Every Voice with Terrance McKnight

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 t... Jun 1, 2023

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... May 25, 2023

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 rev... May 18, 2023

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 c... May 11, 2023

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, ... May 4, 2023

Aida: 100% Egyptian Cotton

“Opera has always been not just adjacent to colonial conquest, but perhaps … quite a large part of it.” Pranathi Diwaker, Every Voice with Terrance McKnight researcher. When the US an... Apr 27, 2023

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 ... Apr 20, 2023

Aida: Red Heart, White Eyes

“Aida” is an African love story, so, why are the Egyptians white? Apr 13, 2023

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... Apr 6, 2023

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’... Mar 30, 2023

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