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A gendered Faust: The portrayal of gender in the opera Faust (1859) by Gounod (1818–1893) Mietze Annemarie Dill © University of Pretoria A gendered Faust: The portrayal of gender in the opera Faust (1859) by Gounod (1818–1893) by Mietze Annemarie Dill A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MMus (Musicology) in the Department of Music at the University of Pretoria Faculty of Humanities Supervisor: Professor H.H. van der Mescht December 2013 © University of Pretoria ii ABSTRACT This thesis deconstructs the gender symbolism evident in the opera Faust (1859) by Gounod. The objective is to determine the gendered authenticity, originality and contributing nature of the work, acknowledging the Catholic nineteenth-century French context in which it was written. The study aims to establish the nature of the gender constructs portrayed (whether representative of their conservative milieu, or suggestive of unconventionality, liberalism and innovation) and how these portrayals were executed by Gounod and his librettists. An exploration of the construction of Faust and a comparison with Goethe’s Faust: Der Tragödie erster Teil (1808), on which the Gounodian creation is loosely based, initiates the study. The theory of performativity by Judith Butler (1990), together with other general gender hypotheses on, for instance, masculine and feminine personalities and perversity, follows. Hereafter, gender in the context of artistic performances, and gender constructs in Christianity are investigated. These general, performance-based and theological theories and ideas are then compared to the gendered characters in Faust. The secular and Catholic gender norms that governed men and women in nineteenth-century France inevitably had an influence on how gender is represented in the opera. Hence, contextual aspects, as well as Gounod’s own interaction with, and exhibition of gender are analysed in order to establish their influential extent on Faust. A deconstruction of the opera as three different texts – libretto, score and DVD productions of three Faust performances – is applied since this contributes to holistic and objective conclusions. The aspects investigated in the study have brought to light that Faust shamelessly highlights the destructive consequences of social, cultural and religious gender stereotypes governing nineteenth-century Catholic France, whilst simultaneously proposing liberated gender identities. Gounod is innovative in presenting a female protagonist through the role of Marguerite. She is an intricate, developing character representative of multiple perplexed femininities, many of which are conquering and symbolic of female empowerment. Siébel serves as a source of great gender ambiguity and contradiction. These aspects are fuelled by © University of Pretoria iii an ironic female identity – hence, the notion of performativity is ingeniously incorporated into this character. Both femininity and masculinity is advocated in the portrayals of Méphistophèles and the Christian God, while interesting and unexpected masculinities are embodied through Faust and Valentin. By using the above methodology, I suggest that Gounod’s Faust is an authentic and pioneering work representing ambivalent, controversial, contradictory and empowering gender constructs, making it a composition of considerable worth, both musically and historically. © University of Pretoria iv KEY TERMS Jules Barbier Michel Carré Catholicism Faust (1859) France Gender Goethe Gounod Nineteenth Century Opera © University of Pretoria v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express sincere gratitude to my supervisor, Professor H.H. van der Mescht, for the inexhaustible source of knowledge, motivation, understanding and inspiration that he has been throughout this study. To Alda, Lauren, Isabelle, my family, and Tosca who have never ceased in supporting this endeavour – your unfailing encouragement, interest, patience and love have given me the needed strength to prevail. A special word of thanks to my father who was of tremendous help as regards the theological aspects of the study. To Carel, for being unwaveringly helpful and patient concerning various computer and printing challenges. And lastly, to Julia, for being the light on my journey. © University of Pretoria vi CONTENTS Abstract ii Key concepts iv Acknowledgements v 1 Introduction 1-1 1.1 Background to the study 1-1 1.2 Research questions 1-1 1.3 Aim of the study 1-2 1.4 Methodology 1-2 1.5 The contents of the dissertation 1-3 1.6 Literature overview 1-4 1.7 Delimitations of the study 1-9 1.8 Notes to the reader 1-9 2 Gounod’s Faust 2-1 2.1 Synopsis 2-1 2.2 The construction of Faust 2-3 2.3 Religious aspects unique to Faust 2-6 2.4 An overview of relevant differences between Gounod’s