Towards An Understanding Of Opera Music Itsel

As a pioneer of the American New Music School and an important musician,Joseph Kerman engaged in a wide range of research fields,including musicological research methods,studies of Beethoven,British music of the Renaissance period,music of the 19^thcentury and music criticism.Of special note is that Joseph Kerman’s research into the opera field exerted a significant impact on the opera studies of that era,at present and in the future.In Opera as Drama,Joseph Kerman expounds on his ideas on the art of opera.This paper attempts to proceed from Kerman’s stance of opera criticism to make a doctrinal interpretation of his opera ideas.Next,several opera works,namely Magic Flute,Tosca,and Wozzeck,with the most string characteristics of Kerman’s opera criticism are chosen.Combining prior scholars’exposition and the author’s own research purposes,according to the analysis paragraphs in the book,and getting rid of Kerman’s stereotyped opera criticism perspective,this paper finally examines the correlation between Kerman’s ideas on opera and his practices.