Il trittico
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Il trittico (The Triptych) is the title to a collection of three one-act operas, Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi, by Giacomo Puccini. The work received its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera on December 14, 1918.
Puccini intended that the three always be performed as a set, but today it is quite common to see only one or two performed in an evening. One of the operas may also be paired with another one-act opera by a different composer.
As a whole, Il trittico is quite balanced. Il tabarro, the first act, is very dark and brooding, full of the violence and grit associated with verismo opera. Suor Angelica, the second act, Puccini's personal favourite, is an up-lifting tale of religious redemption. Gianni Schicchi, the third act, is the most popular, a comedic farce full of greed and conniving.
