Exoticism in 19th & 20th Century Opera: Butterfly, Carmen, Aida

Introduction: Exoticism as a Relative Term

This paper uses three examples of 19th- and 20th-century opera to examine and interpret the term "exoticism." It takes time to clarify the relativity of the term and how it manifests in three works: Madame Butterfly, Carmen, and Aida. What is exoticism, and how does it work? What is the function of exoticism in culture, in art, and in general? What does it reflect about a culture, and what desires does it express? These questions are asked and explored using the three operas as examples of the exotic at work in art.

We must first consider that exoticism is a relative term. When referring to three operas from the west, readers must take into account that what is exotic in the west is not universally exotic. The representations of the exotic in these three pieces are therefore interpretations from a western perspective. In other parts of the world, the west and western culture would itself be considered exotic. More specifically, these operas reflect the concept of the exotic from the perspective of the western male. The composers of each opera are male, and each is from a patriarchal society. This adds another layer through which we view the works. These operas, which concentrate on the exotic, emerge from the perspective of western men. This is what is meant when stating that "exoticism" is a relative term — it is relative to the perspective from which it is interpreted and contextualized.

The Exotic Woman as Central Symbol

Though the narratives of each opera vary, what each work shares in common is the presence of an exotic woman as a leading character. Exoticism in 19th- and 20th-century opera displays itself in the form of a sexualized foreign female. Exoticism is an expression of the western male's desire for the unknown and the unfamiliar, and that desire is sexualized through the leading female roles. Thus, for the western male of the 19th and 20th centuries, opera was a method by which he could access new cultures through sexuality — and through women specifically:

"While reaffirming the paramount precedence of white heterosexual marriage, the film lingers lovingly over scenes of Butterfly's and Pinkerton's domesticity. We hear Puccini's joyful 'flower duet' music as we observe Butterfly's ideal feminine behaviour — removing her husband's shoes, mixing his drink, preparing his pipe. The intended moral of the Madame Butterfly story has never been concerned with the behaviour of American men overseas. Rather, the real cultural work of this perennial narrative has been to provide an exotic fantasy for the American male and a model of feminine subservience for the American woman." (Sheppard, "Cinematic Realism, Reflexivity, and the American 'Madame Butterfly' Narratives," p. 80)

Exoticism is expressed not only through the presence of exotic women but also through the materiality of the production itself. This includes costume design, makeup and hair, set and production design, lighting design, the instruments used in the orchestra, and even the arrangement of the music itself.

References

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