Location
Culp Center Rm. 311
Start Date
4-25-2023 11:00 AM
End Date
4-25-2023 11:20 AM
Faculty Sponsor’s Department
Appalachian Studies
Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor
Jane MacMorran
Competition Type
Competitive
Type
Oral Presentation
Project's Category
Arts and Culture
Abstract or Artist's Statement
This research applies qualitative literary analysis and ethnographic methods to examine the portrayal of Appalachia in the operas Susannah and Cold Mountain. The operas were premiered 60 years apart, yet they share many themes that epitomize roles, patterns, and stereotypes within the Appalachian region. One theme observed is the expectations of Appalachian women and how they have developed over time, as the plots are placed roughly a century apart. The depictions of Appalachian religious traditions and representations of violence are explored as these themes also play considerable roles in Susannah and Cold Mountain. By analyzing the representation of Appalachia in these operas, this study places the significance of opera among other forms of media that are evaluated in the field of Appalachian Studies.
Susannah and Cold Mountain: Examining the Portrayal of Appalachian Culture in Opera
Culp Center Rm. 311
This research applies qualitative literary analysis and ethnographic methods to examine the portrayal of Appalachia in the operas Susannah and Cold Mountain. The operas were premiered 60 years apart, yet they share many themes that epitomize roles, patterns, and stereotypes within the Appalachian region. One theme observed is the expectations of Appalachian women and how they have developed over time, as the plots are placed roughly a century apart. The depictions of Appalachian religious traditions and representations of violence are explored as these themes also play considerable roles in Susannah and Cold Mountain. By analyzing the representation of Appalachia in these operas, this study places the significance of opera among other forms of media that are evaluated in the field of Appalachian Studies.