Swan Song

Description:

In Swan Song, Nancy Barton juxtaposed the conventions of tragic opera, autobiography, and critical theory to create a layered narrative investigating the complex cultural contexts shaping individual lives. The performance explored the emotional consequences of failed dreams, and the cultural obsession with the trappings of success and the figure of the tragic heroine.

The performance unfolded in two parts. It opened with Barton reading an essay-like preamble that established the work’s context. Following her father’s death, Barton turned to her family dynamic within her practice. She recounted the story of her mother, a Julliard-trained vocalist who abandoned her passion for singing to marry and raise a family. Her narrative was interwoven with excerpts from operatic librettos and passages of feminist critical theory, drawing on Hélène Cixous, Catherine Clément, and Luce Irigaray.

Following this introduction, Barton’s mother, Marjorie Barton, performed songs from Madame Butterfly, accompanied on piano by Theodore Crain.Presented in partnership with Presentation House (now The Polygon).