Faust (1859) 2-8 and Goethe’s Faust: Der Tragödie erster Teil (1808) 2.5 Summary 2-19 3 Theories on gender 3-1 3.1 Introduction 3-1 3.2 General gender theories 3-2 3.3 Application of general gender theories to the characters in Gounod’s 3-7 Faust © University of Pretoria vii 3.4 Gender on stage and in music 3-12 3.5 Gounod’s Faust as a gendered performance 3-24 3.6 Gender and Christianity 3-31 3.7 Gounod’s Faust and its representation of gender in the context of the 3-38 Christian religion 3.8 Summary 3-44 4 Gender in nineteenth-century French society 4-1 4.1 Gender roles in secular life 4-1 4.2 Gounod’s Faust as a portrayal of secular nineteenth-century gender 4-5 roles in France 4.3 Gender roles in the Catholic Church tradition 4-7 4.4 Gounod’s Faust as a portrayal of the nineteenth-century Catholic 4-10 Gender divisions in France 4.5 Summary 4-12 5 Gender influences in Gounod’s life 5-1 5.1 Victoire Gounod, née Lemachois (Gounod’s mother) 5-1 5.2 Pauline Viardot 5-3 5.3 Fanny Hensel (née Mendelssohn) 5-4 5.4 George Sand (pseudonym of Amandine Aurore Lucile Dupin) 5-5 5.5 Anna Zimmermann (Gounod’s wife) 5-7 5.6 Gounod’s character 5-8 5.7 Specific women’s influences on Gounod’s life and on Faust 5-9 5.8 Summary 5-12 6 Portrayals of gender in Faust 6-1 6.1 Aim of the chapter 6-1 6.2 Libretto 6-1 6.3 Score 6-13 6.4 DVD productions 6-37 6.4.1 Gounod: Faust (Wiener Staatsoper, 1985) 6-37 6.4.2 Gounod: Faust (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 2004) 6-51 © University of Pretoria viii 6.4.3 Gounod: Faust (Teatro Coccia, Novara, 2005) 6-67 6.5 Summary 6-77 7 Conclusion 7-1 Sources S-1 Appendix A: Gounod: Faust (Wiener Staatsoper, 1985) B: Gounod: Faust (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 2004) C: Gounod: Faust (Teatro Coccia, Novara, 2005) © University of Pretoria 1-1 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the study “A not so Faustian Faust” is perhaps an appropriate way by which one can refer to the opera composed in 1859 by Charles Gounod (1818–1893). The justification for this epithet would be that the opera’s focus is much more on the female character Marguerite than it is on her male lover, and supposed leading-role, Faust. However, that is but one of many prominent gender aspects of the opera that makes it to my mind an avant-garde masterpiece. Although the opera is based on the play Faust: Der Tragödie erster Teil (1808) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832), it is a work of self-contained merit when one looks at the changes that the composer and his librettists, Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, made to the eminent German drama. (Huebner 1992: 131–132.) Gounod’s portrayal of gender is unconventional, especially in terms of Catholicism, which plays a major part in the opera. A strong link between Marguerite and the Virgin Mary, a consideration of a female God and female Devil, and the gender roles of French nineteenth- century Catholic society are prominent motives that can be derived from experiencing Faust on stage or on a DVD. 1.2 Research questions The main research question is formulated as follows: How is gender portrayed in Gounod’s opera Faust (1859)? In order to answer the main research question the following sub-questions ought to be investigated: How was Faust constructed? (Chapter 2) © University of Pretoria 1-2 What alternations were made to the original Goethe plot in order to make the focus on gender more prominent and unique to its French nineteenth-century milieu? (Chapter 2) What are the predominant postmodern theories of gender and how are they portrayed in Faust? (Chapter 3) What was the situation in terms of gender roles circa 1859 in France? (Chapter 4) To what extent did Catholicism have an influence on these gender roles? (Chapter 4) How are the secular and Catholic gender constructs of nineteenth-century France represented in Faust? (Chapter 4) What were the gender influences in Gounod’s life and how are they portrayed in Faust? (Chapter 5) How is gender represented in the libretto? (Chapter 6) How is gender portrayed through the orchestral score? (Chapter 6) How are the postmodern gender theories, the gender situation in France at the time of composition, and the gender influences in Gounod’s life portrayed in DVD productions of the opera? (Chapter 6) 1.3 Aim of the study To link with my main research question, the predominant aim of this study is to determine how gender is portrayed in Gounod’s Faust. In order to answer this question I shall look at the social and religious contexts in which the opera was composed, and thereafter endeavour to show how Gounod portrayed the current gender constructions of the time, but also how he proposed different, more liberal representations of femininity and masculinity.
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