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Il Trittico - The Triptych - is just that: three one-act operas that are frequently bound together, but more by their length than by any linking theme, musical or otherwise. They can make for a highly enjoyable evening at the opera - most recently in London by ENO - despite the very different emotions each individual work seeks to arouse.
The comic element of the three, Gianni Schicchi, will feature Bryn Terfel's debut in the title role at the Royal Opera House in April 2007 - surely something to relish - but in the meanwhile Decca has reissued a recording from 1962 in its Classic Opera series.
It is indeed a classic recording. Renata Tebaldi stars in all three operas, and reminds us just why la nostra Renata was so beloved by Italians (and those of other nationalities) during her reign as leading soprano at La Scala in the early 1950s. Her voice is beautifully rounded, rich and creamy, and utterly secure - unlike her great rival, Maria Callas.
In Il Tabarro (The Cloak) she is Giorgetta, wife of barge-master Michele (legendary velvet-toned baritone Robert Merrill) but involved in a affair with Luigi, a stevedore (Mario del Monaco - considered one of the greatest dramatic tenors of the 20th century.) This grim tale of adultery and revenge can be very static on stage but includes some glorious moments, among them Luigi's stirring and sweeping aria Hai ben ragione, that wouldn't seem out of place in Tosca.
Del Monaco's voice, however, sounds strained at times; much more rewarding are the tender entreaties of Merrill as Michele, seeking a return to the days when Giorgetta loved him, before their child died - Erano sere come queste.
The score of Il Tabarro gives little scope for Tebaldi, but that is redressed handsomely in Suor Angelica.
Again, this work is not always successful on stage. There is little or no 'action' and the saccharine conclusion, if not handled sensitively, can be risible. But the music is glorious, and in some ways both these operas are better to listen to than to see - apart from anything else, a good recording makes the lyrics far clearer than any live performance can do. And again, there is wonderful music, for an all-female chorus (the setting being a convent) as well as the principals.
Suor Angelica as sung by Tebaldi is a wonderful creature. Tebaldi was 40 when this recording was made, and must have been at the height of her powers. Her portrayal is exquisite: a young nun set apart from her carefree sisters by a dark secret - her illegitimate child. The voice is tender, delicate and tinged with sorrow; when told of the death of her child, genuinely tragic. Her aria Senzo mamma, o bimbo is as gorgeous as it is heart-wrenching. The bearer of bad tidings, her aunt, is sung by Giulietta Simionato with a stern beauty, particularly notable in Nel silenzio di quei raccogliamenti.
The bitter-sweet music slowly builds to the dramatic climax of the work - Suor Angelica takes poison to be with her child, prays to the Virgin for forgiveness for this sin, and is rewarded by a miraculous vision of Mary carrying her child. Tebaldi's voice goes from the sweetness of youth to utter despair, taking us with her every step of the way. The final spellbinding moments rank with the greatest of all operatic endings.
Gianni Schicchi is just about as different as you could get from Suor Angelica. Apart, that is, from its one stupendous aria, O mio babbino caro, sung by Lauretta (Tebaldi) to her father, Gianni, begging him to allow her to marry her true love Rinuccio (a fine performance by Agostino Lazzari). She does not disappoint: this is just about as good a version as one could hope for, and as a result seems even shorter than usual - one is always left hoping for a reprise.
The rest of the opera is mostly froth and bluster: Buoso is dead and unfortunately for his extended family - including Rinuccio - has left all his money to the local monastery. Gianni Schicchi may be of lowly birth, but he is the only person with enough cunning to circumvent this terrible will. Impersonating Buoso in a miraculous recovery, he dictates a new will leaving everything to - his own daughter Lauretta. As a rich woman she is now a perfectly suitable wife for the higher-class Rinuccio, and they are happy, even if the rest of the family is left fuming at Schicchi's low cunning...
Fernando Corena (1916-1984), a leading exponent at the time of basso buffo roles, is perfect as Schicchi, a role that requires more comic acting than actual singing. This is a lively recording of an engaging opera and the triptych as a whole is certainly well worth adding to your collection, if it isn't there already.
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