Theatre, opera and consciousness : history and current debates / / Daniel Meyer-Dinkgrafe.

• Author: Meyer-Dinkgräfe, Daniel, 1958-
• Year of Publication: 2013
• Edition: 1st ed.
• Language: English
• Series: Consciousness, Literature and the Arts 33.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (236 p.)
• Notes: Description based upon print version of record.

The study of consciousness has developed considerably over the past ten years, with an emphasis on seeking to explain subjective experience. Our understanding of key questions relating to the performing arts, in theory and practice, benefits from the insights of consciousness studies. Theatre, Opera and Consciousness discusses selected concerns of theatre history from a consciousness studies perspective, develops a new perspective on ethical implications of theatre practice, reassesses the concept of the guru , and offers a new approach to the actor’s cool-down. The book expands the framework from theatre to opera, and presents a new consideration of the spiritual aspects of singing in opera, conducting for opera, and the opera experience for singers and spectators alike.

Table of Contents

Preliminary Material -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Consciousness and Western Theatre History: Theory and Examples -- Consciousness and Ethics -- Consciousness and the concept of Guru in South Asian spiritual and artistic traditions: contemporary relevance and future potential. -- Consciousness, warm-up, cool-down and the actor as observer -- Opera and Spirituality -- Spiritual Aspects of Operatic Singing: Klaus Florian Vogt -- Spirituality and Operatic Conducting -- Conclusion and Outlook -- Bibliography -- Index.