Money’s worth from double bill
You certainly get your money’s worth from an evening at Leeds Grand with Opera North. We begin with the rawness and Grand Guignol effects of La Vida Breve and end with knockabout farce and a lead soprano in a see through dress in Gianni Schicchi
These short, apparently disparate, operas are in fact connected by a theme of betrayal and have carefully designed settings that contradict the action: white for the tragedy, black for the comedy.
Director Christopher Alden sets Manuel de Falla’s La Vida Breve in a wedding dress workshop where white off-cuts litter the floor. One of the machinists, Salud (Anne Sophie Duprels), sings of her utter devotion to her boyfriend Paco. Coworkers shake their heads at such depth of feeling – no good will come of it.
Paco (Jesus Alvarez) is clearly not to be trusted as he enters wearing a leather jacket and smoking a cigarette. Sure enough, he tries to rape Salud, fails, and goes off to marry the woman he was engaged to anyway. Salud confronts him at the wedding, but is rejected.
The man in the seat in front of me visibly jumped when Salud ... but no, I can’t reveal that and spoil the effect for anyone intent on seeing the production for themselves, Be warned – it is not for the faint-hearted.
By contrast, Puccin’s Gianni Schicchi froths with life, although it begins with death. Rich Uncle Buosi Donati (danced by Tim Claydon) dies and venal relatives gather to take their share of his fortune. They search frantically for the will, wildly discarding black folders about the stage in the process. Shock. He has left all his wealth to the church. Call for Gianni Schicchi (the excellent Chritopher Purves) to resolve the problem and divert the wealth away from the monks.
Schicchi manages to secure the majority of the inheritance for himself and his daughter Lauretta (Jennifer France - with a beautiful rendition of O Mio Babbino Caro) and her fiancé Rinuccio (Jesus Alvarez). Loaded with sight gags and fine ensemble singing, Gianni Schicci is Opera North at its best.
La Vida Breve/Gianni Schicchi is now on tour.