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Opera Operas in one act: "L`heure espagnole (The Spanish Hour)" by Maurice Ravel. "Gianni Schicchi" by Giacomo Puccini
World famous Mariinsky Ballet and Opera Theatre - Opera and Concert Hall


Schedule for Operas in one act: "L`heure espagnole (The Spanish Hour)" by Maurice Ravel. "Gianni Schicchi" by Giacomo Puccini 2022

Composer: Giacomo Puccini
Musical Preparation: Natalia Mordashova
Musical Director: Maestro Valery Gergiev
Musical Director: Gianandrea Noseda
Stage Director: Walter Le Moli
Set Designer: Tiziano Santi
Lighting Designer: Claudio Coloretti
Composer: Maurice Ravel
Stage Director: Alexander Zeldin
Lighting Designer: Pierre Gaillardot
Lighting Designer: Kamil Kutyev

Orchestra: Mariinsky Theatre Symphony Orchestra

"L`heure espagnole (The Spanish Hour)" by Maurice Ravel

opera in one act
Libretto: Franc-Nohain (translation by Xenia Klimenko and Natalia Mordashova)
Performed in Russian

Musical Director: Valery Gergiev
Stage Director: Alexander Zeldin
Design: Sebastien Carlier
Costume Designer: Marion Cointot
Lighting Designer: Pierre Gaillardot
Musical Preparation: Natalia Mordashova

•World premiere: 19 May 1911, Opera-Comique, Paris;
•Premiere of this production: 2 June 2008, Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, St Peterburg;

Synopsis

Setting The interior of Torquemada`s shop in Toledo in the 18th century

Ramiro the muleteer enters Torquemada the old watchmaker`s workshop. Ramiro has a problem; his grandfather clock, a family heirloom, has broken. The muleteer is relying on the experienced Torquemada`s skill. But the watchmaker cannot tend to customers – it is Thursday and he plans to check and regulate the city clock. As he must fly, Ramiro must wait; when he returns the old watchmaker will deal with the problem.

Torquemada`s young wife Concepciуn is distressed at his words; Thursday is the only day of the week when, in the absence of the old man, her young bachelor lover Gonzalve can visit her.

The large Catalan clock in the shop prompts a lucky thought to Torquemada`s resourceful wife. Using Ramiro`s momentary distractedness, she pushes the bachelor into the large cavity of the clock and shuts the door firmly. Ramiro is requested to take the clock to Concepciуn`s bedroom on the upper floor, but the weak Torquemada could never manage such a load. The visitor is glad to oblige the mistress of the house. With the heavy cargo on his shoulders he slowly mounts the stairs. Concepciуn, pleased at her inventive plan, follows after him.

Meanwhile, Don Inigo Gomez the banker appears in the workshop – he too has come to woo Concepciуn.

Impatiently, he paces around the room. Hearing a man`s footsteps, the banker decides to hide in a large Catalan clock – an exact copy of that in the bedroom. With difficulty, Don Inigo squeezes inside and hurries to close the door.

Ramiro has been entrusted with the shop and he is glad to fulfil this request. Concepciуnun expectedly comes downstairs. She is disappointed with Gonzalve who has decided that rendezvous with women exist only for the recitation of pompous odes. Concepciуn asks Ramiro to carry the load back to the shop as the clock is "going the wrong way". Ramiro readily departs and Don Inigo can finally reveal himself to the lady of the house. Concepciуnchanges her plans. The muleteer who has returned the unlucky Gonzalve to the shop quickly takes the other clock – the one with the banker – upstairs. It is heavier than the first, but the difference in weight means nothing to the powerful Ramiro.

Ramiro watches over the shop once again, and Gonzalve, having swapped places with the banker, is hidden in the narrow and stuffy cavity. The thwarted Concepciуn once again descends from her rooms. The fat Inigo, who shut himself in in a moment of danger, is unable to get out without help. Concepciуn is not strong enough. Perhaps Ramiro would be so kind as to take the useless Catalan clock out of her room. With complete submissiveness, the muleteer goes upstairs. His kindness and obliging nature win over, and his skill and outstanding physical strength astound Concepciуn. Abandoning the bachelor and the banker to fate, she ultimately gives her preference to the modest village boy.

When he returns home, Torquemada finds the strange men in the clock. "Customers," the startled old man`s wife explains, "wishing to buy the clock, the banker and the bachelor decided to examine the clock`s mechanism with their own eyes." Don Inigo and Gonzalve have to loosen their purse strings. Torquemada, delighted at this spot of trade, is in fine spirits; Concepciуn and Ramiro, having exchanged loving glances, are arranging future rendezvous:


"Gianni Schicchi" by Giacomo Puccini


opera in one act
Music: Giacomo Puccini
Production by Walter Le Moli

Libretto by Giovaccino Forzano
Performed in Italian

Musical Director: Principal Guest Conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre Gianandrea Noseda
Stage Director: Walter Le Moli
Set Designer: Tiziano Santi
Costume Designer: Giovanna Avanzi
Lighting Designer: Claudio Coloretti
Principal Chorus Master: Andrei Petrenko
Musical Preparation: Natalia Mordashova


Premiere of this production: 17 April 2003, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg


Running time: 60 minutes
Gianni Schicchi is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, based on a story that is referred to in Dante's The Divine Comedy. It is the third of the trio of operas known as Il trittico. First performance: Metropolitan Opera, New York City, 1918.

