Riccardo Chailly, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala - Puccini: Il Trittico (2009)

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Riccardo Chailly, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala - Puccini: Il Trittico (2009)

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Puccini's Il trittico is a triple-bill which is seldom performed as such. Of the three one-act short operas that compose it, only Gianni Schicchi is regularly seen on stage; Suor Angelica is second, but perhaps more often performed in concert form, its only famous piece being the aria "senza mamma", while Il tabarro is a real rarity.
The effort to set up three different operas which demand quite different casts is certainly one of the reasons for this situation. Il tabarro calls for real spinto voices in the main roles, while Angelica is also quite demanding for the singer in the title role, not to mention the huge number of principals it calls for.
La Scala is no exception to the rule, and in Milan Il trittico has been absent from the stage since 1983, while Gianni Schicchi has been seen several times over the years, the last being in 2004.
The production was directed by Luca Ronconi, who decided to keep the same sets (by Margherita Palli) for all three operas, colored in different hues: dark gray for Tabarro, white for Angelica, and red for Schicchi. A hole at mid-height on the background opened onto a second space, which offered the setting for secondary actions in Tabarro (the two lovers going by, the poet offering his verses); during Angelica a Madonna dominated from the background, while in Schicchi Gianni Schicchi himself appeared, while photos of Florence passed by behind him.
In Tabarro the main action was set in a boat; in Angelica a giant Madonna lying on the stage caused the nuns to walk up and down (stage directions did not look much more detailed), while in Schicchi a huge red bed occupied the stage. The lighting, which could have added greatly to the production, was virtually non existent.
On the musical side Riccardo Chailly gave an interesting reading of the score, highlighting its modern facets and associations with other European music of its age. The cast featured an outstanding Juan Pons as Michele in Tabarro. At his side, Miroslav Dvorsky's Luigi sounded quite anonymous, while Paoletta Marrocu as Giorgetta displayed some uncovered sounds and little control at the top. In Angelica Barbara Frittoli in the title role certainly acted with commitment, but her voice sounded somewhat forced. The Princess was Mariana Lipovšek, who looked authoritative even though her dark contralto was uneven through the range. Finally, in Schicchi Leo Nucci sang the title role, interpreting himself rather than anything else, and leaving little space for the others. (Silvia Luraghi)

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Riccardo Chailly, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala - Puccini: Il Trittico (2009)

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Riccardo Chailly, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala - Puccini: Il Trittico (2009)

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Riccardo Chailly, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala - Puccini: Il Trittico (2009)

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Riccardo Chailly, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala - Puccini: Il Trittico (2009)

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