4 Saints in 3 Acts: A Snapshot of the American Avant-Garde in the 1930s (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781526113030)

Four Saints in Three Acts by Gertrude Stein and Virgil Thomson was a major avant-garde phenomenon of the 1930s, an experimental opera that nonetheless achieved remarkable popular success. Photography was a key element of that success, but its complex roles in the construction, representation and dissemination of the opera have hitherto received little critical attention. The photographic recording of the all-African American cast in particular affords a unique insight into the complexities of Four Saints in relation to the Harlem Renaissance and the New York avant-gardes of the time.

This book, published in collaboration with The Photographers' Gallery, London, presents a wide selection of photographs of the cast, performances, and other material - many images reproduced for the first time - alongside essays by an international range of scholars exploring different aspects of the opera, including dance, fashion, music, and avant-garde writing, as well as photography.

Author: Patricia Allmer
ISBN-10: 1526113031
ISBN-13: 9781526113030
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Language: English
Published: 10/24/2017
Pages: 200
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.60d