The MSU College of Music closes its Worthington Family Foundation Opera Theatre Season with a compelling double bill of Italian opera, Puccini and Rossini: Operas of Consequence and Comedy, in the Fairchild Theatre, MSU Auditorium.
This fully staged and costumed production pairs two contrasting one-act works — Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Rossini’s La Cambiale di Matrimonio (The Marriage Contract) — performed with the MSU Symphony Orchestra. Puccini’s score supports the opera’s intimate and dramatic story with soaring vocal lines and expressive orchestration. In contrast, Rossini’s lively music moves quickly, with crisp rhythm and energy that highlight his early comic style.
Performances are at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 25; 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28; and 3 p.m. Sunday, March 29.
Puccini’s Suor Angelica tells the poignant story of a noblewoman forced into a convent, whose encounter with her estranged aunt leads to a powerful and emotional climax. Puccini’s sweeping lyricism and dramatic intensity frame a story of sacrifice, maternal love and redemption.
In contrast, Rossini’s first opera, La Cambiale di Matrimonio, offers a fast-moving farce centered on an arranged marriage gone awry. Sparkling ensembles and youthful energy define the score, showcasing Rossini’s gift for comic timing and vocal agility.
“Presenting these two productions together highlights the remarkable expressive range the art form of opera can deliver,” said Melanie Helton, professor of voice and director of MSU Opera Theatre. “One invites reflection through deeply personal sacrifice, while the other celebrates wit and comic chaos. For our students, it’s an opportunity to inhabit two very different musical worlds in a single evening. And for our patrons, it offers a rare immersion in the full spectrum of human experience.”
Conducted by Katherine Kilburn and directed by Helton, the production features set design by Matty Peterson and lighting design by Brent Wrobel. Both operas are sung in Italian with English surtitles.
The performances are generously sponsored by Susan Davis; the Eleanor H. and Harold E. Leichenko Opera Endowment established by Lauren Julius Harris; and the Richard and Joan Witter Endowment for MSU Opera Theatre. The entire Opera Theatre Season is underwritten by the Worthington Family Foundation.
Tickets for Puccini and Rossini: Operas of Consequence and Comedy at the Fairchild Theatre are available through the MSU Music box office at music.msu.edu/events or by phone at 517-353-5340. Reserved seating tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors (age 60 and older) and $14 for students.
This story originally appeared on the College of Music website.
