Every Voice with Terrance McKnight
WQXR
“Every Voice with Terrance McKnight” is a show that spotlights the vibrant stories and perspectives that reflect the whole of the American musical experience. There are many different kinds of classical music, depending on where you are in the world. While this music typically preserves the traditions of a given society, classical music in America remains wedded to its Western European roots. On this show, we want to know why — and what America’s classical music really sounds like. Through interviews, historical investigation, and personal storytelling, Terrance McKnight unearths the hidden voices that have been shaping our musical traditions all along. ...
A Radio Special: Mozart’s "Abduction from the Seraglio"
In the prime of his illustrious career, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ran in the realm of prominent, Black visionaries. But after composing “Zaide,” an unfinished opera depicting a slave revolt, Mozart was commissioned to create a work more palatable to the politics and pocketbooks of the late 18th century European upper class. First heard in Vienna in 1782, “ Abduction” catered to the harsh reality of the times. As is too often the case with operas written during this time, characters of African des
Aug 17, 2023 • 58:47
A Radio Special: Verdi’s "Aida”
At the heart of “Aida” is an African love story: the Ethiopian princess Aida is torn between loyalty to her country and passion for her captor, the Egyptian general Radamès, who loves her in return. But when “Aida” premiered in Cairo in 1871, very few Africans went to see it, let alone could afford the price of a ticket. The original audience for “Aida,” in fact, was the European elite in Egypt, whose economic fortunes and imperial ambitions were inextricably linked to the American Civil War. Ve
Aug 10, 2023 • 58:28
A Radio Special: Verdi's "Otello"
“Otello” debuted in Milan in 1887, just two years after European nations gathered in Berlin to agree on a campaign to carve up and colonize the African continent for their own profit. Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, based on the play Shakespeare wrote in the very early 1600s, centers on the Moor, Otello — an African who becomes a much celebrated Venetian general for leading a successful war against his fellow Africans.As a Black man in a position of power, Otello’s status inspires praise and worship by
Aug 3, 2023 • 58:35
A Radio Special: Mozart’s "The Magic Flute"
In this radio special of “Every Voice with Terrance McKnight,” enjoy this season’s journey into Mozart’s "The Magic Flute," its investigation into the overlooked character of Monostatos, and what his portrayal teaches us about ourselves. With a legacy spanning over two centuries, "The Magic Flute" remains a beloved classic, captivating audiences in sold-out venues worldwide. But along with the opera’s historic success, the character of Monostatos, a Moor and chief slave to the wizard Sarastro, s
Jul 27, 2023 • 46:52
Abduction from the Seraglio: Revelations
With such a dark past, what does the future look like for opera as an art form? From Verdi to Mozart, many of opera’s most celebrated works famously reduce people of African descent to racist caricatures and stereotypes with tragic fates. In the final episode of this season of Every Voice with Terrance McKnight: we go in search of opera’s future with composers, musicians, and thinkers of today, and turn our attention one more time to Mozart's “Abduction from the Seraglio” to learn from a long-vo
Jun 1, 2023 • 19:06
Abduction from the Seraglio: A Blind Eye
Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio” was first heard in Vienna in 1782, commissioned by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II to cater to the German-speaking audience of the capital city. Joseph II and Mozart had more in common than just their native tongue. Joseph II championed liberal ideas, equality, and religious freedom, while some experts interpret Mozart's operas as striving to be liberatory. But 1780s Europe was financially entwined with human trafficking, and the ideals of enlightenment an
May 25, 2023 • 19:27
Abduction from the Seraglio: A Dream Interrupted
In the prime of his illustrious career, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ran in the realm of prominent, Black visionaries, composed the radical (unfinished) opera “Zaide” depicting a slave revolt, and even shared a home with famed Senegalese / French composer Joseph Boulogne, known as the Chevalier de Saint Georges. The Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, a supporter of Mozart, was also progressive for his time. During his reign, he was known for his religious tolerance, abolition of serfdom, and public friend
May 18, 2023 • 20:12
Abduction from the Seraglio: Freedom and Justice for Some
All too often, characters of African descent in operas written during the 18th and 19th centuries are defined as the institution of slavery and the idea of inferiority. But today’s composers, like Dr. Sharon Willis, aim to write about Black life in order to uplift the community where she lives and works. She says she has “no use” for the depiction of Black people as “buffoons or vixens or mammies.” This week on Every Voice with Terrance McKnight: we return to Dr. Willis’s music, and hear about
May 11, 2023 • 20:30
Aida: America’s Confederates in Egypt
When “Aida” premiered in Egypt in 1871, it delivered some not-so-subtle messaging in the dramatization of light-skinned Egyptians dominating dark-skinned Ethopians. Within two years, the man who commissioned “Aida,” Egypt’s Khedive Ishmael Pasha, lived out this fantasy of conquest, mobilizing the nation’s army with help from former American Confederate veterans.. In this episode of Every Voice with Terrance McKnight, our final installment on Giuseppe Verdi's “Aida,” we’re joined by Limmie Pullma
May 4, 2023 • 21:33
Aida: 100% Egyptian Cotton
