where Dante placed falsifiers of words, persons and coins. From this, Puccini fashioned Gianni Schicchi, the third opera in the trilogy.
Puccini did not, however, lose sight of the other two texts and their titles seem to have inspired the strongly-contrasted moods of Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica, the first two operas in the triptych. Il Tabarro explores the harsh and purgatorial nature of several love relationships and Suor Angelica culminates in Angelica’s miraculous ascent to paradise.
Although the three operas have seldom been staged as one evening’s entertainment, they are suited to the recording studio, where their length and the logistics of casting matter less, as the new EMI set makes triumphantly clear. More importantly, the appreciation of the three operas as an indivisible whole is apparent not only in conductor Antonio Pappano’s compelling realisation of each work, but also in his awareness of their interconnection.
Il Tabarro is imbued with a powerful sexuality and the theatrical melodrama of Suor Angelica emerges as a delicate and moving experience. Newcomer Cristina Gallardo-Domas is the crowning glory of this recording, always responsive to the nuances of text and music. This is undoubtedly the most satisfying performance of Il Trittico on disc.