Il Trittico

Last week I went twice to Opera Australia's Il Trittico — a refreshing pleasure after almost a month of the relentless quasi-modernism and declamatory realism of A Streetcar Named Desire. Whereas Streetcar might not even really be an opera, Trittico simply oozes all that's operatic — red blooded Mediterraneans, besotted young lovers, knives and disguises and family shame. Everything conventionally operatic is thrown somewhere into the Trittico mix, and even if convention sometimes becomes caricature, it remains a rewarding and mostly engaging experience. Moffatt Oxenbould's colourful and robust production dates back to 1973. All in all it has aged well, mostly because it's so wholly traditional — there are no modern quirks or topical eccentricities here, nothing to upset even the most conservative opera-goer. That literal and unchallenging approach may disappoint some; it's true the dark depths of Il tabarro and Suor Angelica are left largely unplumbed, and Gianni Schicchi, though consistently amusing, offers little in terms of real comic invention. But in a work such as Il Trittico, such deeper exploration is really an optional extra. When it's well executed — as this production most definitely is — straightforward conventionality remains a valid and successful option.

Of the three operas, I was (and still am, really) least familiar with the melodramatic but haunting Il tabarro. While Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi both offer resolution of sorts, Il tabarro ends on a powerfully unresolved note; ends, in a sense, at its beginning. Musically, I found it the most appealing of the three —  the effect partly of novelty, I'm sure, but also of its evocative and varied score. The prelude which opens the opera is a particularly delicate piece of scene setting; Giorgetta's impassioned tribute to her home village and Michele's lament at the deterioration of their marriage are both beautifully poignant; and the brief quotation from La bohème is a gorgeous comic touch. Suor Angelica is a rather more slow moving and static opera but in its own way at least as moving. Opening with a radiant and beatific offstage Ave Maria, the music steadily grows in intensity, as the innocent chattering of the novices gives way to Angelica's torment and eventual ecstasy. Last of the three is the rather silly Gianni Schicchi, insubtantial but charming in its way. Musically, its greatest attraction is probably the chance to hear the impossibly over-exposed "O mio babbino caro" in context for once; it also offers something relatively rare in Puccini, a star vehicle for both baritone (Schicchi) and comic mezzo (Zita) while lyric soprano Lauretta, despite getting the best tune, is relegated to a relatively minor role.

Of course, each opera stands perfectly well on its own. But Opera Australia's production offers a wonderful unifying thread — the utterly beautiful Cheryl Barker, who sings all three heroines. It's no easy task she's taken on; these three women pose, both together and separately, a variety of vocal and psychological challenges. But if anybody's up to it, Cheryl is. She is an extraordinarily lovely chameleon, inhabiting each of these three very different roles with grace, authority and thrilling vocal command. She is a vivid and touching Giorgetta, slicing through layers of orchestration while maintaining sweetness of tone; the role also shows off nicely her rather seductive lower register. As Angelica she is electrifying and deeply moving; the prolonged suicide scene is beautifully difficult to bear. Finally, as pretty little Lauretta, she is adorable, a surprisingly convincing teenager after the dark veined maturity of the previous acts. Her "O mio babbino caro" provides the highlight it should, though it's almost bettered (to my mind, at least) by her ensemble singing, especially in duet with Henry Choo's Rinuccio. The role's only drawback is its brevity — Lauretta is allowed far less time on stage than the glorious Cheryl deserves.

Alongside Cheryl is another singer who appears in all three roles, mezzo soprano Elizabeth Campbell. Her triple star turn, if perhaps marginally less arduous than Cheryl's, is nonetheless mightily impressive — she's marvellous as the eccentric Frugola in Il tabarro, a stern Abbess in Suor Angelica and, best of all, a wickedly funny Zita in Gianni Schicchi. Baritone Jonathan Summers appears twice — he's an intense (if occasionally slightly strained) Michele in Il tabarro, but scores his real triumph in the title role of Gianni Schicchi. Dennis O'Neill sings with lyrical majesty as Luigi in Il tabarro, though he's rather difficult to credit as a love interest for Giorgetta. Milijana Nikolic is absolutely terrifying in Suor Angelica as La Zia Principessa, her deep, commanding mezzo and wide-ish vibrato ideal for the role. Henry Choo makes a very sweet Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi, his "Firenze e come un albero fiorito" providing one of the evening's brightest non-Cheryl vocal highlights. Other highlights include, in Suor Angelica, Dominica Matthews' warmly sung Monitress, the excellent Rosemary Gunn as Mistress of the Novices and Hye Seoung Kwon's sparkling Genovieffa; an impressive cameo from Andrew Moran as the lawyer in Gianni Schicchi and an appallingly funny performance from Shane Lowrencev in the same opera, as a thieving, good-for-nothing  Betto di Signa.

Maestro Licata draws a generally cohesive and expressive performance from the AOBO. I might have wished for just a touch more heavy tragedy in Suor Angelica — a slightly slower tempo in "Senza mamma" would afford Cheryl's gift for Puccinian despair even more opportunity to devastate. But Il tabarro is perfectly measured and atmospheric, quiet and subtle to begin with and building powerfully to its frightening and tragic conclusion; and Gianni Schicchi maintains an effervescent comic bounce. Together, the trio covers practically the whole Puccini spectrum — a varied evening. It's also a long one. But with so much on offer, there's bound to be something in Il Trittico to capture the imagination of just about anybody. Opera Australia's appealing production adds one especial attraction, in the form of Cheryl Barker. High drama, broad comedy, big, expressive music and a soprano showcase  — what more could you want?