Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date

2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Musical Arts

Department

Music

Committee Chair

Josef Hanson

Committee Member

Jeremy Orosz

Committee Member

Joel Roberts

Committee Member

Matthew Burns

Abstract

This dissertation explores the art songs of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky through the lens of his queer sexuality by offering performers interpretive strategies that focus on themes of desire, repression, identity, intimacy, and longing. By placing these songs within both their 19th-century cultural context and contemporary queer discourse, the project shows how Tchaikovsky’s musical choices could be interpreted as code of his emotionality and experiences as a queer person. Through historical context, letters, and analyses of selected songs, performers can draw upon layered meanings in choices of phrasing, acting, and staging. Ultimately, this performer’s guide seeks to highlight Tchaikovsky’s arts songs for their potential as vehicles for queer storytelling, affirming their continued relevance for modern performers and audiences.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest.

Notes

Open Access

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