The document discusses Western influence on Asia through opera and society. It addresses how Westerners increased their presence in India, China and Japan in the 1700s-1800s through British policies and trade. It also discusses the dilemma of Wagner, who created brilliant operas but held antisemitic views. Modern examples of using art for social protest are compared to how slaves and abolitionists used literature and art. Finally, it asks the reader to explore how a modern opera relates to cultural impacts from the readings.

1. "Western Influence on Asia; Opera and Society and a Dilemma"
Please respond to
one (1)
of the following,
using sources under the Explore heading
as the basis of your response:
Describe (1) example of how either black slaves or white
abolitionists used literature or the visual arts as a form of
protest against slavery; and compare this to a modern example
of art used for social protest. This may seem redundant from
last week, but building upon additional readings, key here is
how you relate modern issues to the foundation of, impact of
slavery protest and add new ideas from what we have discussed
to-date!
Building on the key motives involved in the increased presence
of Westerners in India, China, and Japan in the 1700s and 1800s
- British policies influences, how can you relate them to
contemporary trade issues between the US and/or India, China
and Japan?
What lessons have we learned in our current policies, or not?
Read, listen to, and watch the sources for the opera composers
at the Websites below and in this week's Music Folder.
Pick one composer, identify and discuss the major influences
they exerted upon opera in terms of making it more innovative,
realistic, and even controversial.
Next, consider Wagner and this dilemma: Wagner's brilliance is
clear because his works remain some of the most popular and
admired productions in our own time. Yet, he was a blatantly
antisemitic and held notions of racial purity, traits that have
stained his artistic legacy. (This was compounded by the later
celebration of Wagner's music by Hitler and the Nazis). New
York Times writer Anthony Tommasini wrote of Wagner in
2005: "How did such sublime music come from such a warped
man? Maybe art really does have the power to ferret out the best
in us."

2. So relating to Wagner, consider the issue of whether we should
or can separate the artist from the art, whether we can
appreciate the art but reject the artist. Or whether we should
reject both the person and his or her art. Identify one (1)
modern musician or artist where this dilemma arises.
This question asks you to reverse our focus – start with the
modern adaptation to search and explore, then look back to
address cultural impact(s). How can you relate a modern opera
to our CH readings this week?
Choose (1) below to explore the modern application and how it
ties to our weekly learning:
Modern operas include:
Amahl and the Night Visitors
, Gian-Carlo Menotti, about the visit of the Three Kings to a
humble peasant.
Candide
, Leonard Bernstein’s comic opera based on Voltaire’s famous
satire.
Sweeney Todd,
Stephen Sondheim’s operatic take on a creaky nineteenth-
century horror play.
The Ghosts of Versailles
, John Corigliano’s opera about the rav
ages of the French Revolution.
Explore:
American Dilemma--Slavery
–
The Art & Literature of Protest
Chapter 29 (pp. 962-976); slavery, literature, and art
Haven's article on Goodman's scholarship on art protesting
slavery before the Civil War at
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/february18/artists-slavery-
protests-021809.html
Art and Slavery article at
http://www.realhistories.org.uk/articles/archive/the-art-of-
slavery.html

3. Intrusions in Asia
The Opium Wars and Foreign Encroachment:
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/china_1750_opium.htm
Opium Wars with visuals at
http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/opium_wars_01/ow1_es
say01.html
Key documents from China at
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1793qianlong.asp
and
http://acc6.its.brooklyn.cuny.edu/~phalsall/texts/com-lin.html
Opera and Society
Chapter 30 (pp. 999-1004), Wagner and Verdi; (pp. 1133-1134),
Puccini; review the Week 5 “Music Folder”
Huizenga article and audio selections at
http://www.npr.org/blogs/deceptivecadence/2012/04/11/150420
827/talk-like-an-opera-geek-how-verdi-wagner-and-puccini-got-
their-grooves
Wagner video of a stage production (
Tristan und Isolde
) at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAEkTK6aKUM
Verdi video clip of stage production (
Rigoletto
) at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5NEOh-XhyA
Puccini video clip of stage production (
Tosca
) at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sSoKbv46zc