The Seduction of Alban Berg’s ‘Lulu’: A Baudrillardian Perspective
Abstract
Alban Berg’s Lulu is often seen as the tale of a femme fatale whose erotic power brings ruin through manipulation. This article reconsiders that view by reading the opera through Jean Baudrillard’s theory of seduction. Drawing on five key themes from Seduction, it argues that Lulu is less a destroyer of men than a disruptor of the logical systems seeking to define her. Through examples from the opera’s narrative and music, Lulu emerges not as a reflection of social paradigms but as resistance to fixed meaning, transparency and truth.
Keywords:
Alban Berg, Lulu, Jean Baudrillard, Seduction, social theory, feminine strategy, opera studiesReferences
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Authors
Vanja LjubibratićUniversity of the Arts Helsinki Finland
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2145-7985
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