Two Operas, One Historic Weekend
Susquehanna University’s departments of music and theatre partnered to present two one-act operas for an historic weekend.
“Susquehanna’s performance of Fête Galante constitutes the first-ever, fully staged production of the opera in the United States, while The False Harlequin is staged very rarely,” says Associate Professor of Music David Steinau. “The opportunity to enjoy a fully staged opera — with sets and costumes — is rare for our area, and we were excited to offer our region this unique experience.”
The opportunity to enjoy a fully staged opera — with sets and costumes — is rare for our area, and we were excited to offer our region this unique experience.
– David Steinau
Fête Galante, written in 1923 by British composer Ethel Smyth, and The False Harlequin, written in 1925 by Italian composer Gian Francesco Malipiero, are very different operas unified by the traditional Italian commedia dell’arte acting-troupe characters that appear in both stories. But that’s where the similarities end.
“The operas are so contrasting, the first a tragic drama and the second a comedy,” says Ariana Rodi ’24, a music performance major from Lawrence Township, New Jersey. “You get intertwined in the stories.”
Tariq Cannady ’24, a theatre performance major from Selinsgrove, says, “Fête Galante is a love story that takes a turn from a happy tale to ‘something real is about to happen.’ It’s full of mystery and suspense.”
In The False Harlequin, a woman extends an invitation for the wealthy lords of Italy to win her heart by creating a beautiful melody, explains Maxwell Wigoda ’24, a theatre performance and communications double major from Minersville, Pennsylvania, who played one of the suitors.
Mistaken identities lead to an unexpected twist and a happy ending in The False Harlequin.
“The vocal lines that are written are just beautiful,” Rodi adds. “It’s been great to see the two departments collaborate.”
Both operas were performed with a company of 20 music and theatre students and a full orchestra. The plays were directed and choreographed by Assistant Professor of Theatre Kevin Crowe, and the music was directed by Steinau and conducted by Assistant Professor of Music Zachary Levi.
The performances were underwritten by Marian Shatto ’67, who previously donated her collection of Smyth’s works to the Jane Conrad Apple Rare Books Room in Susquehanna’s Blough-Weis Library.
