Biblical daughters and queens re-imagined in music / Helen Leneman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Leneman, Helen, author.

Series:

Bible in the modern world ; 86.

Bible in the modern world ; 86

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Matriarchs (Bible).

Women in the Bible.

Bible in music.

Operas--Librettos.

Operas.

Oratorios--Librettos.

Oratorios.

Operas--Analysis, appreciation.

Bible. Old Testament--Drama.

Bible.

Bible. Judges--Drama.

Bible. Esther--Drama.

Bible. Kings--Drama.

Bible. Esther--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible. Judges--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible. Kings--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xiii, 357 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Sheffield, UK : Sheffield Phoenix Press, [2024]

Summary:

In Biblical Daughters and Queens, Helen Leneman continues her sustained approach to biblical reception in music traversing several centuries. She offers a immersive reading of two types of biblical women--daughters and queens--in a wide range of musical representations spanning over 300 years (1648-1993). Music, as Leneman highlights, goes beyond words: music expresses how feelings sound. Leneman's unique analysis shares the ways in which these women's stories have been altered, their emotions imagined and amplified. The stories of two daughters are explored: the tragedy of Jephthah's daughter (Judges 11); and the Apocryphal story of Susannah. The tragedy of Jephthah's daughter seems to have been of greater interest to early composers, with most works, whether oratorios or operas, dating to pre-20th century. Susanna was a lesser-known story yet was treated both in two early oratorios and, unusually, in an operatic retelling of the story from the mid-20th century. Queens included are Sheba (1 Kings), Athalia (2 Kings), and Esther (Book of Esther). In general, the Queen of Sheba has not been re-imagined with much nuance in musical works, mostly depicted as a sexy siren (though not always). Esther is the most popular queen for musical retellings, featured in no fewer than nine works in this volume. An interesting discovery was an eighteenth-century oratorio with a Hebrew libretto. Athalia is the least known of the three but Handel thought she was worth an oratorio (he is well represented throughout the book). This volume encourages an experiential approach, to enable the reader, and listener to hear and feel these women's stories as never before. Links to the musical works are provided throughout. Each setting is filled with both text and music that will inspire the listener to return to the original story with a new and different understanding.

Contents:

Daughters. Jephthah's daughter (Judges 11)

Susanna

Queens. Queen of Sheba

Queen Athaliah

Esther.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

1914490444

9781914490446

OCLC:

1442331136

Publisher Number:

90103239343