Customer Reviews

Puccini - Il Trittico

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Puccini was a crowd pleaser but even he couldn't ignore the currents of musical change following in the wake of Debussy, Schoenberg and Stravinsky. Debussy's influence is obvious in his score for La fanciulla del west, produced at the Met Dec. 10, 1910. The advent of the First World War caused musical downsizing between 1914-1918 for everyone, so Puccini produced three one act operas with slighly smaller orchestral forces which also premiered at the Met Dec. 14, 1918. The score is masterful, pointing towards a future Puccini only partially fulfilled with the unfinished Turandot of 1926. Puccini died before creating the modernist work he might have produced following Berg's Wozzeck and Lulu.

This production of Il Trittico, recorded live at the Teatro Comunale di Modena, 8 February 2007 is fresh, insightful and entertaining. Both Il tabarro and Suor Angelica are spared dirge-like productions in director Cristina Pezzoli's clean, crisp versions of the first two operas of Puccini's triptych. She removes everything superfluous, leaving behind the essence of the two harrowing plays. Both the Verismo in Il tabarro and the religious ecstasy of Suor Angelica are not over emphasized. The drama is naturalistic, the sets and costumes spare and stylized, so we are never forced into a downward spiral of bathos. The female lead in all three operas is Amarilli Nizza and she is splendid, obviously the singing and acting star of this production. The rest of the cast is equally as good.

The final opera is, as always, the most entertaining, the most fun of the three. This Gianni Schicchi, a tale of rampant greed and fraudulent wills that is based on a story from Dante, now updated to the era of it's composition, is wonderful. With imaginatively designed and beautifully realized comic costumes, and a simple but effective set, the performers shine. Surrounded by all of this artfully done comic freedom, they sing and act with natural comedic grace. It is very refreshing to see such creative excellence. This is my favorite Gianni Schicchi thus far on DVD. Alberto Mastromarino, the rotund, treacherous but hilarious Schicchi, is a hoot! It's a performance that will remain with you a long time. The Orchestra della Fondazione Arturo Toscanini and the Coro Lirico Amadeus, conducted by Julian Reynolds (not Nello Santi), play and sing splendidly. The entire large cast is excellent. Sound is exemplary in Dolby Digital 5.1, with an effect that is beautifully natural. Voices are wrapped in a spacious soundfield: airy and surrounded by/enfolded within their natural stage distances. Costumes are abstract, beautiful, funny and colorful. I adored their comic book wit. Sets are simply designed and very effective. There was creative intelligence involved in this production and it shows.

Modern and stylized, serious in the first two operas, very funny in the last, this is a splendid Il Trittico. Most strongly recommended.

Mike Birman

Giacomo Puccini is very well served in this production of Il Trittico. I've never had the luxury of seeing all three operas together. I saw Suor Angelica in San Francisco around 1990 with Leona Mitchell (paired with I Pagliacci) and Gianni Schicchi in Los Angeles a couple of years ago with Samuel Ramey (paired with Bartok's Blubeard's Castle). When I watched this video, I was not expecting Renata Scotto or any of the others. Amarilli Nizza more than holds her own vocally and dramatically, as well as the uniformly good cast. The singing, conducting, staging & video quality are all excellent. I had never heard of any of the cast members, but the first couple of 5 star reviews encouraged me to order this DVD. And I am so glad to have seen it and to add my own 5 stars. I for one am not pining for that elusive past golden age, but rather grateful for the high quality of what is available today. However, I must confess that I hope the Met will release the Scotto Trittico on DVD one of these days. "Madonna salvami."

