Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-xfwgj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-22T13:13:52.373Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Lessons we can learn from opera

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2013

Henck P.J.G. van Bilsen
Henck P.J.G. van Bilsen*
Affiliation:
Head of Programmes and Psychology, St Andrew's Healthcare, Essex, UK; Visiting Teaching Fellow, Bucks New University, UK
*
Correspondence to: Henck van Bilsen, St Andrew's Healthcare, Essex, Pound Lane, North Benfleet, Wickford SS12 9JP. E-mail: hvanbilsen@standrew.co.uk
Get access

Abstract

I take the art form opera as an example from which practicing mental health professionals can learn some important lessons. After an introduction to the representation of mental illness in opera, the focus turns to one specific opera: La Bohème. Some pivotal scenes in this opera are reviewed and reflection points for mental health practitioners are suggested. By reflecting on the words sung in the opera, I draw parallels between mental health clinical practice and the content and performance of opera. The paper concludes with some general lessons mental health practitioners can take from opera.

Keywords

Mental healthopera
Type
Commentary
Information
Journal of Psychiatric Intensive Care , Volume 10 , Issue 1 , April 2014 , pp. 5 - 12
Copyright
Copyright © NAPICU 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bhodi, B. (2000) The Noble Eightfold Path: Way to the End of Suffering. Onalaska, USA: BPS Pariyatti Editions.Google Scholar
Durà-Vilà, G., Bentley, D. (2009) Opera and madness: Britten's Peter Grimes—a case study. Medical Humanities. 35(2): 106–109.Google Scholar
Jones, M. (1990a) The psychiatry of opera: Don Giovanni. Psychiatric Bulletin. 14: 417–421.Google Scholar
Jones, M. (1990b) The psychiatry of opera: Lucia di Lammermoor. Psychiatric Bulletin. 14: 556–557.Google Scholar
Jones, M. (1990c) The psychiatry of opera: Verdi's Macbeth. Psychiatric Bulletin. 14: 735–737.Google Scholar
Jones, M. (1991) The psychiatry of opera: Richard Wagner. Psychiatric Bulletin. 15: 98–100.Google Scholar
Kellert, S.H. (1993) In the Wake of Chaos: Unpredictable Order in Dynamical Systems. University of Chicago Press. 176 pp.Google Scholar
Miller, W.R., Sovereign, G., Krege, B. (1988) Motivational interviewing with problem drinkers: II. The drinker's check-up as a preventive intervention. Behavioural Psychotherapy. 16: 251–268.Google Scholar
Miller, W.R. (1983) Motivational interviewing with problem drinkers. Behavioural Psychotherapy. 11: 147–172.Google Scholar
Miller, W.R., Rollnick, S. (1991) Motivational Interviewing, Preparing People to Change Addictive Behavior. New York: The Guildford Press.Google Scholar
Rosenthal, H., Warrack, J. (1975) The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera. Oxford University Press. 446 pp.Google Scholar
Vyskočilová, J., Praško, J. (2012) Socratic dialogue and guided discovery in cognitive behavioral supervision. Activitas Nervosa Superior Rediviva. 54(1): 35–45.Google Scholar
Weber, M. (1988) Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Wissenschaftslehre. Johannes Winckelmann (ed.). J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck).Google Scholar