révolution française, et la métaphore culturelle de l’hystérie en tant que dégénérescence sociale, telle qu’articulée par Micale (1995). L’analyse détaillée de deux scènes sont incluses, complétées par une discussion de leurs caractéristiques musicales : la mort de la Première Prieure (acte 1, scène 4) et la scène finale à la guillotine (acte 3, scène 4).
Mots-clés :
- études de la folie,
- folie,
- opéra,
- hystérie,
- Poulenc
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Appendices
Biographical note
Colette Simonot-Maiello is an associate professor of musicology at the Desautels Faculty of Music, University of Manitoba. Her research focuses on gender, politics, religion, and mental health and modern opera. She also writes about Canadian national identity in the wake of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and musicology pedagogy. Her scholarship includes numerous conference presentations, public talks, and publications in University of Toronto Quarterly, Intersections, Canadian Journal of Native Studies, and other media.
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