This is a beautiful production of Puccini's Il trittico. Il Tabarro has a beautiful convincing cast. Luigi's singing is beautiful and his love duet with Giorgetta will bring tears to your eyes. I found it very erotic when Luigi is lying on top of Giorgetta. The only complaint about il tabarro is puccini's fault to leave us at the end of the opera speechless and cold. If only he would have extended it a little bit longer. I think that last chord ends really fast, when Giorgetta looks what her husband is hiding under his long coat....ups!!! is her strangled lover - she sings out a loud cry in disbelief and boom the opera is over. Personally Suor Angelica is full of new theatrical tricks. I love how the nuns at the end bring crosses that will attach to the ground. Very Theatrical and beatifuly done. Suor Angelica is an opera that only with the music it tells me a lot so the production even though is bad, the music still emotionally moves me. The only complaint is - what the hell was the producer thinking about the black crow on Suor Angelicas Aunt's hat?. She is supposed to be a Princess you know? I don't get it. A black crow is ugly. I should be a white dove. I know that the princess is bringing bad news. Is that why she has a black crow on her hat? Please explain. Gianni Schicchi my most favorite of the three is funny but I would love to see Gianni Schicchi a little bit more funny. At some points I think he looked nervous but, the rest of the cast were pretty funny. I loved the conga line when Gianni Schicchi was reading the testament. Overall my praise goes to the diva who sang; Giorgetta, Suor Angelica and Lauretta. (Amarilli Nizza) Her characterizations where very convincing.

I just finished watching the gorgeous production from Teatro Comunale di Modena and can only say if you love Trittico as I do, you must have this set - and priced as it is it's a steal!

First, all three, distinctive sets by Giacomo Andrico, costumes by Gianluca Fataschi and lighting by Cesare Accetta are nothing short of marvelous, each setting the mood of the piece as soon as the curtain rises.

For Il Tabarro we're plunged into dismal, watery world under the large arch of a Parisian bridge, the barge a depressing and effective playing area, where shadows loom everywhere. The colors and light effects are sensational.

For Suor Angelica, we're in an enormous vaulted room of shifting columns, with set pieces unobtrusively moved into place to change the settings throughout in a way I've not seen done before - even an enormous fountain glides into place for several spectacular effects in the first and final scenes. The miracle is beautifully staged, with a child Madonna leading Angelica's son toward his mother, the son racing to and falling onto and embracing his mother for a touching reunion of smiles before both expire, the little Madonna smiling down on them. Talk about lump in your throat moments!

Schicchi makes me wonder why any director would want to update it, the massive period set evoking the era, but the over-the-top costumes, elaborate wigs, ridiculous hats all like a renaissance painting come to life - save for Schicchi who first appears in a pinstriped suit.

Christina Pezzoli's direction in all three operas brings real theatre into the proceedings, all of the characters richly detailed, stripped (mostly) of old-fashioned cliches and rich with life.

Alberto Mastromarino shines both as Michele and Schicchi, even when his voice sometimes (rarely) threatens to break under pressure. For the most part he sings beautifully and he shows that even a corpulent singer/actor can learn to move and act with grace, style and be a physically thrilling performer. He is that and more - and his curtsey (still in Buoso's gown) at the end is charm itself. Dark, violently threatening as Michele, his Schicchi is fleet and light as a feather. I want to see more of this guy!

Amarilli Nizza pulls off the operatic equivalent of a hat trick nailing all three of the heroines. She is a wildly physical Giorgietta in her flapper get up, complete with garters, stockings and head band. She is both hope and sorrow personified as Angelica, and pulls off a shrewd, if slightly long in the tooth Lauretta, all winks and knowing nods. In one delicious bit of irony, "O mio babbino caro," is sung while daddy pulls her into his coat. It's little touches like this that Ms. Pezzoli injects throughout all three operas that give them a wonderful sense of theatricality. Nizza's voice is an exciting one, not always beautiful of sound, especially when pushing it in the mid range, but she has the most secure and thrilling top I've heard in a soprano in ANY of these roles in a very, very long time. Her high c at the end of the "Lodiam" sequence is thrilling and goes on forever.

Also in Schicchi, the movement from all of the singers is choreographed to the music in an almost comedic balletic fashion that brings it vividly to life. (Though I must say, I've rarely, if ever, seen this particular opera not done well).

The rest of the casts are all marvelous actors and (mostly) good singers, particularly Rubens Pelizzari as Luigi, who several times resembles the young, handsome Pavarotti. His murder at Michele's hands is terrifying, Michele plunging his head into the river, Luigi coming up gasping for air, soaking wet it's positively lugubrious!

The Orchestra della Fondazione Arturo Toscanini and the Coro Lirico Amadeus led by Julian Reynolds is in top form and the entire thing flew by so beautifully and quickly I couldn't believe 3+ hours had come and gone.

I (obviously) can't say enough good things about this one!

