Passion

Passion
This emotional chamber opera tells of the passionate affair between a handsome soldier and an old spinster in nineteenth-century, war-torn Italy.

Discover the power of love in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's 1994 Tony Award-winning musical, Passion. No less than the wondrously complex landscape of the human heart is the subject of this haunting, intensely emotional one-act chamber opera that many consider to be Sondheim's deepest and most powerful evening of musical theatre.

A remote military outpost in 1863 Italy, a handsome army captain, separated from his beautiful – but married – mistress, is forced to re-evaluate his beliefs about love when he becomes the object of the obsessive, unrelenting passions of Fosca, his Colonel's plain, sickly cousin.

Bold, unexpected and thrilling, Passion is one of Stephen Sondheim's most emotional works. Intimate, raw, erotic and dark, it explores universal, yet often unspoken, truths. The sweeping, romantic score (Sondheim describes it as one long rhapsody) accompanies an intelligent, thought-provoking book that bears James Lapine's trademark lyricism and a host of well-drawn characters. As with all of Sondheim and Lapine's works, Passion requires (and highlights) a cast of accomplished singing actors.

Concert Selections for Passion

MTI is pleased to provide the pre-approved rental materials of select songs for your symphonic concert performance. Please note, MTI is unable to grant the necessary Performance Rights with this material rental. The Performance Rights needed must be obtained separately through the individual song’s respective small rights agency such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. Please email concerts@mtishows.com with any questions.

  • HAPPINESS
    First Performance Fee:
    $175
    Each Additional Performance:
    $100
    Music by
    Stephen Sondheim
    Lyrics by
    Stephen Sondheim
    Orchestrated by
    Jonathan Tunick
    show more...
    Arrangement Details
    Song Type: Show Extraction
    Arranged for
    2 Voices (Typically 1 Female, 1 Male)
    Starting Key
    G♭
    Estimated duration
    5 min 12 sec
    Instrumentation

    5 bass, 6 cello, 7 viola, 17 violins, 2 horns, 1 keyboard 1, 1 keyboard 2, 3 percussion, 1 reed 1, 1 reed 2, 1 reed 3, 1 reed 4, 1 trumpet, 4 Piano Conductor Scores

  • I WISH I COULD FORGET YOU
    First Performance Fee:
    $175
    Each Additional Performance:
    $100
    Music by
    SONDHEIM, STEPHEN
    Lyrics by
    SONDHEIM, STEPHEN
    Orchestrated by
    TUNICK, JONATHAN
    show more...
    Arrangement Details
    Song Type: Show Extraction
    Arranged for
    1 FEMALE VOICE, 1 MALE VOICE
    Starting Key
    D♭
    Estimated duration
    2 min 00 sec
    Instrumentation

    1 Reed 1, 1 Reed 2, 1 Reed 3, 1 Reed 4, 1 Trumpet, 2 Horn 1&2, 17 Violin 1&2, 7 Viola, 6 Cello, 5 Bass, 1 Keyboard 1(Harp), 1 Keyboard 2(Strings), 3 Percussion(Cymb,Timp), 2 Piano/Conductor, 2 Chorus books

  • LOVING YOU
    First Performance Fee:
    $175
    Each Additional Performance:
    $100
    Music by
    Stephen Sondheim
    Lyrics by
    Stephen Sondheim
    Orchestrated by
    Jonathan Tunick
    show more...
    Arrangement Details
    Song Type: Show Extraction
    Arranged for
    1 Voice (Typically Female)
    Starting Key
    G♯m
    Estimated duration
    1 min 15 sec
    Instrumentation

    1 Reed 1(Flute), 1 Reed 2(Clarinet), 1 Reed 3(Oboe), 2 Reed 4(Clarinet), 1 Trumpet, 2 Horn 1&2, 17 Violin 1&2, 7 Viola, 6 Cello, 5 Bass, 3 Percussion(Bells), 1 Keyboard 1(Harp), 1 Keyboard 2(Muted Strings), 2 Piano/Conductor

  • NO ONE HAS EVER LOVED ME
    First Performance Fee:
    $175
    Each Additional Performance:
    $100
    Music by
    SONDHEIM, STEPHEN
    Lyrics by
    SONDHEIM, STEPHEN
    Orchestrated by
    TUNICK, JONATHAN
    show more...
    Arrangement Details
    Song Type: Show Extraction
    Arranged for
    1 MALE VOICE
    Starting Key
    G
    Estimated duration
    2 min 00 sec
    Instrumentation

    Bass-5, Cello-6, Horns-2, Keyboard 1, Keyboard 2, Percussion-3, 1 Reed 1, 1 Reed 2, 1 Reed 3, 1 Reed 4, 1 Trumpet, Viola-7, Violin-17 3 Piano Conductor Scores

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