Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi

SUOR ANGELICA
[Sister Angelica]
Libretto by Giovacchino Forzano

GIANNI SCHICCHI
Libretto by Giovacchino Forzano

First performed in New York on 14 December 1918
Premiere at the Deutsche Oper Berlin on 30 September 2023

2 hrs 20 mins / one interval

In Italian with German and English surtitles

Pre-performance lecture (in German): 45 minutes prior to each performance

recommended from 13 years

About the performance

About the work
No other work reflects Puccini's search for new forms of musical theatre like his three-act trilogy IL TRITTICO, which premiered in 1918. In three pieces with different colours and temperatures, he once again brought to the stage what Italian opera could be in those years. In a condensed version, the second and third parts of the triptych now return to the stage of the Deutsche Oper in Karabulut's colourful production: SUOR ANGELICA, a piece with an all-female cast, is unique in opera history and revolves around questions of life and death and the possibilities in between. In her feminist interpretation, Karabulut explores the possibilities of (female) self-determination within a closed system. GIANNI SCHICCHI, on the other hand, follows the tradition of commedia dell'arte, placing humans at the centre as players and greedy deceivers. With her keen sense of timing and a captivating ensemble, Karabulut reveals the bizarre depths of a hypocritical family gathering once again around the deathbed of their patriarch.

Suor Angelica

Synopsis

Place: A convent in Italy

Time: The latter part of the 17th century

The opera opens with scenes showing typical aspects of life in the convent. Sister Angelica and two lay sisters - Sister Genovieffa and Sister Dolcina - are late for chapel. All the sisters sing hymns, the Monitor chides Sisters Genovieffa and Dolcina for not doing penance as Sister Angelica has done, and everyone gathers for recreation in the courtyard. The sisters rejoice because, as the mistress of novices explains, this is the first of three evenings that occur each year when the setting sun strikes the fountain so as to turn its water golden. This event causes the sisters to remember Bianca Rosa, a sister who has died. Sister Genovieffa suggests they pour some of the "golden" water onto her tomb.

The nuns discuss their desires for worldly pleasures. While the Monitor believes that any desire at all is wrong, Sister Genovieffa confesses that she longs for the lambs she tended to when she was a shepherdess, and Sister Dolcina for sweet foods to eat. Sister Angelica claims to have no desires, but as soon as she says so, the nuns begin gossiping - Sister Angelica has lied, because her true desire is to hear from her wealthy noble family, whom she has not heard from in seven years. Rumors are that she was sent to the convent as punishment.

The conversation is interrupted by the Infirmary Sister, who begs Sister Angelica to make a herbal remedy, her specialty, for a wasp sting. Two tourières arrive, bringing supplies to the convent, and news that a grand coach is waiting outside. Sister Angelica becomes nervous and upset, thinking rightly that someone in her family has come to visit her. The Abbess chastises Sister Angelica for her inappropriate excitement and announces the visitor, the Princess, Sister Angelica's aunt.

The Princess rejects Sister Angelica's affectionate gestures. The Princess explains that 20 years prior, she became the guardian to Angelica and her sister Anna Viola when their parents died and that she was given control over her nieces' inheritance. The Princess then reveals her reason for coming to the convent — Angelica must sign a document transferring her inheritance to Anna Viola, who is marrying a man willing to ignore the shame that his fiancée's sister brought on their family. Angelica replies that she has repented of her sin but that she cannot sacrifice everything to the Virgin: she cannot forget the memories of her illegitimate son, who was taken from her 7 years previously and of her aunt's banishing her to the convent as retribution. The Princess at first refuses to respond, but she finally informs Sister Angelica that her son died of fever 2 years previously. Sister Angelica, devastated, signs the document transferring her inheritance and then collapses in tears. The Princess leaves.

Sister Angelica is seized by a heavenly vision — she believes she hears her son calling for her to meet him in paradise. She makes a poison and drinks it but realizes that by killing herself she has committed a mortal sin and has damned herself to eternal separation from her son. She begs the Virgin Mary for mercy and, as she dies, she witnesses a miracle: the Virgin Mary appears along with Sister Angelica's son, who runs to embrace her.

Gianni Schicchi

Synopsis

The story takes place in Florence, 1299. As Buoso Donati lies dead in his curtained four-poster bed, his relatives gather round to mourn his passing, but are really more interested in learning the contents of his will. Among those present are his cousins Zita and Simone, his poor-relation brother-in-law Betto, and Zita's nephew Rinuccio. Betto mentions a rumour he has heard that Buoso has left everything to a monastery; this disturbs the others and precipitates a frantic search for the will. The document is found by Rinuccio, who is confident that his uncle has left him plenty of money. He withholds the will momentarily and asks Zita to allow him to marry Lauretta, daughter of Gianni Schicchi, a newcomer to Florence. Zita replies that if Buoso has left them rich, he can marry whom he pleases; she and the other relatives are anxious to begin reading the will. A happy Rinuccio sends little Gherardino to fetch Schicchi and Lauretta.

