Il Trittico de Puccini
by: Symphony Orchestra of Navarra and Opera Choir of Bilbao.
Scene address: Paco Azorín.
Soloists: The great C. Alvarez, A. Blancas, M. Berti C. Isotton, K. Mattila, A. Ibarra, S. Esparza e I. The hotel.
Where: Euskalduna Palace of Bilbao.

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We rarely have the opportunity to listen to this triptych of Giacomo Puccini as he had thought it: in the same session. Three short works that are interpreted in different environments, and the large number of soloists that this requires, is a challenge. ABAO successfully met this challenge.

Despite the differences between the three works of genius Puccini, the ideal is to represent them in this way, one after the other. On the one hand, among the three there is an indisputable thread: death. Il tabarro ends a murder; the end of Suor Angelica is the suicide of the nun; and Gianni Schicchi begins with the death of Buoso Donati, whose sweet heritage gives rise to the whole subsequent act. The first two operas take place in a dramatic and dark environment, while the third is bright, full of humor, spark and ingenuity. Enjoy in general.

The level of interpretation was high in the three titles. In Il Tabarro, the baritone Carlos Álvarez stood out, in the role of Miguel, with a clear and energetic voice as always. But the release on the stage of soprano White Angels and the elegance of his voice dazzled listeners.

In Suor Angelica we immersed ourselves in an almost mystical and delicate drama. The music of Puccini, in this brief work, can be considered one of the sweetest of all its production. This work requires an elegant soprano that can convey the level of emotion involved in the role. Florentine Chiara Isotton more than played its role. He gave the character a stylized aura that brought us all to the sky. Finnish soprano Karita Mattila, for her part, gave a great draw to Zia Principessa.

The third part, GIanni Schicchi, gives a comic and animated counterpoint to the earlier dramas. It's a coral job, which means that it's hard to assemble and that each paper is very important as a whole. The result was magnificent. The well-known O mio babbino caro, a sweet Aria composed for the protagonist, was very well sung by the soprano navarra Sofia Esparza, who was very safe in the role of Lauretta. Romanian tenor Oan Hotea also had a great interpretation, and Carlos Álvarez reinterpreted the role of Gianni Schicchi with a firm and convincing voice.

The performance of the Bilbao Opera Choir was effective, as was the direction of Pedro Halffter. In the same way, I cannot forget the other soloists who acted very clearly. Apart from this, the magnificent stage direction of Paco Azorín deserves to be mentioned.