Musicological Research
As a performing vocalist herself, Janna is especially interested in issues relating to the voice, vocal literature, and performance. Some of her works in progress relating to the voice have dealt with such things as: creating a "feminist-friendly" performance of Robert Schumann's Frauenliebe und Leben, exploring gender and orientalism in Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail, and trying to understand the abject position of female coloratura from the perspective of Lessing's Laocoön and Lacanian psychoanalytic theory.
Among Janna's other research interests is the 17th-century equestrian ballet. This interest is fueled by a longstanding passion for dressage and aided by an expert knowledge of classical equitation garnered as an apprentice rider under the instruction of Johann Riegler, head trainer at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Janna is particularly interested in how classical dressage intersected with nascent operatic forms in the 17th century to create a unique genre that took the courts of Italy, France, and Austria by storm for a brief period.