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Musical Structure, Dramatic Form, and Song Pairings in Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2018

MICHAEL BUCHLER
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Abstract

Through a broad analysis of musical, textual, and dramatic similarities between the framing and framed shows in Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate and a more specific analysis of “So in Love” and “Were Thine That Special Face,” this article identifies an overall musical/dramatic structure with three formal rotations, cutting across the show's two acts. In tying the sometimes-masked song resemblances to the show's overall dramatic arch, Kiss Me, Kate's narrative structure is ultimately portrayed as united rather than bifurcated. As a springboard, this article scrutinizes Knapp's (2006) reading of “doubles” in the show.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Society for American Music , Volume 12 , Issue 1 , February 2018 , pp. 37 - 54
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for American Music 2018 

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