History of melodrama from the 18th to the 20th century

Abstract

In my thesis, I was very interested in what melodrama really is. I wanted to know how the genre came to be and how it has developed over two centuries. I wanted to get an inside view of the pieces that represent the little-known melodrama repertoire. I had the chance to gain some experience at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis during the project week, and I wanted to share these experiences. It was surprising to observe what was similar or different about a melodrama performance. I was curious to know what a singer could benefit from these few days and what they could take away into singing. I’m grateful to my teacher Dorothea Sidow who helped me, motivated me, and inspired me to write this thesis.