show category: opera

One-act operas from Il Trittico by Giacomo Puccini

The contrast is what gives Puccini’s famous Il Trittico, which includes Il Tabarro and Gianni Schicchi, its charm. Gripping drama and buffo elements don’t shy away from coming together in the two performances – two one-act operas that have made an impression on the operatic world.

Inspired by Didier Gold’s drama La Houppelande, the darkest of Puccini’s operas, Il tabarro centres on the idea of the passage of time, metaphorically embodied by the moment of sunset, the season of autumn and, above all, the slow flow of the river Seine, around which the whole story develops. This one-act opera tells the short story of the boat owner Michele, who suspects his young wife Giorgetta of being unfaithful. Filled with subplots and characters that bring to life the sights and sounds of 1900s Paris, the opera reaches a dramatic conclusion when Michele unexpectedly surprises his wife’s lover and kills him, then covers his body with his cloak.

*****

Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, the action of Puccini’s delightful comedy Gianni Schicchi is set in Florence in 1299. The story takes place in Donati’s bedroom just after his death, while his greedy relatives pretend to be in mourning and search for his will. The mood turns to rage when the relatives discover they have been disinherited. They seek out the clever and resourceful Schicchi to forge the will. However, Schicchi turns the plan against them, leaving the bulk of Donati’s estate to Donati, while the relatives, all party to the crime of forgery, are forced to stand by in silence.

Recommended age: 10+

The show has an intermission and ends around 9:30 pm