“Portrayal of ‘Love’ in Contemporary Music Theatre: An Examination of Chaya Czernowin’s Heart Chamber”, KITAGAWA, Chikako
Abstract
The theme of ‘love’, which has long been a central subject in opera, continues to hold a significant place in 21st-century music theatre. How is this theme represented today? A pertinent question is whether this representation responds to new conceptions of love in contemporary society or embodies something timeless and universal. This presentation aims to explore this question by examining Heart Chamber, a music theatre work by the Israeli composer Chaya Czernowin (1957–). Premiered in 2019 as a commission by the Deutsche Oper Berlin, this piece, that is, Czernowin’s fourth music theatre work, runs for approximately 85 minutes and features only 2 unnamed characters, a man and a woman, along with 2 singers who embody their ‘inner voices’. Without any notable events, the narrative revolves around the two strangers who meet, become attracted to each other, and navigate the process of conflict and separation. It is worth examining the significance of the portrayal of this seemingly ordinary dynamic between a man and a woman as a central theme in 21st-century music theatre. Most texts authored by Czernowin depict men and women oscillating between polar emotions and capture them in various phases. The highly diverse vocal expressions, breathing patterns, noises, and music woven by the orchestra, chorus, and electronic sounds represent both the pursuit of unknown auditory experiences and the depiction of the inner landscape of humans influenced by love. This presentation will analyse the various aspects of love depicted in the work by incorporating a sociocultural perspective.
Event Outline
- Time and Date: January 18th (Sat.) 2025, 16:30 – 18:00 (JST)
- Format: HyFlex (On-Campus and Online meeting (Zoom))
- Venue: Waseda University, Nishi-Waseda Campus, Room 204 of Building 54 Access: https://www.waseda.jp/fsci/en/access/
*No advance registration is required. - Presenter: KITAGAWA, Chikako
- Affiliation: Keio University
- Moderator: HIRABAYASHI, Norikazu
- Language: Japanese
- Organized by: Waseda Institute for Research in Opera and Music Theatre (WIROM), Comprehensive Research Organization, Waseda University
Registration
Participate Online
Registration is required by October 4th (Fri.). Please register through following URL:
https://list-waseda-jp.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0qceivrDoiEtSuznvvbSwoT633HZSOMtAv
*Please show your full name on the display, mute yourself and turn off the video except when talking, refrain from taking screenshots, recordings etc. and follow the moderator’s instructions.
Contact
Waseda Institute for Research in Opera and Music Theatre (WIROM), Comprehensive Research Organization, Waseda University: https://prj-opera-mt.w.waseda.jp/
e-mail address: operaken-uketsuke[at]list.waseda.jp ([at] = @)
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＜Profile of Presenter＞
Associate Professor at Keio University. As a DAAD scholarship holder, she graduated in 2013 from the Freie Universität Berlin (Institute of Theater Studies), with the dissertation Versuch über Kundry – Facetten einer Figur (Experiment on Kundry – Facets of a Character, published by Peter Lang, 2015). PhD.
Her main areas of research include Wagner’s dramatic oeuvre, as well as the staging aesthetics of opera and music theatre. Her current research projects are focused on the analysis of the phenomena of silence and stillness in music theatre, from Wagner to the present.
