Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Introduction to Opera Production (Face-to-Face)

MUSC 1620-01

Course: MUSC 1620-01
Credits: 2
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: MUSC
CRN: 13749

Course Description


This course is required for the Professional BM Degree

  • This course is designated as an introduction to opera class in order for students to gain an understanding of the overall development of opera since its inception.

•   This course is basically taught from a historical perspective.

  •  This course will look at Italian Opera, French Opera, German Opera, British Opera , American Opera, Czech and Russian Opera..

 
(Spring) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll

Required Texts

Required electronic texts will be provided by the instructor.

Learning Outcomes

·         
  • Students will develop a basic understanding of the history and evolution of opera since its beginnings

  •  Students will gain an understanding of the overall development of opera since its inception. 
 

  • Students will gain an understanding of how an opera or musical theatre production is put together by studying the various components involved. 
 

  • Students will be exposed to the fach system of aria classification and role classification in opera. 
 

  • Students will become familiar with stage terms.
 

Course Requirements

Course requirements
  
  •  Attendance counts.  NO unexcused absences are allowed. 

  • Students are asked to notify the instructor of all bona fide emergencies as soon as possible.

  • Students are required to turn in a notebook containing the materials talked about in class and outlines of reading assignments.

Requirements Outside of Class Time

Students are to watch one Italian Opera, one German opera, one French opera, and one English or American Opera outside of class on Video or DVD or live broadcast from the Met. You are required to attend Opera Performances which will be performed, March 25-28, 2026.  These operas may not be operas in which you have appeared.   That means that you need to do one opera per month, and then you will not feel overburdened.  I expect that each time I look at your notebook you will have completed the assignments for at least one opera per month.

 Students are to keep a notebook which will be turned into me 4 times over the semester and it will be graded each time.  Students will be given a separate sheet with requirements for the notebook.

 



Course Outline

WeekOne:



ElectronicReadings

What led to the development of opera? Italian Opera

Baroque Period Opera Peri and Caccini

Handel & Monteverdi

Week Two:

Electronic Readings Italian Opera (Continued) Classic Period
Mozart Operas
Le Nozze di Figaro & Don Giovanni

Week Three:

Italian Opera Continued

Becoming an Opera Conoscenti


Romantic Period Operas

Rossini:The Barber of Seville

Verdi:Rigoletto, LaTraviata ,Aida, Otello

Puccini :I Itrittico, Madama Butterfly, La Boheme, Turandot

Week Four:

Italian Opera Test

Begin French Opera Early French Opera Lully and Rameau

Meyerbeer and Gluck

Week Five:

 French Opera (Continued)
 Massenet:Werther. Manon

Gounod: Faust, RomeoandJuliet
Bizet: Carmen


Week Six:

Debussy:Peleas et Melesande


Ravel:L'en/antetsortileges
Poulenc: Dialogue of the Carmelites

Week Seven:

French Opera Test 
Begin German Opera Electronic Readings
 

Week Eight: 


Mozart:DieZauberflote
Maria Von Weber:

Engelbert Humperdinck
Hansel and Gretel
 

Week Nine:

Spring Break
March 7-15, 2026


Week Ten:



Wagner:
The Ring of the Nibelungen
Strauss:Salome


Week Eleven:

German Opera Test
Begin English and American Opera

Operetta:
Gilbert and Sullivan: Pirates of Penzance
Strauss: Die Fledermaus

 Week Twelve:


George Gershwin:Porgy and Bess

Kurt Weil: Street Scene

Carlisle Floyd: Susannah

Gian Carlo Menotti: Help, Help,the Globolinks,Amahl and the Night Visitors

John Adams: Nixon in China

 

Week Thirteen:


Leonard Bernstein: Candide
Jake Hegge:Dead Man Walking

Ricky Ian Gordon: Grapes of Wrath


Complete English and American Opera
Test


Week Fourteen:


Czech and Russian Opera Smetana, Janacek, Dvorak Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky,

Week Fifteen:


Review and Catch-up

Final Exam Thursday, April 23, 2026 9:00 a.m.10:50 a.m.
 

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

  Students who turn in assignments late: For every day that the student turns in an assignment late, his/her grade will go down a half letter.  For instance an A wil become an A-, an A- will be come a B+ and so forth

 

Attendance Policy

No unexcused absences are allowed for this class.  If a student must miss class, the student is required to notify the instructor ASAP.


Course Fees

There are no additional fees for this class.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.