Opera as a Mirror of Society: Power and Class from Monteverdi to Wagner

Opera has always represented more than mere entertainment; it has represented a reflective index of society’s power and status constructs. Looking at three case studies, this paper will show how composers used musical language as a representation on ethical concerns of society during their time. Beginning with Monteverdi's L’Orfeo in 1607 and through to Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro in 1786 and Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen in the 1850s and 1870s, each epoch of opera history represents a different construct for sound and power. Monteverdi blended divine order and musical harmony; harmony became equality in Mozart’s works; and Wagner reinvented power in relation to national will. The final project will examine how political ideologies and social constructions are immanent in harmony and performance. The works of Kotnik and others will illustrate how opera has developed in direct relation to Europe's shifting ideologies of power—from holy power to human reason to collective will. By comparing and contrasting these case studies, this paper will demonstrate not only the reflective purpose of opera when it comes to political change, but also how it has actively shaped the public understanding of power, class, and equality.