The Brian Lehrer Show Opera and Democracy
Mar 18, 2026
Martha C. Nussbaum, distinguished professor of law and philosophy at the University of Chicago and author of The Republic of Love. She links singing and breath to political freedom. She traces Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, and modern works to show how opera shapes reciprocity, gender, and power. She also examines accessibility, the internet, and changing audiences.
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Singing As A Symbol Of Freedom
- Opera links the physical act of singing and drawing breath to political freedom and self-expression.
- Martha C. Nussbaum foregrounds Beethoven's Prisoner's Chorus from Fidelio as emblematic of freedom regained through breath and song.
Opera Cultivates Political Emotions
- Opera trains emotions like love and reciprocity that philosophers often ignore in political theory.
- Nussbaum traces this thread from Mozart through contemporary composers as essential to realizing liberal values.
Mozart's Freemasonry Shaped Egalitarian Operas
- Mozart's freemasonry and reformist context shaped operas that promoted equality and inclusion.
- Nussbaum cites Joseph II's reforms, Mozart's lodge with working people and minorities, and The Magic Flute and Figaro as musical evidence.
