Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.Fallen woman, saint, virgin bride: Puccini availed himself of all three female tropes when he wrote Il Trittico. To be fair, the three women in his much-loved operatic triptych are portrayed with nuance and empathy. But all, to a greater or lesser degree, conform to the expectations of his time.Christof Loy’s production, which opened in Paris on Tuesday evening, was first seen in Salzburg three years ago. Then, as now, the evening’s success rests very much on the performance of Lithuanian soprano Asmik Grigorian in all three one-act operas. But also, intriguingly, Loy has reshuffled the traditional order of the acts — beginning with Gianni Schicchi (usually last), with Il Tabarro (usually first) in the middle, and finishing with Suor Angelica. This gives Grigorian a developmental arc — from self-assured girlfriend through cheating spouse to damaged nun.Surprisingly, this is the first time that Loy — well established in the German-speaking world and the Benelux — has been seen at the Paris Opera. The choice is an astute one. Puccini’s operas are so literal that it is almost impossible to deconstruct them, and Loy makes no such attempt. Instead, he follows the text with meticulous attention to detail, building his characters with care. He is helped in the endeavour by a formidable cast.Gianni Schicchi’s slapstick tale of inheritance fraud tells itself, and Loy simply keeps the pace brisk and the gags frequent. Misha Kiria is commanding and likeable in the title role, Alexey Neklyudov brings a touch of Mafia scion and a sweet upper register to the part of Rinuccio, and everyone holds their breath when Grigorian sings “O mio babbino caro”.For Il Tabarro, set designer Étienne Pluss has created a barge so literal that it jars when Michele (grippingly sung by Roman Burdenko) places the port and starboard lights on the wrong sides. Loy introduces a rag-tag assortment of circus oddballs to act out some curious subplots on the sidelines, but the focus remains very much on the singing. Joshua Guerrero’s Luigi is impassioned and marvellously heroic; Grigorian as Giorgetta, torn between the two men, retains our sympathies with every beautifully shaped phrase.Suor Angelica can often be cloyingly sentimental. Loy finds much-needed dimension in his careful character studies of the individual nuns and the details of their relationships to one another and their community. Karita Mattila summons all of her considerable authority to give a crushing account of the cold-blooded Principessa, the aunt who visits the convent to tell Angelica that her child is dead. The two women generate enough electricity together on stage to power a village for a week. But it is Grigorian who dominates, with a performance that is both finely controlled and utterly committed; she has extraordinary charisma, and knows exactly how to give her all without risking disaster.Carlo Rizzi conducts with brisk and dogged efficiency, ploughing ahead through several lapses in ensemble; the orchestra plays with more refinement than his pragmatic gestures seem to invite. The evening is a triumph, received with rapturous applause. If Puccini is your thing, this is as good a way to reflect upon it as any.★★★★☆To May 28, operadeparis.fr
