A (Card) Catalogue Aria for Martha C. Nussbaum

Martha C. Nussbaum, a vital intellectual force at the heart of the law and philosophy departments at the University of Chicago, has been hailed as “the world’s most important philosopher” by The Telegraph (UK). She has also been a longtime subscriber, and a significant voice for Lyric Opera of Chicago; her numerous program book essays have become a familiar and welcome part of the Lyric experience, translating complex philosophical discourse into the visceral, emotional language of our stage productions.

We join the international arts community in celebrating the release of her latest book, The Republic of Love: Opera and Political Freedom, now available from Oxford University Press. In this new work, Nussbaum explores the unique capacity of opera to illuminate the intersection of human intimacy and the social and political structures that shape our lives. Her chapters on Mozart works, Beethoven's Fidelio, and Verdi's Don Carlos originated as essays for Lyric. Through a deep analysis of composers across many periods and styles, she frames opera as a powerful, vital resource for imagining the emotional foundations of a more just and empathetic society.

To celebrate her enduring partnership with Lyric, we have curated a selection of her recent program book essays, which highlight the breadth of her intellectual curiosity and commitment to the art form:

• Both cynical and heartfelt: The enigma of Così fan tutte
• Salome: Desire and reckoning
• The Marriage of Figaro: Craziness, Reciprocity, Love
• Beethoven's Fidelio: Reaching toward the light
• Aida: War, enemy of love
• Don Carlos: Liberty or the Inquisition?

Congratulations to Martha C. Nussbaum on the publication of The Republic of Love, and we look forward to sharing her latest essay with our Don Giovanni audiences this fall.