As they read, the relatives' worst fears are soon realised; Buoso has indeed bequeathed his fortune to the monastery. They break out in woe and indignation and turn to Simone, the oldest present and a former mayor of Fucecchio, but he can offer no help. Rinuccio suggests that only Gianni Schicchi can advise them what to do, but this is scorned by Zita and the rest, who sneer at Schicchi's humble origins and now say that marriage to the daughter of such a peasant is out of the question. Rinuccio defends Schicchi in an aria "Avete torto" ("You're mistaken"), after which Schicchi and Lauretta arrive. Schicchi quickly grasps the situation, and Rinuccio begs him for help, but Schicchi is rudely told by Zita to "be off" and take his daughter with him. Rinuccio and Lauretta listen in despair as Schicchi announces that he will have nothing to do with such people. Lauretta makes a final plea to him with "O mio babbino caro" ("Oh, my dear papa"), and he agrees to look at the will. After twice scrutinizing it and concluding that nothing can be done, an idea occurs to him. He sends his daughter outside so that she will be innocent of what is to follow.

First, Schicchi establishes that no one other than those present knows that Buoso is dead. He then orders the body removed to another room. A knock announces the arrival of the doctor, Spinelloccio. Schicchi conceals himself behind the bed curtains, mimics Buoso's voice, and declares that he is feeling better; he asks the doctor to return that evening. Boasting that he has never lost a patient, Spinelloccio departs. Schicchi then unveils his plan in the aria "Si corre dal notaio" ("Run to the notary"); having established in the doctor's mind that Buoso is still alive, Schicchi will disguise himself as Buoso and dictate a new will. All are delighted with the scheme, and importune Schicchi with personal requests for Buoso's various possessions, the most treasured of which are "the mule, the house and the mills at Signa". A funeral bell rings, and everyone fears that the news of Buoso's death has emerged, but it turns out that the bell is tolling for the death of a neighbour's Moorish servant. The relatives agree to leave the disposition of the mule, the house and the mills to Schicchi, though each, in turn, offers him a bribe. The women help him to change into Buoso's clothes as they sing the lyrical trio "Spogliati, bambolino" ("Undress, little boy"). Before taking his place in the bed, Schicchi warns the company of the grave punishment for those found to have falsified a will: amputation of one hand, and then, exile from Florence.

The notary arrives, and Schicchi starts to dictate the new will, declaring any prior will null and void. To general satisfaction, he allocates the minor bequests, but when it comes to the mule, the house and the mills, he orders that these be left to "my devoted friend Gianni Schicchi". Incredulous, the family can do nothing while the lawyer is present, especially when Schicchi slyly reminds them of the penalties that discovery of the ruse will bring. Their outrage when the notary leaves is accompanied by a frenzy of looting as Schicchi chases them out of what is now his house.

Meanwhile, Lauretta and Rinuccio sing a love duet, "Lauretta mia", as there is no bar to their marriage since Schicchi can now provide a respectable dowry. Schicchi, returning, stands moved at the sight of the two lovers. He turns to the audience and asks them to agree that no better use could be found for Buoso's wealth: although the poet Dante has condemned him to hell for this trick, Schicchi asks the audience to forgive him in light of "extenuating circumstances."

Program and cast

Suor Angelica

Suor Angelica: Mané Galoyan

La Zia Principessa: Lauren Decker

La Badessa: Stephanie Wake-Edwards

La Suora Zelatrice: Aleksandra Meteleva

La Maestra delle Novizie: Lucy Baker

Suor Genovieffa: Lilit Davtyan

Suor Osmina: Stephanie Lloyd

Suor Dolcina: Gyumi Park

La Suora Infermiera: Arianna Manganello

1. Cercatrice: Rachel Pinevska

2. Cercatrice: Kristina Griep

La Novizia: Maria Vasilevskaya

Le Converse: Julie Wyma

Le Converse: Margarita Greiner

Gianni Schicchi

Gianni Schicchi: Misha Kiria

Lauretta: Mané Galoyan

Zita: Lauren Decker

Rinuccio: Andrei Danilov

Gherardo: Burkhard Ulrich

Nella: Alexandra Oomens

Betto di Signa: Michael Bachtadze

Simone: Andrew Harris

Marco: Dean Murphy

La Ciesca: Arianna Manganello

Maestro Spinelloccio: Jörg Schörner

Amantio di Nicolao: Artur Garbas

Pinellino: Paul Minhyung Roh

Guccio: Benjamin Dickerson

Buoso Donati: Derrick Amanatidis