Postopera: Reinventing the Voice-Body

‘Novak’s scholarship is admirable: wide-ranging, impressively theorized, and distinctly original. … This book promises to make a genuine impact on contemporary opera studies.’

Richard Leppert, University of Minnesota, USA

'...an impressive stride towards an updated approach to opera studies...'

Rebecca Lentjes, Tempo

'Jelena Novak succeeds in bringing together theoretical discussions about corporeality and voice with the knowledge of musicology, theatre sciences, philosophic and cultural studies. She gives a substantiated theory of body and voice in music theatre, combined with the explanation of theoretical texts and detailed description and analysis of the operas.'

Katrin Stöck, New Sound

'As a collection of thoughtful, insightful ‘readings’ of problematic and challenging contemporary works – works which purposefully frustrate listeners’ expectations and seem often to revel in the discomfort they produce – Postopera is an ambitious exercise in interdisciplinarity, drawing on theoretical apparatuses from other fields to develop new critical theory for the emerging field of contemporary opera studies.'

Cecilia Livingstone, Cambridge Opera Journal

'...an important link in the analysis and understanding of contemporary musical-theatre praxes...'

Gregor Pompe, Maska

"This volume makes a singular and exemplary contribution to the discussion of the singing body and its meaning to readers and audiences through the recent appraisal of the phenomenon of ‘postopera’. Once readers unpack the key terms ‘postopera’ and ‘voice-body’ from the book’s title, the work becomes accessible as it is clearly written and convincingly argued."

- Pamela Karantonis, Bath Spa University

"By cutting through, across and beyond body, voice, performance and theatre studies, Jelena Novak’s book Postopera: Reinventing the Voice-Body positions itself at the center of the contemporary operatic theory; it can be recommended both to professionals and to those who are yet to delve into the transdisciplinary field of voice studies."

- Dragana Stojanović, MUSICOLOGY 22-2017

"This is a thoroughly researched study, which works deeply in conjunction and in reference to the major theoretical contributors to the post-structuralistvoice-materiality discourse...Overall, this book presents sound insights into specific contemporary operas, for which there is currently a dearth of scholarship."

- Miriama Young, The University of Melbourne

‘Novak’s scholarship is admirable: wide-ranging, impressively theorized, and distinctly original. … This book promises to make a genuine impact on contemporary opera studies.’

Richard Leppert, University of Minnesota, USA

'...an impressive stride towards an updated approach to opera studies...'

Rebecca Lentjes, Tempo

'Jelena Novak succeeds in bringing together theoretical discussions about corporeality and voice with the knowledge of musicology, theatre sciences, philosophic and cultural studies. She gives a substantiated theory of body and voice in music theatre, combined with the explanation of theoretical texts and detailed description and analysis of the operas.'

Katrin Stöck, New Sound

'As a collection of thoughtful, insightful ‘readings’ of problematic and challenging contemporary works – works which purposefully frustrate listeners’ expectations and seem often to revel in the discomfort they produce – Postopera is an ambitious exercise in interdisciplinarity, drawing on theoretical apparatuses from other fields to develop new critical theory for the emerging field of contemporary opera studies.'

Cecilia Livingstone, Cambridge Opera Journal

'...an important link in the analysis and understanding of contemporary musical-theatre praxes...'

Gregor Pompe, Maska