Operatic Adaptations of Éile Zola's Thérèse Raquin: a Study and Comparative Analysis

The first theatrical adaptation of Émile Zola’s novel, Thérèse Raquin, took the stage on July 11, 1873, with a script written by the author. Since then, writers have been enthralled by the unusual challenge of transforming a naturalistic novel into a theatrical success, thereby making Thérèse Raquin a popular story to adapt for the theatre. Scholars have provided analytical comparisons of film and play adaptations, but research is lacking on the operatic adaptations by Philipp Maintz, Aharon Harlap, and Tobias Picker. Likewise, no examination has been conducted on how these adaptations compare to one another or how they evolved from the original text. This document explores the relationship between these adaptations and Zola’s fiction. It also examines action and overall structure of the plot, character portrayal, musical settings of the text, musical symbolism, the impact of Zola’s naturalism and French Impressionism, and the cultural contexts in which these adaptations were written. The primary purpose for this project is to bring awareness to the exceptional adapted operas and musicals of Thérèse Raquin, as well as explore the relationship between these three operatic adaptations and Zola’s fiction.