Description
Material expressions of power function as fundamental instruments of empire, creating controlled environments that encompass both colonizers and colonized. It is therefore unsurprising that the French administration in Indochina, between the 19th and 20th centuries, undertook expensive construction projects to solidify their authority over Southeast Asia, including the establishment of theaters in Hanoi, Haiphong, and Saigon, designed for the performance of opera and operetta [Kleinen, 2014]. These performance venues served multiple purposes. Their architecture symbolized France’s technological superiority, while the productions exalted French culture. Together, opera and the opera house embodied both the illustrious past of the metropole and the triumphant future of its empire. The case of Hanoi is particularly revealing. Although opera activities began in the late 19th century, it was only in the early decades of the 20th century that the city established a regular opera season. By recreating a semblance of French cultural life in this distant corner of Southeast Asia, colonial officials sought to strengthen ties with Europe and affirm their civilizing mission [McClellan, 2003]. However, transportation difficulties—both internal, via river routes, and external, as touring companies endured long and exhausting journeys from the Mediterranean to the Gulf of Tonkin—along with exorbitant costs and the indifference of the local Vietnamese population, underscored Hanoi’s isolation. Many years later, following a prolonged period of war and political upheaval, that cultural divide has narrowed. Today, the vitality with which Vietnamese institutions and musicians perform and hybridize the Western classical repertoire reflects a dynamic engagement with this once-imposed tradition.
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