Women in opera portrayed negatively, says music’s Susan McClary

Moms in opera: women on the edge

NPR: In opera, mothers are disproportionately portrayed negatively. “So long as women are valued for their beauty, they will fear becoming their mothers. And men, who grow up knowing the domestic authority of their mothers, dread them,” said Susan McClary, professor of musicology. “So mothers become either invisible or monstrous.”