University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

A Singer’s Guide to John Adams’ Opera “A Flowering Tree”, with a Focus on the Character of Kumudha

Bang, Joo Young

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Description

Title
A Singer’s Guide to John Adams’ Opera “A Flowering Tree”, with a Focus on the Character of Kumudha
Author(s)
Bang, Joo Young
Issue Date
2016
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Professor Stephen A. Taylor
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Professor Stephen A. Taylor
Committee Member(s)
  • Professor Michael Silvers
  • Professor Barrington Coleman
  • Professor Charlotte Mattax Moersch
Department of Study
School of Music
Discipline
Music
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
A.Mus.D. (doctoral)
Keyword(s)
  • John
  • Adams:opera
  • flowering
  • tree
Language
en
Abstract
The American composer John Adams has addressed global issues in many of his operas including Nixon in China, Doctor Atomic, and The Death of Klinghoffer, although they all feature Americans as main characters. His opera A Flowering Tree is distinguished from these other works, since it is based on a traditional Indian folktale. This study is aimed at professional vocalists, to help them understand the characters and music of A Flowering Tree. This beautiful work, which has not received the attention of some of Adams’ other operas, is a valuable addition to the repertoire. I hope to show that singers can gain a great deal from studying its music and staging. Most importantly, I hope that performers will be able to prepare a better performance through the following analyzes. I will focus especially on the main character Kumudha’s transformation into a flowering tree, based on her emotions and the situation in which she finds herself.
Type of Resource
text
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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/94931

Owning Collections

Doctoral Project Papers [Option 3] - Music PRIMARY