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Benjamin Britten and Luchino Visconti: Iterations of Thomas Mann's Death in Venice James M Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2006 Benjamin Britten and Luchino Visconti: Iterations of Thomas Mann's Death in Venice James M. Larner Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES BENJAMIN BRITTEN AND LUCHINO VISCONTI: ITERATIONS OF THOMAS MANN’S DEATH IN VENICE By JAMES M. LARNER A Dissertation submitted to the Interdisciplinary Program in the Humanities in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2006 The members of the Committee approve the Dissertation of James M. Larner defended on 17 April 2006. Caroline Picart Professor Directing Dissertation Jane Piper Clendinning Outside Committee Member William Cloonan Committee Member Raymond Fleming Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii This dissertation is lovingly dedicated to my wife Janet and my daughter Katie. Their patience, support, and love have been the one constant throughout the years of this project. Both of them have made many sacrifices in order for me to continue my education and this dedication does not begin to acknowledge or repay the debt I owe them. I only hope they know how much I appreciate all they have done and how much I love them. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank the four members of my dissertation committee for their role in the completion of this document. The guidance of Kay Picart as director of the committee was crucial to the success of this project. I especially appreciate the balance she found between the freedom she allowed and the direction she provided in the pursuit of this topic. Her intensity and determination in all she does have been a true inspiration for me. The music portion of this document bears the influence of Jane Piper Clendinning who, through the course of several classes, helped me understand different approaches to analyzing twentieth century music. She has the remarkable ability of making a very complex subject understandable. I hope some of that ability is apparent in the analysis portion of this dissertation. Many thanks to Bill Cloonan whose enthusiasm in the classroom was contagious. His probing yet no nonsense approach to scholarship has been a model for me. Throughout my time at Florida State University Ray Fleming has been a mentor and true friend. His support and encouragement have meant more to me than he can ever know, or that I can ever repay. I must also thank my friends and colleagues at Marian College for their support and inspiration. Specifically I want to thank Ray Craig. It was his lecture on Death in Venice that planted the seed that many years later flowered into this dissertation. I also wish to thank my good friend Jim Briscoe from Butler University for his help, insight, and encouragement with this project. Thanks to Autumn Hall and Jeanne Roberts for their help and expertise in preparing this manuscript. Finally I must thank my parents and siblings for their love and support throughout the years. I was very fortunate to be born into such a wonderful family. My father continues to be a role model for all I could hope to be as a human being. I wish to especially acknowledge my mother and my brother Dan, both of whom have passed on but whose presence remains undiminished. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Excerpts…............................................................................................ Page vii List of Images……. ......................................................................................... Page ix Abstract…………............................................................................................ Page xi Introduction………. ........................................................................................ Page 1 Chapter Summaries................................................................................. Page 3 1. Death in Venice by Thomas Mann .............................................................. Page 5 Brief Biographical Sketch ....................................................................... Page 5 Death in Venice: The Novella ................................................................. Page 5 2. Death in Venice by Benjamin Britten.......................................................... Page 14 Brief Biographical Sketch ....................................................................... Page 14 Death in Venice: The Opera.................................................................... Page 14 Britten’s use of melodic themes in Death in Venice................................. Page 21 Comparison of the Novella and Opera..................................................... Page 42 3. Death in Venice by Luchino Visconti.......................................................... Page 56 Brief Biographical Sketch ....................................................................... Page 56 Death in Venice: The Film ...................................................................... Page 56 The Use of Music in the Film.................................................................. Page 58 Issues of Mis-en-Scene............................................................................ Page 72 Comparison of the Novella and Film....................................................... Page 93 4. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………Page 104 Comparison of a Scene from the Novella, Opera, and Film ..................... Page 106 Concluding Thoughts on the Novella ...................................................... Page 109 Concluding Thoughts on the Opera......................................................... Page 111 Concluding Thoughts on the Film ........................................................... Page 112 Summary and Final Recommendations….. ...................................................... Page 113 v REFERENCES ........................................................................................... Page 118 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .......................................................................... Page 123 vi LIST OF EXCERPTS Excerpt 1: 12 Note Structure............................................................................ Page 15 Excerpt 2: Inversion of the 12 Note Structure .................................................. Page 16 Excerpt 3: Ostinato Pattern .............................................................................. Page 18 Excerpt 4: Complementary Whole Tone Scales ............................................... Page 19 Excerpt 5: Plague Theme #1 ............................................................................ Page 22 Excerpt 6: Plague Theme #2 ............................................................................ Page 23 Excerpt 7: Peter Evans’ Diagram of Plague Theme.......................................... Page 24 Excerpt 8: Plague Theme #3 ............................................................................ Page 25 Excerpt 9: Plague Theme #4 ............................................................................ Page 26 Excerpt 10: Plague Theme #5 .......................................................................... Page 27 Excerpt 11: Plague Theme #6 .......................................................................... Page 29 Excerpt 12: Death Theme: Traveller ................................................................ Page 30 Excerpt 13: Death Theme: Elderly Fop............................................................ Page 31 Excerpt 14: Death Theme: Gondolier............................................................... Page 32 Excerpt 15: Death Theme: Hotel Manager ....................................................... Page 32 Excerpt 16: Serenissima Theme #1 .................................................................. Page 33 Excerpt 17: Serenissima Theme #2 .................................................................. Page 34 Excerpt 18: Serenissima Theme #3 .................................................................. Page 35 Excerpt 19: Tadzio’s Theme ............................................................................ Page 36 Excerpt 20: View Theme #1 ............................................................................ Page 37 Excerpt 21: View Theme #2 ............................................................................ Page 38 vii Excerpt 22: Name Theme ................................................................................ Page 39 viii LIST OF IMAGES Image 1: Tadzio and Aschenbach ................................................................... Page 64 Image 2: Aschenbach’s Wife .......................................................................... Page 67 Image 3: Esmeralda ........................................................................................ Page 67 Image 4: Aschenbach’s Daughter .................................................................... Page 68 Image 5: Esmeralda ........................................................................................ Page 69 Image 6: Strolling Players ............................................................................... Page 71 Image 7: Aschenbach and Tadzio Dress Alike #1 ............................................ Page 72 Image 8: Aschenbach and Tadzio Dress Alike #2 ............................................ Page 73 Image 9: Aschenbach and
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