The Queen's Throat Explained

The Queen's Throat
Author:	Wayne Koestenbaum
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Subject:	Opera
Published:	1993
Media Type:	Print

The Queen's Throat: Opera, Homosexuality, and the Mystery of Desire is a 1993 book by Wayne Koestenbaum.

Summary

Koestenbaum explores the relationship between gay men and opera, with frequent reference to his own experiences.^[1] In particular, he finds a strong identification of the "opera queen" with the "diva."^[2] His connection between the two is the voice: he describes it as genderless, and it both allows female singers to become vicarious surrogates for closeted or fearful male listeners, and proves that the body of the opera singer and the queer body are both restrained.^[3]

Notes and References

1. 19th-Century Music . 746570 . Kevin . Kopelson . 17 . 3 . 274–285 . Tawdrily, I Adore Him . Spring 1994. 10.2307/746570 .
2. Performing Arts Journal . Clum . John M. . 16 . 2 . 107–115 . May 1994 . Opera without Queens/Queens without Opera . 3245765. 10.2307/3245765 . 192219392 .
3. Cambridge Opera Journal . 823809 . Peering Into The Queen's Throat . Heather . Hadlock . 265–275 . 5 . 3 . November 1993 . 10.1017/s0954586700004067. 191470104 .