Overview
Synopsis
When her family’s safety is put at risk, Magda Sorel must obtain visas for them to leave the country. Magda is pitted against a bureaucracy that is unrelenting and which has a corrupt and manipulative secret police. The Consul is a suspense-filled opera packed with emotion and surprises that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. Its gripping conclusion and its amazing similarities to current events has made it a favorite of contemporary opera lovers. The Consul is set in an ambiguous country, and in a consulate for another ambiguous country. In the post-World War era this spoke to the public and may have been much of the reason that The Consul had an eight-month run on Broadway.
Show Information
- Music
- Gian Carlo Menotti
- Libretto
- Gian Carlo Menotti
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1950
- Genres
- Drama
- Settings
- Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- somewhere in europe, after world war ii
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- The Music Sales Group
- Ideal For
- College/University, Professional Opera, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Alto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Silent |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Soprano |
Songs
Editor's Note: As The Consul is a through-composed opera with no true "songs", we have only included the two excerpted arias in the song list.
Act 2, Scene 2
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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