Il Tabarro & Suor Angelica

Leeds Grand Theatre

Saturday 1st October 2016

Opera North's new production of Puccini's Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica) places the one-act opera in its intended context alongside his little shocker, Il Tabarro (The Cloak) so we have two thirds of Puccini's Il Trittico in a single evening. The cloistered convent with a couple of dozen nuns engaged in domestic chit chat sounds like a lot of "nunsense" until we learn that the nobly born Angelica has been sent there to atone for the birth of her illegitimate child. The mood changes abruptly with the stately entrance of Angelica's aunt - a haughty Princess who coldly informs her niece that the child has died. Angelica sees a heavenly image of her son and decides that she must join him.

Michael Barker-Caven's production leaves the audience in little doubt that Angelica's spirit will gain redemption rather than eternal damnation for her suicide. Anne Sophie Duprels' Angelica disrobes completely and slowly walks upstage towards the celestial light. Duprels gives a powerfully moving portrayal of Puccini's fallen heroine. The rich voiced mezzo Patricia Bardon is utterly compelling as her nemesis, the Princess.

The claustrophobic setting for Il Tabarro within an open ended freight container, places in sharp focus the love triangle of low life barge owner Michelle (Ivan Inveradi), his wife Giorgetta (Giselle Allen) and Luigi, her lover (David Butt Philip). The Jealous husband stabs his wife's lover and conceals the corpse inside the voluminous cloak that he (Michelle) is wearing. These wonderful singers give vent to some of Puccini's most lyrical outpourings. Jac van Steen coaxes a glossy Puccinian sound and luminous detail from the Orchestra of Opera North. This enthralling Puccini Double Bill continues at Leeds Grand on the 8th, 14th, 20th & 26th October.

Geoffrey Mogridge