Puccini Gianni Schicchi to libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. Directed 2015 at the LA Opera by Kathleen Smith Belcher after the 2008 production directed by Woody Allen. Stars Plácido Domingo (Gianni Schicchi), Andriana Chuchman (Lauretta), Arturo Chacón-Cruz (Rinuccio), Philip Cokorinos (Betto di Signa), Meredith Arwady (Zita), Craig Colclough (Simone), Greg Fedderly (Gherardo), Stacey Tappan (Nella), Liam Bonner (Marco), and Peabody Southwell (La Ciesca). Grant Gershon conducts the LA Opera Orchestra. Set and costume design by Santo Loquasto; lighting by York Kennedy. Directed for TV by Matthew Diamond. Sung in Italian. Released 2016, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: D
This was the first half of a double bill with Domingo singing. The second half of the double bill was a Stefano Trespidi revival of the 1996 Zeffirelli Pagliacci, but with Domingo conducting. Only the Gianni Schicchi is published in this title. You hate to see a paltry 59 minutes of music on a disc that can hold 4 hours +.
Could the fact that Woody Allen originally directed this make it so special? Allen is a musician (plays clarinet) and I have seen several of his many oddball motion picture comedies. I saw somewhere that his 2008 gig with the LA Opera is his only opera credit. What could Allen contribute to Pucinni? Well, it appears he made the show look like a black and white movie and added a controversial ending twist (no spoiler here).
Print critics were lukewarm about this video, so we give it a D grade, which means: this doesn’t appear to be a good value, so don’t buy this unless you have a special reason.
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