Brian: We're going to hear a little Mozart, and we're going to hear a little John Adams as we go. The first thing people will see when they open the book, even before the table of contents, is that line from Fidelio. Why lead with that?

Professor Nussbaum: Because what I'm talking about is the connection of a whole series of operas to debates about political freedom and the importance of cultivating emotions of love and reciprocity in order to actualize political freedom. The connection is that the act of singing, the breath itself, is an act of freedom. What these prisoners are saying is they were allowed to come out into the courtyard for the first time, and for the first time, they can actually draw breath and then, therefore, sing. I put it up front because that's really what I think not all operas, but the ones I write about, are all about, is about the freedom to express yourself.

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