“Opera has always been not just adjacent to colonial conquest, but perhaps … quite a large part of it.” Pranathi Diwakar, Every Voice with Terrance McKnight researcher. When the US and British cotton industry was disrupted by the American Civil War in the 1860s, Egypt, led by Khedive Ismail Pasha, moved to capitalize on Britain's demand for the valuable raw material. Egypt’s new, booming industry led to a polarizing reality for the region, the use of enslaved East Africans as a labor force, and
Apr 27, 2023 • 19:01
Aida: Off the Chain
At the heart of Verdi's opera “Aida” is an African love story, where an Egyptian general and an Ethiopian princess fall in love. It premiered in Cairo in 1871, but the truth is, very few Africans went to see it, let alone could afford the price of a ticket. This was a European conception of the East, for European audiences at a time when Egypt’s leadership was attempting to make Egypt ‘the Paris of the East.’ Verdi’s “Aida” often portrays Egyptians as white and free and Ethiopians and black
Apr 20, 2023 • 17:54
Aida: Red Heart, White Eyes
In Giuseppe Verdi’s “Aida,” Princess Aida is torn between her homeland of Ethiopia (ruled by her father, King Amonasro) and her captor, the Egyptian leader Radamès who loves her and whom she loves in return. It’s a powerful love story, an African love story - so why are Egyptians portrayed as white and the Ethiopian as Black and enslaved? This week on Every Voice with Terrance McKnight: We’re joined by tenor Limmie Pulliam, the first Black man to take on the role of Radamès at the Metropolitan O
Apr 13, 2023 • 18:45
Otello: The North Star
As the one Black man in Shakespeare’s play and Verdi’s opera, Otello was not only tokenized, but villainized, criticized and minimized. With such an emphasis on Otello’s flaws, how is it that Desdemona fell in love? In her play “Desdemona,” Nobel laureate Toni Morrison and theater director Peter Sellers tell the story of the women of Otello. And in giving a long-awaited voice to Desdemona, uncover Otello’s connections to Blackness often overlooked or underplayed: a black handkerchief gifted dow
Apr 6, 2023 • 20:40
Otello: Black Handkerchiefs Matter
Giuseppe Verdi's Otello rose from enslavement to the ranks of army general and marries an aristocratic Venetian woman. It’s difficult to imagine the rich cultural heritage of Otello’s African past; that history is only hinted at. Through the whitewashing of his character, some may forget that Otello is of African descent. But for Iago, the identity of his enemy, Otello, was never far from mind. To him and Verdi’s high-society audience, that assimilation signaled all the dangers of the free Bla
Mar 30, 2023 • 16:36
Otello: Haters
This week on Every Voice with Terrance McKnight, we go deeper into Giuseppe Verdi's character of the “Moor of Venice." Otello is a celebrated general in the Venetian army, and as a Black man in a position of power, his status inspires praise and worship by some and searing loathing from others. Otello’s subordinate, Iago, thinks his boss woefully undeserving of his success and his white Venetian wife. Driven mad by entitlement, racism, and jealousy, he schemes to “right” this wrong by any means
Mar 23, 2023 • 16:12
Otello: UNMOORED
“Otello” debuted in Milan in 1887, just two years after European nations gathered in Berlin to agree on a campaign to carve up and colonize the African continent for their own profit. Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, based on the play Shakespeare wrote in the very early 1600s, centers on the Moor, Otello — an African who becomes a much-celebrated Venetian general for leading a successful war against his fellow Africans. Despite that, there’s no lasting comfort in store for Otello: the rage and jealousy o
Mar 16, 2023 • 15:41
The Magic Flute: Recycling
The use of blackface is a dying trend, but it was fundamental to one of the most popular operas of all time, Mozart’s hit comedic opera, “The Magic Flute“. Over the last few decades a number of opera companies have been working to create alternate versions of this piece, all of them attempting to shape essential messages relevant to our society; we find out how. Amongst our guests in this fourth episode of Every Voice, is Professor Melvin Foster, a voice instructor at Morehouse College, Atlanta
Mar 9, 2023 • 18:55
The Magic Flute: He Said, She Said
In Mozart's "The Magic Flute," Monostatos is smitten by the white princess Pamina, whom he is supposed to be guarding under the orders of the high priest Sarastro. His desire to love and belong is the source of anguish, as he feels unworthy of Pamina due to his race and enslaved status. Rather than serve as a commentary on the harsh racial realities of 18th century society, Monostatos instead serves as the comic relief of the opera, embodying the loud, threatening, and childish caricature which
Mar 2, 2023 • 19:08
The Magic Flute: Invisible Man
At over 200 years old, “The Magic Flute” remains a classic opera which continues to be taught, studied, and performed in sold-out venues around the world. But with more than two centuries of history since “The Magic Flute’s” conception, how do we best shed light on the stereotypes each staging continues to portray?In this episode of Every Voice with Terrance McKnight, get to know the character of Monostatos, the enslaved overseer of Sarastro’s temple, whose longing for Pamina, a white woman, is
Feb 23, 2023 • 20:59
The Magic Flute: From Morehouse … to the opera house with Monostatos
Monostatos the Moor in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” is one of the most famous representations of Blackness in opera - a genre with limited representation of characters of African descent. But many are interrogating the Black caricatures that European classical music long ago crafted and continue to cultivate to this day. In the debut episode of Every Voice with Terrance McKnight, we meet Dr. Sharon Willis, Dr. Uzee Brown, and others who are lifting the mask behind opera’s representation of margina
Feb 16, 2023 • 19:55
