\\\"Whose Voice is Heard?\\\" Existentialist Traces in Olga Neuwirth\\\'s American Lulu

Authors : Zeynep Büşra Eldem, Emine Şirin Özgün Tanır

Pages : 245-281

View : 24 | Download : 34

Publication Date : 2024-11-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Alban Berg’s incomplete opera, Lulu, has inspired several reinterpretations, among them is Olga Neuwirth’s music theater American Lulu (2006-2012), in which the composer reimagines Berg’s opera within the context of Civil Rights Movement, directing our attention to the subjects of racial discrimination and social injustice. By recasting the White queer characters, Lulu and Countess Geschwitz -in Neuwirth’s adaptation “Eleanor”- as African Americans, the composer presents an intersectional approach to race, gender, and sexuality. In her portrayal of the subjugated characters, Lulu and Geschwitz, as emancipated subjects, Neuwirth advocates for agency, a perspective examined in this article through the lens of Sartre’s existentialism and de Beauvoir’s concept of the Other. American Lulu explores Black self-determination through the figure of Eleanor, who evokes the Sartrean notion of “for-itself”, contrasting with the portrayal of “white-masked” Lulu, representing inauthenticity. This dichotomy is reflected in the distinct musical expressions of the two characters: While Lulu’s European musical language, echoing Berg, evokes “in-itself” as a symbol of the character’s immanent nature, Eleanor\\\'s music, reminiscent of 1970s soul, is identified with her Blackness, hinting at her authenticity. In American Lulu, Neuwirth navigates Black liberation with an attitude that fosters courage. However, the composer’s engagement with race contains certain problematic aspects, one of which is the romanticization of the Black experience. Keywords: Black experience, gender, agency, Olga Neuwirth, American Lulu
Keywords : Siyah deneyimi, toplumsal cinsiyet, eylemlilik, Olga Neuwirth, American Lulu