From the first moment of this DVD, I felt I had something special coming...and I was correct. This is a treat from start to finish, an amazing performance all around with great sound. My sense of the performance echoes most of the other reviews.

I would say to one of the 4-star reviewers that having an aversion to "sad" is a major impediment to being an opera fan. I don't envy you (I love the sad). And I would say to the 1-star reviewer, please don't sully performances with a terrible review when your complaint is merely administrative -- and your error at that.

A very very satisfying performance, one I will go back to again and again.

You had two reviews - one long and very good (with one minor error) and a short one that was written by someone who did not watch the video and credited another conductor. Mr. Birman got it right in general. I would disagree with the assessment of the soprano. I think she is in way over her head. If you love O Mio Babbino Caro and Senza Mamma, listen elsewhere. If she was so good, where was the applause? She got none. The baritone got bravos. I have heard Hai ben Raggione sung much better also. Overall, a good, fresh approach and appreciated here.

this is the best trittico ever on DVD - soprana Amarilli Nizza is amazing, as good as, or better than Renata Scotto's performance. Nello Santi conducts beautifully. This is a must have DVD

From the Teatro Communale di Modena, the birthplace of opera legends Pavarotti and Freni, comes this fantastic production of "Il Trittico".
Although the singers are not well known,do not hesitate to add this DVD to your collection.
Production values are far superior to any other production on DVD or VHS tape, and even to the productions that I've seen on the stage. I cann't count the times that I have watched this DVD.
The three operas are great, although my favorite is SOUR ANGELICA, ironically, of the three operas it has been the least successful of the set, being Gianni Schicchi the most popular.
When Il Trittico had its world premiere in 1918 at The Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the newspapers praised Schicchi but were very unkind to Sour Angelica.
Before it opened at the MET, Puccini himself played it at the convent where his own sister was a nun, and they loved it!
I was very impressed with Amarilli Nizza, the soprano,she did a great job in the three operas, not a small feat; just getting through Angelica it's quite something.
Beverly Sills wrote in one of her books that she sang Sour Angelica only once, because when she finished it, she was so drained that she couldn't put herself through it again!
What is interesting is that each opera is so different from each other,one a tale of adultery and murder, the other a miracle at a convent, and the third one a very fine comedy!! And all highly enjoyable on their own.
But if you buy only one version of Il Trittico, make it this one. You'll go back to it, over and over.

I just discovered these three short operas because I wanted everything by Puccini; and it is so rare to find them together or to have them performed together.....what a shame. I view them as wonderful short stories. We don't always want to read and hear a War and Peace or Les Miserables length opera. So one hour operas are refreshing and thoroughly enjoyable. I have nothing to compare this performance to other than that famous aria from Gianni Schicchi; I first became aware of this incredible aria in the movie a Room with a View starring the then VERY young Helena Bonham Carter. I have no complaint with these gems and delighted to have them in my library; Nizza is not Kiri Te Kenawa, few are.....but she is definitely not over her head.

ASIN:B000TXY2DY Puccini - Il Trittico]]
[[I wanted to buy this opera because I was going to see "Sour Angelica" in the theater and I like to get familiar with the music. I had seen one of the metropolitan versions on TV and at that time I didn't like it so much, maybe because I was expecting something else or I wasn't in the mood, which means that I bought this DVD with a lot of misgiving but I am glad to have done it. I decided for this version because all the reviewers were very good.
Even though the scenery was very plain, like some paintings of the beginning of the XX century, it was very effective, representing the hard life and frustrations of its characters.
In "Il Tabarro" the acting was very good in spite of the abrupt ending.
Then "Sour Angelica" the submission of the nuns who take a vow for one or another reason and shut themselves away in a convent and the main character isolated and abandoned by her relatives for having a son out of wedlock were very well captured.
The last opera is completely different, treated like a buffo theater, with ridiculous costumes and acting, that express the greed of all Bouso's relatives waiting for his will after his death which Gianni Schicchi changed at there request .In a way he punished these people and is able to help his daughter with the change he makes in Buoso's will.
Alberto Mastromarino,Amarilli Nizza and Annamaria Chiuri were very convincing in their acting and singing in the different roles they performed.
The sound , scenery and most important the cast are very good.