Description
Book SynopsisThe dynamic genre of musical theater that transformed popular entertainment in Cuba
Trade ReviewReceived the Robert M. Stevenson Award from the American Musicological Society (AMS), 2011. Received the Pauline Alderman Award for Outstanding Scholarship on Women in Music in the category of best book from the International Alliance for Women in Music, 2009.
"A fascinating interpretation and tightly focused look at the vernacular zarzuela ... as created in Cuba in the 1920s and 1930s."--
The Bulletin of the Society for American Music“Thomas provides both an informative treatment of this allegoric play and a well-written sociocultural discourse on the relationship between gender, race, music and dance in 19th-century Havana. . . . A useful volume for students of Cuban history (particularly as it pertains to women) as well as musicology and ethnomusicology.”--
Choice"No other author addresses the Cuban zarzuela in such a distinctive manner. Susan Thomas offers revelatory musical and cultural analyses in a captivating narrative replete with unexpected twists and illuminating conclusions. Her interviews with performers are invaluable to the historical record and her methodology provides a model for others to follow. What a powerful contribution to the fields of musicology, ethnomusicology, gender studies, theater studies, and Latin American studies!"--Janet Sturman, author of
Zarzuela: Spanish Operetta, American Stage"A commendable job of fusing analytical techniques from historical musicology with broader issues from women's studies, cultural studies, and other disciplines. No other work focuses on this material with such a critical eye, and no other draws such interesting parallels between distinct zarzuelas as Thomas."--Robin D. Moore, author of
Music and Revolution: Cultural Change in Socialist CubaTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii
Introduction 1
1. Cuban Lyric Theater in Context 11
2. Eminently Feminine: The Politics of Gender and Genre 26
3. The Mulata Makes an Entrance: The Salidas of Maria Ia O, Cecilia Valdes, and Amalia Barista 40
4. From the Negrito to the Negro Tragico: The Changing Representation of Black Masculinity 81
5. Ingenues and Fallen Women: Representations of White Femininity 109
6. Ambivalent Heroes and Sensual Peasants: The Galan and the Criollo 154
Epilogue 177
Appendix 183
Notes 191
Bibliography 221
Index 237
