The one-act play Gianni Schicchi is the comic final part of a triptych ( i’s Il trittico). The story is about the amusing greed of a typical Italian family. The family is in panic because the recently deceased family elder bequeaths his sizeable capital to a monastery. However, the clever Gianni Schicchi manages to steal the legacy back. Unfortunately for the family, Gianni Schicchi does this
… with such sophistication that he takes the best part himself. The story is presented in a shady way on this DVD. The 74-year-old - still very good in voice - portrays the title hero as a real Italian godfather. And oh mio babbino caro, at the end Gianni Schicchi is even stabbed like a real vendetta. Director Woody Allen thus gave a violent twist to the otherwise cheerful final chord, in order to add to the mafia atmosphere. Gianni Schicchi is first and only opera production. This version was first seen at the Los Angeles Opera in 2008, then with the British baritone Thomas Allen (no relation). However, this is a re-enactment from the 2015-16 season with a leading role for the general manager of the Los Angeles Opera, the aforementioned Plácido Domingo. (HJ)more
