David Cane

Representations of disability in post-war British opera

David’s research, aligning itself with the emerging interdisciplinary field of enquiry, ‘Music and Disability Studies’, explores the portrayal of disability in the post-war British operatic repertoire (with special reference to the stage works of Benjamin Britten).

A particular focus is given to the recurring theme of Otherness in Britten’s music.

Championing disability as a category of cultural analysis (alongside those more routinely instanced of race, gender, and class), David’s research highlights how critical disability theory can usefully be incorporated into a musicological setting.’