Presented by
PUCCINI - Gianni Schicchi / MASCAGNI - Cavalleria Rusticana
Puccini, Mascagni
Bryn Terfel sings the title role Gianni Schicchi, while Lise Davidsen as Santuzza, Freddie De Tommaso as Turiddu, and Ludovic Tézier as Alfio offer a choice setting for Cavalleria Rusticana in this concert version of these two gems of Italian verism, conducted by Fabio Luisi.
Programme
GIACOMO PUCCINI (1858-1924)
Gianni Schicchi
(Terfel, Fang, Kim, Schwarz )
Interval
PIETRO MASCAGNI (1863-1945)
Cavalleria Rusticana
(Davidsen, De Tommaso, Tézier, Schwarz, Oberwalliser Vokalensemble)
Concert surtitled in French and English
Distribution
- Verbier Festival Orchestra
- Fabio Luisi conductor
- Bryn Terfel Gianni Schicchi
- Ying Fang Lauretta
- Sungho Kim Rinuzzio
- Lise Davidsen Santuzza
- Freddie De Tommaso Turiddu
- Ludovic Tézier Alfio
- Hanna Schwarz Zita (Puccini) , Lucia (Mascagni)
- Oberwalliser Vokalensemble choir
As well as O mio babbino caro, the aria that made him a household name throughout the world, we must remember the triumph of Gianni Schicchi, seen by critics as the worthy heir to Falstaff. Its original form, without chorus, and its grating music, in many ways prefiguring that of Prokofiev or Shostakovich, is perhaps one of the reasons for its success. Bryn Terfel, who left his mark on the festival with his performance of Falstaff in 2016, will be able to highlight the links between these two monuments of Italian opera.
Similarly, the famous and dreamy Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana has somewhat overshadowed the extremely brutal nature of its plot and the concision and effectiveness of its music. Sicilian songs, church bells and carter’s bells take us back to Sicily at the turn of the twentieth century, while the dynamics between the characters reach a degree of intensity rarely seen on an opera stage.
