Part II
Gianni Schicchi
Comic opera

Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes with one intermission
Premiered on 31 January 2009

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Eri Klas, Novaya Opera chief conductor: We dedicate the ‘Viva Puccini!’ evening to the 150th anniversary of Puccini’s birth and present it as a mini-biography of the composer. Messa di Gloria, his graduate work at the conservatory, shows Puccini as a young composer at the start of his career; his music here is very close to Verdi’s music and bears just rudiments of Puccini’s future style. While Gianni Schicchi is the last completed opera of the mature composer (Puccini died before he could complete Turandot), an impressive display of his musical talent and individuality. So, we’ll show the public Puccini’s different incarnations in one evening, which I find particularly interesting.

Giacomo Puccini completed his comic opera ‘Gianni Schicchi’ in 1918. The scene is set in Florence in 1299. Buoso Donati, a rich old man, is on his deathbed and wants to leave all his money to the local monastery. The heirs want to take possession of Buoso’s property by dishonest action and call for help Gianni Schicchi, whose daughter, Lauretta, is engaged to the rich man’s nephew. Disguised as Buoso, the cheat Schicchi forges the will in his own favour and gives his blessing to his daughter’s marriage.

Dmitry Volosnikov, music director of the Gianni Schicchi production:
This story is as old as the hills. It’s all simple: people came to visit their deceased rich relative, hoping to snatch a large sum. When they learn that everything is bequeathed to other people, they try to evade the law and come into fortune by dishonest means. The action is set in the 13th century, but in our opinion, the story has a topical message, therefore in our production there are no definite time indicators and the costumes are up-to-date. The most important thing is that the opera was written in the early 20th century and resembles the soundtrack of a good Hollywood film. Puccini did not want to compose a stylized version of ancient music, making it clear that historical authenticity is not the most important thing in this opera. The plot is modern and Puccini’s music is up-to-date.

Gennady Shaposhnikov, director of the Gianni Schicchi production: Imagine two young loving people (Rinuccio and Lauretta), who are sincere, pure and unselfish. But their milieu is their polarity. They are greedy, unscrupulous people, seeking to lay hands on the property of their rich relative, Buoso. Thus, there are two poles in the story, with love on the one pole and spiritual death on the other. This subject can be interpreted as drama or tragedy. In our case the vice will be punished jocularly – a cheat outwits other cheats. But the opera is not about how to cheat more cleverly. Gianni Schicchi got involved in sharing out the money only because he wanted to punish greed and to help love. So, when people ask me what this opera is about, I always answer that it is about unmercenary love.

Victor Gerasimenko, set and costume designer of the Gianni Schicchi production: In our production the heirs do not come to their dead uncle’s place to read his will (as is written in the libretto). They come to celebrate their rich relative’s birthday, and the man is alive. They give him a huge statue of antique David, the symbol of Florence, saying that he is rich and handsome like David. Then, imitating love, they begin tossing up the rich uncle, organize fireworks and get so carried away that they forget about the old man, who dies of fear. This means murder, and the murder is to be concealed. This sets the stage for Gianni Schicchi’s trickery.