Cuban Zarzuela

Received the Robert M. Stevenson Award from the American Musicological Society (AMS), 2011. Received the Pauline Alderman Award for Outstanding Scholarship on Women in Music in the category of best book from the International Alliance for Women in Music, 2009.

"A fascinating interpretation and tightly focused look at the vernacular zarzuela ... as created in Cuba in the 1920s and 1930s."--The Bulletin of the Society for American Music

“Thomas provides both an informative treatment of this allegoric play and a well-written sociocultural discourse on the relationship between gender, race, music and dance in 19th-century Havana. . . . A useful volume for students of Cuban history (particularly as it pertains to women) as well as musicology and ethnomusicology.”--Choice

"No other author addresses the Cuban zarzuela in such a distinctive manner. Susan Thomas offers revelatory musical and cultural analyses in a captivating narrative replete with unexpected twists and illuminating conclusions. Her interviews with performers are invaluable to the historical record and her methodology provides a model for others to follow. What a powerful contribution to the fields of musicology, ethnomusicology, gender studies, theater studies, and Latin American studies!"--Janet Sturman, author of Zarzuela: Spanish Operetta, American Stage

"A commendable job of fusing analytical techniques from historical musicology with broader issues from women's studies, cultural studies, and other disciplines. No other work focuses on this material with such a critical eye, and no other draws such interesting parallels between distinct zarzuelas as Thomas."--Robin D. Moore, author of Music and Revolution: Cultural Change in Socialist Cuba