Concert

GIANNI SCHICCHI, A VIBRANT ONE ACT OPERA, AND ONE OF PUCCINI'S MASTERPIECES

HISTORY

In late thirteenth century Florence, the rich man Buoso Donati is dying. He piously decides to bequeath his fortune to a monastery. Gianni Schicchi, however, has other ideas, and impersonates Buoso Donati to dictate another will...

Act 1

This opera comprises only one act. It opens with the wealthy Florentine, Buoso Donati, on his death bed. Donati dictates a will, whereby he leaves all of his considerable fortune to a monastery. Donati then dies. Donati's family are aghast: they wanted the money for themselves.
Gianni Schicchi, a humble man with a beautiful daughter named Lauretta, has just arrived in Florence. Donati's relation Rinuccio, a young man, is in love with Lauretta, and hopes to marry her. But Lauretta is too poor for Rinuccio, and his relatives (especially Donati's cousin Zita) sneer at her. They decide that Rinuccio is only allowed to marry Lauretta if he can get hold of some of Donati's money. Together with Schicchi, Donati's relations hatch a plan. They make sure that nobody knows that Donati has already died. Schicchi disguises himself as Donati, lies down, and pretends to be on his death bed. Imitating Donati's voice, Schicchi states that he is feeling a little better, has had second thoughts about his will, and would like to make a new one. In the presence of a notary and Donati's family, Schicchi begins to dictate a new will. He leaves small amounts of money to all of Donati's relatives. When it comes to dividing up the main parts of Donati's property (his mill, his house, his mules, and so on), however, Schicchi names no other than a Mr G. Schicchi as the main beneficiary!
Donati's relatives are furious, but of course they cannot say anything in the presence of the notary. Once the notary leaves, Schicchi chases them from what is now his house, inherited from Donati. Schicchi then promises Runiccio and Lauretta a large dowry, taken from Donati's money, and permits them to marry. The lovers sing of their happiness.

Epilog

Puccini derived the idea for this opera from Dante's 'Divine Comedy'. In this book, Schicchi is punished in hell for all eternity for impersonating a rich man so that he can alter his will and steal his money. At the end of Puccini's opera, Schicchi asks the audience to forgive him his trick. He suggests to them that his actions were justified, because he is now putting Donati's wealth to good use by enabling the two lovers to marry.

MAIN ROLES

Gianni Schicchi, a newcomer to Florence and a poor man, baritone
Lauretta, daughter of Schicchi, in love with Rinuccio, soprano
Zita, a middle aged lady and cousin to Buoso Donati, contralto
Rinuccio, Zita's nephew, in love with Lauretta, tenor
Gherardo, Buoso Donati's nephew, tenor
Nella, the wife of Gherardo, soprano