On November 11, 2017, Massimo Cavalletti will make his debut as Gianni Schicchi at the Dutch National Opera Amsterdam, in a new production by Jan Philipp Gloger conducted by Maestro Marc Albrecht, part of a double bill featuring also Zemlinsky’s A Florentine Tragedy (Eine florentinische Tragödie), the first of a series of performances running through November 24, 2017. He will share the stage with Mariangela Sicilia (Lauretta), Alessandro Scotto di Luzio (Rinuccio) and Enkelejda Shkosa (Zita) in the principal roles.

“Gianni Schicchi is a round character,” states the Lucca born baritone, “He is at the same time a man, a father, he is sly, shrewd, loving, protective, intelligent. Gianni Schicchi, the only comedy Puccini ever wrote, here in Amsterdam is presented as the second part of a double bill which starts with another opera taking place in Florence, A Florentine Tragedy: albeit completely different from each other, they both show the merciless affinity of the human soul for money. Schicchi’s “moral” at the end of the opera is actually valid for both works.

“The opera is set in our times”, continues Cavalletti”, and his modern costumes of an ordinary man make me feel very close to him: I must not pretend to be anyone else but a young father who is having the opportunity to receive an unexpected inheritance for his daughter and himself. I think this is a perfect opportunity to debut this role, thanks to stage director’s Jan Philipp Gloger’s dramaturgic work and Maestro Albrecht’s musical reading, which sweeps away a lot of the spurious performing traditions, giving a leaner and more fluent rendition of the Puccini score.”

After this Gianni Schicchi, Massimo Cavalletti’s 2017/2018 season includes his debut at the Paris Opéra in the title role of Il barbiere di Siviglia, his return to the Metropolitan Opera as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, his debut at the Ópera de Las Palmas again as Figaro, and his debut at the Rome Opera as Marcello in La bohème.

Information about Gianni Schicchi at the Dutch National Opera:

Gianni Schicchi: Massimo Cavalletti; Lauretta: Mariangela Sicilia; Zita: Enkelejda Shkosa; Rinuccio: Alessandro Scotto di Luzio; Gherardo; Saverio Fiore; Nella: Adriana Ferfecka; Betto di Signa: Umberto Chiummo; Simone: Carlo Cigni; Marco: Mikheil Kiria; La Ciesca: Ana Ibarra; Maestro Spinelloccio: Matteo Peirone; Sir Amantio di Nicolao: Tomeu Bibiloni; Pinellino: Peter Arink; Guccio: Alexander de Jong; Gherardino: Claudio García Dueñaz / Pieter de Villiers

Marc Albrecht (conductor); Jan Philipp Gloger (stage director)

Performances: November 11, 14, 16, 19, 21, 24, 2017

http://www.operaballet.nl/en/doublebill/2017-2018/show/florentinische-tragodie

[Photo by Dario Acosta]