Puccini composed his Il trittico as a trio of one-act operas, the first evoking horror, the second sadness and the third laughter. Now for the first time, the three short operas are being performed together by Dutch National Opera. This concludes the Puccini cycle that conductor Lorenzo Viotti and stage director Barrie Kosky have produced over three seasons.
Puccini’s three faces
The three one-act operas are very different in character, setting and subject matter, but they share one key feature: death. In Il tabarro (The cloak), a sailor and his wife have lost their only child and have become fatally estranged in the aftermath. The main character in Suor Angelica was banished to a convent after giving birth to an illegitimate baby. There, seven years later, she learns that her son has died. In desperation, she commits suicide but as she dies she is forgiven by the Virgin Mary in a vision. In Gianni Schicchi, a rich old man dies. His greedy family try to get their hands on the inheritance with the help of the cunning farmer Schicchi.
Puccini year with celebrated performers
2024 is precisely 100 years since the death of Giacomo Puccini at the age of 66. As a composer, Puccini is known for his refined theatrical instincts and powerful emotional eloquence. In this ‘Puccini year’, Dutch National Opera will be presenting the Italian composer’s most diverse work, Il trittico, in which he demonstrates his mastery of three different genres.
The German baritone Michael Volle, who achieved worldwide fame as Wotan (Der Ring des Nibelungen), Falstaff (in Verdi’s opera of the same name) and Scarpia (Tosca), will be making his DNO debut in his first performance of the roles of Michele (Il tabarro) and Gianni Schicchi. These roles will allow him to show two completely different sides: as a tortured verismo character and as a sly comedic figure. The role of Suor Angelica, a character whose tragedy never fails to move, will be sung by the Russian soprano Elena Stikhina, who previously gave a stunning performance in the title role of Madama Butterfly at DNO.
Performance information
Sung in Italian
Musical direction Lorenzo Viotti
Stage direction Barrie Kosky
Set design Rebecca Ringst
Costume design Victoria Behr
Lighting design Joachim Klein
Il tabarro
Libretto Giuseppe Adami
Michele Michael Volle
Luigi Joshua Guerrero
Tinca Mark Omvlee
Talpa Sam Carl
Giorgetta Leah Hawkins
La Frugola Raehann Bryce-Davis
Suor Angelica
Libretto Giovacchino Forzano
Suor Angelica Elena Stikhina
La zia Principessa Raehann Bryce-Davis
La Badessa Helena Rasker
La suora Zelatrice Polly Leech
La maestra delle novizie Eva Kroon
Suor Genovieffa Juliana Grigoryan
Gianni Schicchi
Libretto Giovacchino Forzano
Gianni Schicchi Michael Volle
Lauretta Juliana Grigoryan
Zita Helena Rasker
Rinuccio Joshua Guerrero
Gherardo Mark Omvlee
Betto di Signa Sam Carl
Simone Scott Wilde
La Ciesca Polly Leech
Chorus of Dutch National Opera
Chorus master Edward Ananian-Cooper
Nieuw Amsterdams Kinderkoor (onderdeel van Nieuw Vocaal Amsterdam)
Children's chorus master Anaïs de la Morandais
Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra
Photo: Marta Syrko
