The final opera of tonight’s Il Trittico is Gianni Schicchi and thank heaven, it’s a comedy. Just like dessert must follow broccoli and Brussels sprouts or Spring after a long Winter, we really need the funny after watching Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica.
The hilarious story of Gianni Schicchi elaborates on a minor character from Dante’s “Inferno.” My picture from The Musee d’Orsay here shows Gianni Schicchi pull another man backward, knee in his back, and biting his throat while Dante and Virgil observe. The Schicchi from the opera is a much softer character.
Right before the final curtain of the opera Gianni ironically gives a final recitative and makes a case that he should not in fact go to hell for his wrongs because he did it all for his daughter. She is the one who gives this short opera its heart and soul.
With the drop of an octave or shift to minor key, opera can quickly change tears of joy to tears of sympathy. In Gianni, Puccini sets up the daughters aria with a slow tempo of violins and an accompanying pizzicato. It helps us understand Gianni’s motivations. This comedy has one of the most sentimental aria’s in the repertoire often performed as a stand alone in concerts; “O Mio Babbino Caro,” where Lauretta’ asks her father Gianni for financial help to marry her love Rinuccio and if she can’t she would rather throw herself to death in the Arno rather than not be with him.
In tribute to this aria, Mr. Bean lip synchs to Maria Calais brilliantly combining the humor and pathos of Gianni Schicchi:
Placido holds a commanding presence on the stage tonight. I can only imagine his voice 30 years ago at the height of his powers. Disguised as the rich noble who’s already dead, he reads the fake will to the magistrate pretending the noble is still alive but on his deathbed reading his will. He is supposed to leave everything to the family who are all pretending to be sad. Placido delivers the punch-line on point, “and I leave the rest of my fortune to my good friend… Gianni Schicchi.”
Stephanie Blythe also holds the stage and is quickly becoming one of my favorite actresses, her timing and humor is always on point. I’m convinced her presence elevates every production she is in.
We started this day bundled up and ice skating in Central Park and wound up seeing Placido Domingo celebrated, witnessed a murder on a barge, saw a miracle in a convent, and laughed our earlier frozen asses off with Gianni Schicchi.
An embarrassment of riches, for sure.
So what is Gianni Schicchi all about? It begins with the death of Buoso Donati. Buoso’s family finds his will and are furious to see that he has left everything to the church. They enlist Gianni Schicchi (who’s daughter is dating the younger Donati) to impersonate Buoso and dictate a new will to the notary that leaves them the money instead of the church.
Notes on the production
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Gianni Schicchi……………………. Placido Domingo
Zita ………………………………..……. Stephanie Blythe
Simone…………………………..……. Maurizio murano
Nella……………………………….…… Gabriella Reyes
Lauretta…………………………………….. Kristina Mkhitaryan
Rinuccio…………………………………….. Atalla Ayan
Gherardo…………………….……… Tony Stevenson
Betto Di Signa………………….… Patrick Carfizzi
Conductor……………………..…… Bertrand de Billy
Metropolitan Opera
11/23/18