It is considerably to Puccini’s credit that with “Il trittico,” which premiered at the Met in 1918, he found three strikingly contrasting storylines for an idea that he had contemplated over many years: an evening of three One Act operas. It is interesting to consider the ideas he rejected. At one time it seemed to be an evening of operas based on Gogol, for Chaliapin was considered.
With the final configuration of “Il trittico,” Puccini found the perfect balance, with something melodramatic, something pious, and something funny—even if two of the operas run the risk of appearing dated to a modern audience on the basis of their subject matter. Opera Australia’s new production of “Il trittico,” which premiered July 3, saw the three works directed by three different Australian directors: Constantine Costi (“Il Tabarro”), Imara Savage (“Suor Angelica”), and Shaun Rennie (“Schicchi”). Russian-American conductor, Lidiya Yankovskaya, conducted all three works, and sets and costumes were by Australian designer Michael Hankin.
There was something very refreshing about having a new energy, impulse, and drive at the start of each of the evening’s three hours, and this was as much due to the vision of the three different directors as Puccini’s choice of subject matter. The musical performances, under Yankovskaya’s direction, were of consistently high quality. The evening opener, “Il tabarro,” could be described as Grand Guignol, in honor of the Pa.