Teaching Canonic Opera and Musical Theater with Intention

A Teacher's Guide

Catherine Coppola, Elizabeth A. Wells

$134.95 $107.87

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Routledge
04 December 2025

Classical music (c 1750 to c 1830); Romantic music (c 1830 to c 1900); Opera; Musicals

Series: Modern Musicology and the College Classroom

For many instructors today, teaching canonical dramatic repertoire can be a fraught proposition: from Don Giovanni to South Pacific, key works in the history of opera and musical theater present challenges related to gender, race, colonialism, class, and more. Teaching Canonic Opera and Musical Theater with Intention: A Teacher's Guide offers instructors a toolkit with which to productively confront the canon, directly engaging in the difficult conversations this repertoire can prompt. Informed by evidence from contemporary and historical context, librettos, and production history, instructors will be able to confidently help students consider best practices for the future.

This book presents 15 case studies of exemplars from the opera and musical theater canon, which showcase a close study of the music and text in service of addressing the most provocative aspects. With nuanced explorations of each work, the authors offer a variety of pathways to draw connections between their content and the present day. Teaching Canonic Opera and Musical Theater with Intention is a vital resource for college-level music history and appreciation instructors that will enable them to teach canonic repertoire as part of contemporary curricula, and to help students engage critically with these works, their historical impact, and ongoing relevance.

By: Catherine Coppola, Elizabeth A. Wells
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 138mm,
Weight: 420g
ISBN: 9781032774220
ISBN 10: 1032774223
Series: Modern Musicology and the College Classroom
Pages: 130
Publication Date: 04 December 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

I. Gender & Class Mozart, Don Giovanni: Beyond the Hashtag Bizet, Carmen: Fate or Choice? Rodgers & Hammerstein, Oklahoma!: Rewriting Race and Gender Sondheim, Company: Changing Perspectives on Marriage Lerner & Loewe, My Fair Lady: Class and Colonialism II. Race and Presumed Whiteness Mozart, Magic Flute: Whose Enlightenment? Verdi, Aida: Race and Empire—“Caught Up in the Colors of the Story” Gershwin & Gershwin, Porgy and Bess: Who Tells the Story of Systemic Racism? Kern & Hammerstein, Show Boat: The Dynamics of the South Bernstein & Sondheim, West Side Story: Whose Stories? III. Colonialism and History Rewritten Puccini, Madama Butterfly: Imperialism and Gender Wagner, Tristan and Isolde: From Fierce Fighter to Transcendent Redeemer Handel, Giulio Cesare: Cleopatra Resists Rodgers and Hammerstein, The King And I: The Colonial Mask Comes Off Miranda, Hamilton: A new era?

Catherine Coppola is Chair of the Thomas Hunter Honors Program and Lecturer in Musicology at Hunter College of the City University of New York. Elizabeth A. Wells is Professor of Music History and Musicology at Mount Allison University.

Reviews for Teaching Canonic Opera and Musical Theater with Intention: A Teacher's Guide

""This book teaches the controversies surrounding some of the most popular works encountered on Broadway, in the opera house, and in music history courses. Packed with critical insight and practical advice, it will be an indispensable resource for teachers and performers alike."" —Richard Will, Professor of Music, University of Virginia, author of ""Don Giovanni"" Captured: Performance, Media, Myth (University of Chicago Press, 2022) “A fascinating and important project.” —Kunio Hara, Associate Professor of Music History, University of South Carolina; cultural consultant Houston Grand Opera, featured speaker Boston Lyric Opera’s Butterfly Process (2022)