Nadia Boulanger and "La Ville Morte": En'gendering' a woman's role in the making of an opera

Abstract

The life of twentieth-century French theorist, conductor, composer, performer and pedagogue Nadia Boulanger has affected North American music substantially, yet there are many questions surrounding her legacy which remain difficult to answer conclusively. Especially convoluted and contentious is the role she played in the making of an opera, based on a libretto by Gabrielle d'Annunzio, entitled La Ville Morte; a project she undertook with her then mentor---pianist and composer Raoul Pugno. This thesis re-writes the genesis of the opera La Ville Morte, drawing from autograph scores, the working libretto, and personal documents housed at the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris, France. It presents a revisionist image of Nadia Boulanger, with special considerations of the gender discourses which influenced and were manifested in the relations which she had with those around her, including Pugno, and d'Annunzio. This thesis also proposes theories of Boulanger's and Pugno's personal relationship and addresses why Boulanger eventually abandoned composition. Through examination of this evidence, this thesis presents a new, more variegated image of Nadia Boulanger and her role as a composer during the beginning of the twentieth century.