Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Voice students in the School of Music at Stephen F. Austin State University will present “Opera Scenes of Fate, Love and Tragedy” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus.
A culmination of the semester’s Fall Opera Workshop, the performance is under the direction of Nita Hudson, stage and musical director; Dr. Thomas Nixon, primary collaborative pianist; and Hyo Jeong Ham and Tate Ashby, student collaborative pianists. Works by Mozart, Verdi, Gilbert and Sullivan, among other composers, are on the program.
A variety of duets, trios, quintets and a sextet will perform scenes from “The Marriage of Figaro” by W.A. Mozart; “The Tales of Hoffmann” by Jacques Offenbach; “The Magic Flute” by Mozart; “Aida” by Giuseppe Verdi; “The Mikado” by W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan; “Carmen” by Georges Bizet; and “Cavalleria Rusticana” by Pietro Mascagni.
“Among the prominent scenes to be performed is the duet from ‘Cavalleria Rusticana’ in which the character Alfio arrives, late for mass,” Hudson explains. “Santuzza tells him that Lola went to church with Turridu and reveals that his wife has been cheating on him. In a rage, Alfio swears to get even and rushes off, leaving behind the now conscience-stricken Santuzza.”
Another prominent scene is the sextet from “The Tales of Hoffmann,” Hudson said. “As Hoffmann is about to depart, Giulietta seduces him into confessing his love for her. Schlémil returns and accuses Giulietta of having left him for Hoffmann, who realizes, with horror, that he has lost his reflection.”
Hudson said she selected these specific scenes to “showcase the talents of the students, while also providing challenges for them to grow.”
“The Fall Opera Workshop and the experience of performing these scenes has had a direct pedagogical impact on the lives of both the performance majors and music education majors,” Hudson said. “All the students have gained insight into how to communicate, and they’ve learned to take a project from its creation to its fruition.”
Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for seniors and $3 for students and youth. To purchase tickets, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit finearts.sfasu.edu. For additional information, contact the SFA School of Music at (936) 468-4602.