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MUS31540

Academic Year 2026/2027

Nineteenth-Century Opera: Art, Power, and Politics (MUS31540)

Subject:
Music
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Music
Level:
3 (Degree)
Credits:
10
Module Coordinator:
Dr Emma Kavanagh
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module explores the rich and fascinating world of nineteenth-century opera, and examines the ways this genre reflected and interacted with contemporary political, social, and cultural debates in the wider world. Through close study of key operas spanning the long nineteenth century (1789 – 1918), this module will situate these works in their historical contexts, opening up wider intersectional conversations relating to race, class, gender, performance, intertextuality, etc. As well as weekly seminar discussions supported by relevant readings, students will be given the opportunity to pursue an individual essay project, developing scholarly independence and skills in self-directed research.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a working knowledge of opera as a genre and its role in culture and society during the long nineteenth century;
• Critique key operatic works of this period through key political themes (such as race, class, gender, colonialism, etc.)
• Interpret the relationships between operas and their source material, and to analyse relevant performances and primary sources;
• Synthesise ideas and concepts from key secondary readings;
• Conduct an independent research project on a topic arising from the course.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Competent

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Advanced Beginner

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Competent

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Competent

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Advanced Beginner

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Competent

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Advanced Beginner

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 5
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

24
Seminar (or Webinar)

12
Autonomous Student Learning

164
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Weeks 1-8: Each week will be dedicated to a case study work. The two-hour sessions will take the form of lectures (with suitable activities and discussions), and the weekly one-hour sessions will take the form of seminar discussions. The weekly Brightspace participation forums will encourage students to develop ideas on the readings each week prior to class, leading to genuine dialogue and engagement between themselves and with the instructor.

Week 9: If possible, students will attend an opera performance.

Weeks 10-12: These weeks will be dedicated to student presentations, which will allow them to develop their research ideas and to engage with both their own interests and those of others.

This module uses the RED mode of the College of Arts and Humanities "Traffic Light System" with regards to the use of AI. The use of generative AI is not permitted at any point during this course. Any suspected use of AI will be dealt with according to School Guidance.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Final Assessment: Individual research essay (c. 2500-3000 words) on a topic inspired by the course, developed with the lecturer during termtime drop-in sessions Week 14 Graded No
65
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Continuous Assessment: Weekly posts on the Brightspace discussion board reflecting on the week’s assignment. These posts then operate as the basis for the one-hour class each week Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12 Graded No
20
 No
Reflective Assignment: Mid-Term Assessment: Short reflection (c. 1000-1200 words) on class visit and discussions from INO (date TBC) Week 8 Graded No
15
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Peer review activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

For participation exercises, regular individual feedback will be given, with group feedback for recurring issues. As ideas develop for the final essay assignment, drop-in meetings will be offered for those wishing to discuss their topic in more detail, providing individual student feedback on ideas and any written plans. For the final essay assignment, individual written feedback will be given.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 11:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Tues 15:00 - 15:50
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