Participatory Opera

Through the examination of participatory elements, theories, and practices, this book defines participatory opera, explores ways it challenges traditional roles of "audience," "performer," and "author," and situates Euro-American participatory opera within the context of participatory philosophy, theory, and art of the twentieth century.

Kathryn L. Caton teaches music history and literature at the University of Houston, Moores School of Music. Her research interests include twentieth- and twenty-first century opera, the long avant-garde, and experimental, collaborative, and participatory performance. She also serves as the co-chair of the Society for American Music's Experimental Music Interest Group.

Introduction: Opera and Participation PART I: The Rhetoric of Participation 1 Participation and Power 2 "Towards Theater": The Art-Life Merger, 3 Discoursing Site-Specific and Participatory Values PART II: Participatory Opera in the Twenty-First Century 4. Between Rhetoric and Reality: Participation in Invisible Cities and Hopscotch5. I Want You to Know Me: Process, Genre, and Activism 6. Another City: New Genre Public Opera Conclusion: A Contested Site