Benjamin Britten Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Benjamin Britten - Essay ExampleBenjamin Britten was an opera composer of the modern age. Beca theatrical role he lived in the modern age, there has been a range of interpretations that musicologists bemuse taken towards his work. The range of interpretations depend in the first place upon whether the musicologist who analyzing his work is an example of a sensitive musicologist or an venerable musicologist. New musicologists essenti eithery are cogitate upon the convey of the work (Eyerman & McCormick, 2006, p. 2). New musicologists may extrapolate meaning from examining the composer himself, discerning what a particular composer may have meant by his work by examining the life of the composer in search of clues (Seymour, 2004, p. 1). They may besides derive meaning by applying other disciplines to the work, such as literature, religion, philosophy and psychology (Zolberg, 1990, p. 8). They may derive meaning by associating the work with a body of studies, such as gender s tudies or queer studies. They may apply sociology to the work in an effort to discern the works meaning (Brett & Britten, 1993, p. 633). Or, they may use a combination of the above to arrive at what the meaning is. New musicologists may be compared with erstwhile(a) musicologists. For them, new musicology is a corrupting influence in that, by applying other disciplines, the inherent musicality of a particular piece is lost (Miles, 1995, p. 12). Old musicologists analyze work by using musical theory, and may be formalistic or positivistic in their approach to composers work (Agawu, 1997, p. 299). What they do not do is attempt to discern hidden meanings behind the composers work. The shift from old musicology to new musicology bath be traced to Joseph Kerman (1985), whose book Contemplating Music Challenges to Musicology, was the first instance where a musicologist proposed analyzing music by bringing in history, communication, the existence of other works of art, affects, texts and programmes (Kerman, 1985, p. 18). Since then, prominent musicologists such as Susan McClary and Philip Brett have analyzed music from the survey of gender and queer studies, respectively (McClary, 1993 Brett, 1993). These scholars represent the tip of the iceberg for new musicologists, scarcely they are examples of how new musicology approaches music. This paper leave behind consist of an examination of new musicology and compare it to old musicology. Then, the next section will examine how new musicologists see the works of Britten by examining some of the themes that are inherent in his work, themes that have been teased out by prominent new musicologists. The next section will handle how old musicologists examine Brittens work. Finally, the last section will be a conclusion which ties together the concepts and analyzes what it all means. New Musicologists Approach to Brittens Work A new musicologist would not analyze Brittens operas in a superficial way such stating the inno cent themes of a certain opera, without going into subtext but would also go beyond what is on the surface and delve not only into Brittens psyche but also the sociological mores of the times to determine what the true meaning is behind the operas that he has compose. For instance, Seymour (2004) state that if unitary examines a Britten opera, there are a number of superficial themes, but that, if one looks closer at Brittens operas one can see that he is trying to find a voice that energy embody, communicate, and perhaps resolve, his private concerns and anxieties (Seymour, 2004, p. 1). Seymour was a definitive new musicologist, as she attempted to examine several operas written by Britten Paul Bunyon, Death in Venice, three of his church parables and several of his childrens operas and analyzed these creatively by linking them to psychological factors and biographical events that were occurring with Britten during this period of time (Seymour, 2004, p. 1). It was Seymours th eory that Britten, through his music, was able to channel ideas about his sexuality and identity that were difficult for him to come to terms with and