Shortly after emigrating to the United Sates, Castelnuovo-Tedesco outlined his thoughts regarding... more Shortly after emigrating to the United Sates, Castelnuovo-Tedesco outlined his thoughts regarding film and music in an essay entitled Music and Movies. His discussion is framed by the assumption that viable art forms are intrinsically connected to national identity; opera, for example, was unquestionably the national art of Italy. As a European émigré, he was asked about opera in America and whether an "American opera" existed. While there were certainly examples of American operas that had made important contributions (Porgy and Bess), he wondered if this was the most successful direction young American composers should take. Opera, he writes, "is completely a European 'art phenomenon.'" Its traditions, conventions, and prejudices were intricately related to European experience. Could this be transplanted to America? "This tradition does not exist in America, and it cannot be improvised, (since it does not grow from a 'profound need' of many generations)." He queries, "is it worth the effort of a young and new people to subject themselves to a form of art whose conventions, faults, limitations, and compromises are already known? Would it not be better to choose something different, something new?" The "something new" that he suggested was cinema. "We can draw the conclusion that 'musical cinema' could become the true 'national art' form for America, exactly as the opera for Italy. . . . The motion picture was born in America . . . a cinematic tradition already exists here."
Shortly after emigrating to the United Sates, Castelnuovo-Tedesco outlined his thoughts regarding... more Shortly after emigrating to the United Sates, Castelnuovo-Tedesco outlined his thoughts regarding film and music in an essay entitled Music and Movies. His discussion is framed by the assumption that viable art forms are intrinsically connected to national identity; opera, for example, was unquestionably the national art of Italy. As a European émigré, he was asked about opera in America and whether an "American opera" existed. While there were certainly examples of American operas that had made important contributions (Porgy and Bess), he wondered if this was the most successful direction young American composers should take. Opera, he writes, "is completely a European 'art phenomenon.'" Its traditions, conventions, and prejudices were intricately related to European experience. Could this be transplanted to America? "This tradition does not exist in America, and it cannot be improvised, (since it does not grow from a 'profound need' of many generations)." He queries, "is it worth the effort of a young and new people to subject themselves to a form of art whose conventions, faults, limitations, and compromises are already known? Would it not be better to choose something different, something new?" The "something new" that he suggested was cinema. "We can draw the conclusion that 'musical cinema' could become the true 'national art' form for America, exactly as the opera for Italy. . . . The motion picture was born in America . . . a cinematic tradition already exists here."
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