Title: Phantoms at the opera:<i>The Ghosts of Versailles</i>by John Corigliano and William Hoffman
Abstract: John Corigliano and William Hoffman's The Ghosts of Versailles is a prime example of a work that explores that region where operatic convention overrides traditional strategies of narrative to create fluid connections between history and fiction. The opera is an example of the “simulacrum,” a perfect reproduction of a work that does not in fact exist. This article explores the ways in which Corigliano and Hoffman mine the givens of operatic practice to create a work that references previous music in a particularly sly, unpredictable, and yet “accessible” way for audiences familiar with those norms. A concluding discussion also considers how the work fits into the aesthetic tradition of camp.
Publication Year: 2001
Publication Date: 2001-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 3
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