The Artist-Operas of Pfitzner, Krenek and Hindemith

Contents: Introduction: The relationship of artist and society: historical perspectives; Artist and society in the early 20th century; Artist-operas as self-(re)presentation; Precursors of the 20th-century artist-opera; The artist-opera and politics; Pfitzner, Palestrina, and the nonpolitical composer: The context of Palestrina; Political conservatism c. World War I; Conservative politics and art (1): Thomas Mann's Betrachtungen eines Unpolitischen; Conservative politics and art (2): Pfitzner's aesthetics; Conservatism in Palestrina; The character of Palestrina as 'nonpolitical'; The Council of Trent as 'political'; Krenek spielt auf: Jonny, Jazz and the modern composer: The context of Jonny spielt auf: politics and culture in the Weimar Republic; Americanism and politics; Americanism, mass culture and jazz; Krenek and the meaning of popular music; The influence of Paul Bekker; Artists and society in Jonny spielf auf; Max's transformation; Krenek and Jonny spielf auf; Painting and politics in Hindemith's Mathis der Maler: The context of Mathis der Maler: Germany in the 1930s; Aspects of national socialist ideology; Hindemith's aesthetics; Artist and society in Mathis der Maler; Hindemith and the Third Reich; Conclusion: artistic identity as performative; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.