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.

Full Synopsis Materials and Orchestration

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

From
PASSION

First Performance Fee:
$175
Each Additional Performance:
$100

Type
SHOW EXTRACTION

Arranged for
1 FEMALE VOICE, 1 MALE VOICE

Starting Key
Gb

Estimated duration
8 min 32 sec

Music by
SONDHEIM, STEPHEN

Lyrics by
SONDHEIM, STEPHEN

Orchestrated by
TUNICK, JONATHAN

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

From
PASSION

First Performance Fee:
$175
Each Additional Performance:
$100

Type
SHOW EXTRACTION

Arranged for
1 FEMALE VOICE, 1 MALE VOICE

Starting Key
Db

Estimated duration
3 min 20 sec

Music by
SONDHEIM, STEPHEN

Lyrics by
SONDHEIM, STEPHEN

Orchestrated by
TUNICK, JONATHAN

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

From
PASSION

First Performance Fee:
$175
Each Additional Performance:
$100

Type
SHOW EXTRACTION

Arranged for
1 FEMALE VOICE

Starting Key
G#m

Estimated duration
1 min 55 sec

Music by
SONDHEIM, STEPHEN

Lyrics by
SONDHEIM, STEPHEN

Orchestrated by
TUNICK, JONATHAN

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

From
PASSION

First Performance Fee:
$175
Each Additional Performance:
$100

Type
SHOW EXTRACTION

Arranged for
1 MALE VOICE

Starting Key
G

Estimated duration
3 min 20 sec

Music by
SONDHEIM, STEPHEN

Lyrics by
SONDHEIM, STEPHEN

Orchestrated by
TUNICK, JONATHAN

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