Blackness in Opera

Preface

Preface When we decided to undertake the editing duties for this collection, it is fair to say that we did so with a combination of excitement and trepidation. Excitement, because we had all conducted research related to opera and blackness , and agreed that this was an area of compelling scholarly possibilities that had not yet been addressed in any major forum. Yet given our backgrounds and primary interests (a white southern woman specializing in Italian and American music, a biracial New Yorker known for her work on opera and gender, and a white male from the upper Midwest active in British musical studies), we felt an unlikely trio to spearhead such a project. But during the time we have worked on this collection, we have seen some rather unlikely events. Certainly, the election of the first black president of the United States stands near the top of such a list—all the more so when one considers that his early momentum came from winning the caucuses in Iowa, a state whose population is about 90 percent white. At the same time, however, affirmative action policies of the mid– to late twentieth century that came out of the civil rights era are being rethought and, in some cases, repealed, while anti-immigrant sentiments and legislation sweep the nation—showing that we are very far indeed from realizing the dream of a racially nondiscriminatory society. As Americans, we belong to a society inextricably bound to and shaped by racial politics and culture, and so we bear a certain responsibility to approach the topic in a thoughtful and considered manner—a goal that we and our fellow contributors to this volume hope that we have achieved. On a more personal note, however, we are very fortunate that many of our collaborators have realized their own dreams over the course of this project: four tenure promotions, one Ph.D. completed, eight children who have entered our homes (including one adoption), two grandchildren (and one great-grandchild!), xii . preface threemarriages,andsevenjobchanges,allofwhichhaveshapedthedailyrhythms of our lives. We are grateful to all of those who signed on to this collection for their great efforts, their greater patience, and their estimable contributions. Several people have encouraged and helped us along the way. Foremost among them is our editor at the press, Laurie Matheson; we are extremely grateful for her belief in this project from its inception and her thoughtful shepherding of us. The generous subventions provided by the Henry and Edna Binkele Classical Music Fund, the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Michigan, the American Musicological Society, and the Friends of Drake Arts have been invaluable, and we appreciate their faith in the value of our work. We would also like to recognize our anonymous reviewers who have given us very helpful advice at key points in the process, as well as one reviewer who chose to have her identity made known to us from the beginning: Catherine Parsons Smith. Her encouragement of many of us involved with this project individually as scholars (as well as with this essay collection specifically) has been a great treasure. It is from our deep appreciation of the example she set in her pioneering work and her many friendships that we miss her and why we wish to dedicate to her this collection of essays. Though she did not live to see its completion, she had a great hand in shaping this volume early on, and we cherish the memory of her vast goodwill. Finally, we would like to thank our families and those closest to us who have seen us through the unglamorous process of writing, editing, and pulling things together. Your support, as always, gives us the incentive to keep forging ahead. Blackness in Opera ...