Canadian Opera Company: April - May 2012

The COC’s double bill is one of the rare times that A Florentine Tragedy and Gianni Schicchi have been paired together. The two works were written just a year apart, with Zemlinsky’s A Florentine Tragedy premiering in Stuttgart in 1917 and Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi at the Metropolitan Opera in 1918, and both use Florence as the backdrop for their respective stories of familial turmoil.

The Canadian premiere of Zemlinsky’s A Florentine Tragedy is a chance to discover a rare gem of the operatic repertoire. Based on an unfinished Oscar Wilde play, the darkly satiric work tells the tale of a merchant who discovers his wife is having an affair and contains one of opera’s most unexpected endings.

Gianni Schicchi is a fast-paced comedy inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, in which a family frantically schemes to benefit their own greed when excluded from a wealthy relative’s will.

… For information about the Production see the COC's Official News Release

This line is a spacer.

It's impossible to even guess about the approach Director Catherine Malfitano will use in the staging of these pieces. The photos on her website show an eclectic mix of ideas and influences. Central City Opera's production of 'Madame Butterfly' appears to be fairly traditional. The San Francisco Opera's production of 'Don Giovanni' blends a minimalist's use of props with traditional costuming. Central City Opera's staging of 'Lucia di Lammermoor also uses traditional wardrobes but the backdrops and use of props conveys a gothic atmosphere akin to the style used by Hammer Film Studios when they re-tooled the classic horror characters made famous by Universal Studios. 'Tosca' as staged for the English National Opera combines traditional with contemporary. Photos from what appears to be the finale suggest Tosca falling into an abyss rather than leaping from a tower.

The only common denominator among these productions is their bold use of vivid colours.

The video of Malfitano singing 'Vissi d'arte' from the 1992 production of 'Tosca' shows an emotionally charged singer who relied on vocal shading and timing to convey the emotional state of a character. The character is by no means static but the heart of what she projects comes from within. Working with her could be a watershed opportunity for Simone Osbourne who plays the role of 'Lauretta' in 'Gianni Schicci'. Her performance as 'Gilda' in COC's fall presentation of 'Rigoletto' was stellar but she's still very young. With hard work and the right guidance she can be great. Malfitano could be an invaluable influence.

Gianmarco Segato's interview (posted in two parts below) offers insights about her and her approach as a director.

This line is a spacer.

The Music and the Performers

by Brian Hay

The music rom a Florentine Tragedy carries (for me anyway) the influence of Wagner's opera, 'Tristan und Isolde'. It also points toward the work of Arnold Schoenberg, though with the tonality and romanticism found mainly in his earlier works such as 'Gurre-Lieder'. Zemlinsky did in fact give Schoenberg lessons in counterpoint and the two became friends. He was also close to Mahler and some similarities show themselves. Ironically (or not so much), the earliest major support Zemlinsky received was from Brahms which suggests the gulf between modern and traditional schools of musical thought was much narrower between musicians than the public that hears their work thinks.

The performers in this piece are Alan Held, Gun-Brit Barkmin and Michael König. Video from a production of 'Salome' linked to Alan Held's website shows a lively singer with a powerful stage presence. Video footage of Gun-Brit Barkmin (also from a production of 'Salome') displays an array of shadings and a sense of ease on stage that allows her to immerse herself in a character completely.

Alan Held and Gun-Brit Barkman appear in 'Gianni Schicci' as well. Both productions are conducted by Sir Andrew Davis.houghts About the Music of 'Gianni Schicci'

Puccini's lyrical and impassioned romanticism speaks for itself. One of the pieces Simone will sing when she plays the role of 'Lauretta' is the lovely 'O mio babbino caro'. This radiant piece of music is a concert favourite that draws gulfs of emotion from the strongest of hearts. Last year Kevin Mallon conducted Orchestra London and soprano Monica Whicher in an encore performance of it and the audience melted. One of the violists said afterwards that it had the same effect on the orchestra. That was easy to see and hear. Undoubtedly it'll be that way in this production as well.

Director Catherine Malfitano will make sure of that.

This line is a spacer.