Il Trittico by Puccini, Sat 13 Aug 2022, From (2022/2022), Directed by Christof Loy,, Conductor Franz Welser-Möst, Großes Festspielhaus, Salzburg, Austria

Written in the midst of World War I, Giacomo Puccini's Il trittico had its world premiere in New York on December 14, 1918. The operatic triptych consists of three one-act operas that, at first glance, have no connection with each other. However, Gianni Schicchi, Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica portray different facets of existence, individual fates from a world that seems to hold little hope. In Salzburg it was decided to begin the evening - contrary to the usual order - with "Gianni Schicchi", the cheerful part of the trilogy, which achieved quasi immortality through the aria "O mio babbino caro". For the first time, the magnificent soprano Asmik Grigorian embodies all the main female roles of Lauretta, Georgetta and Sister Angelica, combining virtuoso acting and sensitive character study in each of the soprano parts in Christof Loy's stage direction. She is assisted by Roman Burdenko (Michele), Joshua Guerrero (Luigi), Karita Mattila (La Zia Principessa), Hanna Schwarz (La Badessa), Enkelejda Shkoza (La Suora Zelatrice and Zita), Giulia Semenzato (Suor Genovieffa), Misha Kiria (Gianni Schicchi), Alexey Neklyudov (Rinuccio), Brindley Sherratt (Simone), Lavinia Bini (Nella) and many others. The choral parts are performed by the Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus and the Salzburg Festival and Theater Children's Chorus. Franz Welser-Möst and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra bring the milieu studies, which are entirely committed to verismo, to magnificent sound.