Puccini’s Suor Angelica : a fresh perspective

Giacomo Puccini’s Suor Angelica has often been described as “lacking.” However, the lack of recognition the opera has received may be due to the societal issues surrounding its premiere in both America and Italy, and a misunderstanding of the composer’s goals for the piece. This study focuses on a number of different areas including Puccini’s reputation, the reception of Suor Angelica, the music and the background of the opera. This study concludes that Suor Angelica is musically equal to Puccini’s other operas, and that any negative response has been due to other issues such as sexism and a misinterpretation of the composer’s intentions, and not because of a lack of musical varietySchool of MusicThesis (M.M.