Opera Bohemia / Recensies

In 13th century Florence, there really was a true skulduggery over nobly born Busoni Donati’s Will when peasant Gianni Schicchi was called upon to advise the family. For his impersonation and immoral personal gain, Dante placed him in the eighth circle of hell reserved for tricksters. Puccini saw it rather differently and in this, his last completed opera, asks us to take into account the ‘extenuating circumstances’ faced by one of opera’s most lovable rogues. Indeed, Opera Bohemia asks the audience in a strapline, “How far would you go?” The family of singers all blended well together with animated and strongly sung ensemble performances. There were standout moments from Cheryl Forbes as an affronted and angry Zita, James Arthur as the eldest, Simone, expected to solve the problems, and Andrew Dickinson as love-sick Rinuccio, who is presented with the Will by Gherarda (Amy Piggot) in her 1980s Brownie uniform during a blizzard of papers as the family turn the apartment inside-out. Teasingly hinted at in the score before it finally arrives, “O mio babbino caro,” sung by Schicchi’s daughter Lauretta, is the show-stopper, and Deborah Rudden gave it fine treatment. Andrew McTaggart in the key role of Schicchi held the stage completely, his face lighting up as each new mischievous possibility crossed his mind.