The opera is best known for the soprano aria, O mio babbino caro ("Oh, my dear daddy"), which has featured in a number of movies and other works.

Literary sources
Gianni Schicchi is only briefly referred to in Dante's Inferno. Canto XXX:

E l'Aretin che rimase, tremando,
mi disse: 'Quel folletto e Gianni Schicchi,
e va rabbioso altrui cosi conciando.'
(And he of Arezzo, pausing, trembling,
told me, "That madman is Gianni Schicchi,
who gnaws the other in his raving.")
The text states that Schicchi

per guadagnar la donna de la torma,
falsificare in se Buoso Donati,
testando e dando al testamento norma
(to gain for himself the fairest of the stud,
impersonated Buoso Donati,
making a will in proper form.)
That grim vignette is not the real source of the opera's action. A work entitled, "Commentary on the Divine Comedy by an Anonymous Florentine of the 14th Century", first published in 1866, elucidating Dante's terse references, is the actual source to the familiar plot set-up. In this, Buoso has wished to make a will, but was put off with words by his son, Simone. Once it is too late, Simone fears that Buoso may have made a will before his illness, unfavorable to Simone. Simone calls on Schicchi for counsel, and Schicchi coins the idea of the impersonation. Simone promises Schicchi he will be well rewarded, but Schicchi takes no chances, "leaving" a hefty sum to himself (though most goes to Simone), including the mule, and makes the bequests conditional on Simone's distributing the estate within fifteen days, otherwise everything shall go to charity.

Dante was no doubt somewhat biased in his description, having married into the Donati family himself, marrying Gemma Donati in 1295, five years after the death of his adored Beatrice

Synopsis
Place: Florence.
Time: 1299.
Buoso Donati has died in bed. His relatives mourn melodramatically, until they hear the rumor that he has left all his money to the local monastery. They frantically search for the will. Rinuccio finds it, but refuses to release it to his aunt Zita until she agrees to his terms. If the will is favorable to them, she must allow him to marry Schicchi's daughter, Lauretta. Schicchi is looked down on by the Donati family since he is a relatively new arrival in Florence. Zita consents (she does not care who Rinuccio marries so long as the will leaves them rich), and reads the will, as Rinuccio quietly sends for Schicchi. When the will confirms the rumor, everyone is furious. They refuse to allow Rinuccio to marry, and angrily turn down his suggestion that Schicchi, who is known for his clever schemes, can aid them.

Schicchi and Lauretta arrive to a cold reception. Schicchi, seeing how downcast the relatives are, uncharitably assumes that Donati must be better. He is informed otherwise, and attempts to console the relatives by mentioning their inheritances. Zita, touched to the quick by Schicchi's condolences, angrily explains the situation, and refuses to hear of a marriage. Rinuccio begs Schicchi to help. However, Schicchi, angered by his reception, refuses to help such people. He is persuaded to try by his daughter (O mio babbino caro). Schicchi reads the will, and proclaims that nothing can be done. But then, he has a thought, and Schicchi sends his daughter away so that she may be innocent of the knowledge of what he will suggest. Schicchi first orders the body to be moved to another room, and tells the women to make up the bed. He ensures that no one else knows of the death--but before he can explain, Donati's doctor arrives. The doctor is prevented from entering by the relatives, while Schicchi imitates Donati's voice, telling the doctor that Donati is feeling better. The doctor departs, praising his own skill. Schicchi explains: Schicchi will impersonate Donati and dictate a new will.

Rinuccio goes to get the notary. The relatives agree on the division of the property, except for Donati's mule (the best in Tuscany), mills, and house. They agree to let Schicchi decide who will inherit those items, but, one by one, they return to promise him a reward if he selects that person. Schicchi agrees to each bribe--but then reminds all of the penalty for forgery--loss of a hand and permanent exile from Florence. The notary arrives, with the witnesses. Schicchi dictates a very modest funeral, a minuscule sum to the monastery, and the agreed-upon division, as the relatives speak approvingly. But one by one, Schicchi grants the mule, mills, and house to himself, to the relatives' outrage. After the notary leaves, he throws everyone out, and they are helpless to do anything except grab what they can on the way out the door. Now that Schicchi can give Lauretta a dowry, there is no obstacle to her marriage to Rinuccio. The lovers embrace, as Schicchi watches, moved. Schicchi turns to the audience and asks if this was not a fine use of Donati's money. He then requests the audience's indulgence, even if he did not receive Dante's, pleading extenuating circumstances.

Noted arias
"Firenze e come un albero fiorito" - Rinuccio
"O mio babbino caro" (Oh, my dearest papa) - Lauretta
"Si corre dal notaio" - Gianni Schicchi




Schedule for Operas in one act: "L`heure espagnole (The Spanish Hour)" by Maurice Ravel. "Gianni Schicchi" by Giacomo Puccini 2022


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