Word: schicchi
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...fourth production of the Dunster House Opera is also, by far, its most ambitious. In past years, the Opera's choice of repertory has reflected the limitations of its all-student cast; last year's one-act Gianni Schicchi and the operetta Die Fledermaus were light comedies, allowing spirited acting to make up for the inevitable vocal shortcomings. This year, however, the Opera has set its sights considerably higher: the production is Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro," one of the most beloved operas, and it is performed with very few cuts, coming in at almost 3 hours running time...
...plot of Gianni Schicchi turns on the engaging protagonist, a wily peasant who thwarts the rapacious Donati, a family of Florentine landowners, in order to provide his daughter and her lover with the money they need to wed. All of the opera's characters are sharply delineated, with a delicate but mordant touch of satire--the greedy relatives (the Donati), the starry-eyed lover (Rinuccio), and the resourceful swindler (Schicchi...
Overall, the piece is a delightful success.Under the sure guidance and light touch ofSaccente's Gianni Schicchi, the opera rises to acomic crescendo. When Saccente appears alone onstage to beg forgiveness (and applause)--after hehas evicted the avaricious Donati from the housethey have unwittingly willed to him and united thehappy lovers--the audience is only too happy toenter a plea of "not guilty...
...limits of translation appear, however, inthe decision to leave Lauretta's famous aria inGianni Schicchi, the vocal gem of theevening, "O mio babbino caro" in Italian.Understandably, the translators have balked at therisk of mangling an operatic favorite, but thisentails a sacrifice of clarity and dramatic unity.As a result, the character of Lauretta remainsopaque...
Producing an opera is a formidable task evenwith the most ample resources. In tackling twopieces that are musically challenging,dramatically intricate and relatively obscure, theDunster House Opera Society reaps an impressiveharvest. Capped by the bravura performances ofSaccente and Semerjian, Gianni Schicchi andLa Rondine offer an evening of comedy andromance, well-sung and strongly acted