Ernst Krenek
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Part 4: Modern productions of Jonny Spielt Auf, the Good, the Bad, and the Cringeworthy
In part 1, I show how blackface is a still a tradition used in modern opera productions. Part 2 covers the minstrel roots of Jonny Spielt Auf. Part 3 covers the Nazi reaction to Jonny Spielt Auf and how it became the face of Entartete Musik (degenerate music). With this problematic background, how modern opera…
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Part 3: How Jonny Spielt Auf became the face of Entartete Musik (Degenerate Music) in the Third Reich
In Part 2, I covered how Jonny Spielt Auf is directly related to the American Minstrelsy and blackface traditions. But before we can get into the details of Nazi’s reaction to this opera, we have to cover the plot. From the poster and all material, it seems like the opera is centered on Jonny, the…
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Part 2: The Minstrel Roots of Ernst Krenek’s 1927 opera, Jonny Spielt Auf
Warning: This post contains blackface and video of a minstrel show. Jonny Spielt Auf is directly influenced by American minstrel tradition. Proceed with caution.
the Operatic Saxophone 