The two different performances showed attendees the differing styles opera can take.

Puccini tended to focus on tragedy or consequence, including loss and themes of devastation. He conveyed the struggles of the poor, everyday person, and presented them in a way that made them seem worthy of grand art. He explored this in the endings of his works, which often resulted in a tragic death; cutting a romance short, or highlighting the real dangers, such as illness and poverty, that starving artists face. This played into popular themes of the artistic Verismo (realism) movement in early 19th-century Italy.

“My favorite part? I think it was definitely when I found out that her son had passed and then she burst out in song," said social work junior Fendi Knight when discussing Puccini's "Suor Angelica."

In comparison, Rossini has more lighthearted, comedic works that are intended to be more exciting and fast-paced. Common themes of his works include impersonation, trickery and frantic characters. Rossini's comedic style was shown in a performance of "La Cenerentola," performed by the MSU College of Music in Mar. 2025.

For some attendees, this was the first opera they have ever attended. 

“A friend who knows about the opera told me, as I am interested in the art of music," biochemistry freshman Jacob Burnham said. "I got really excited and decided to look it up myself.” 

The operas were made accessible for attendees, providing English subtitles. Marketing sophomore Sydney McElroy found this to be a beneficial aspect of the show. 

“I love it (the opera), honestly,” McElroy said. “This is my first opera, actually, so I’ve never seen them before. But the subtitles are helpful, and also, the storyline is really good so far.”

Though this was the last opera event of the season, the MSU College of Music hosts two fully costumed and staged operas per academic year. The college has yet to announce the operas for the 2026-2027 season.