The Nurse in History and Opera
From Servant to Sister
From Scarabea, Artusa’s old nurse in Francesco Mannelli’s La Maga Fuminata (1638 Venice) through the Canadian nursing sisters in Stephanie Martin’s Llandovery Castle (2018 Toronto), over one hundred nurse characters appear in opera roles ranging from silent cast extra to principal singer. The Nurse in History and Opera: From Servant to Sister explores that role over the span of opera’s existence.
Judith Barger examines the nurse character in opera within the sociohistorical context of her real-life counterparts off stage; the progression of the nurse from servant to sister, both inside and outside the opera house, is a commentary on how society has viewed its women. The book then discusses textual and musical interactions between opera’s nurses and other characters with attention to what the nurse’s role contributes to opera in six categories identified as common to opera’s nurses – Comic, Former, Knowledgeable, Motherly, Scheming, and Specialized.
When viewed through the lens of social history, opera’s nurse characters merit attention for the glimpse that they offer of a unique musical and dramatic journey from servant to sister, and for the commentary that they offer on women’s perceived place and status not only on the opera stage, but in society as well.
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From the Back Cover of The Nurse in History and Opera:
“An astonishing number of operas have characters who are or were nurses, ranging from the comic connivers of early operas to professionally trained caregivers in modern ones. Judy Barger traces this fascinating history, showing how these characters affect those around them and reflect the changing social functions nurses have served over the last four centuries.”
⎯J. Peter Burkholder, lead author of A History of Western Music
“Everyone knows a few prominent nurses in opera⎯in Die Frau ohne Schatten
or L’Incoronazione di Poppea, for example⎯but this book demonstrates that the character is far more prevalent than we imagine. Drawing from meticulous research on both fictional nurses and nurses in real life, Barger offers a rich and fascinating study of an often-overlooked character.”
⎯Christina Fuhrmann, Baldwin Wallace University