Gianni Schicchi, Grange Park Opera online

Most families will recognise the scene: a wealthy relative dies, and suddenly the whole family gets interested. There is a will to be read, and everyone has high hopes for themselves.

And nothing is new: the Italian poet Dante wrote his comic episode about family greed in his Divine Comedy. And centuries later the composer Giacomo Puccini set it to music, writing his hilarious short comic opera Gianni Schicchi.

Schicchi is the wily Florentine brought in to resolve a problem when an all-important will cannot be found. The hopeful relatives are banking on acquiring, property, land, a mule... The character is based on a real-life fixer, Giovanni Schicchi de’ Cavalcanti.

Grange Park Opera was named Culture Whisper's favourite company 2022. It maintained a full programme of entertainment to be enjoyed at home all the way though lockdown and beyond. Two full operas – Benjamin Britten's Owen Wingrave and Maurice Ravel's L'Heure Espagnole – were a huge success. Its new, specially filmed Gianni Schicchi is really something to look forward to.

Relatives gather at a dead relatives house, hoping for a windfall

Filmed with an all-star cast in a Chelsea mansion house, and in a Camden garage, it promises to be a treat to enjoy at home, free to view on YouTube. You can watch a taster here. The whole opera is free to view from 6 January 2022 here.

William Dazeley plays Gianni Schicchi with Chloe Morgan his wheedling daughter Lauretta. Listen out for her tender, persuasive 'O mo bambino caro'. The cast includes Jeffrey Lloyd Roberts, Ailish Tynan, Jeremy White, Alan Ewing and many other familiar faces from the opera scene.

Stephen Medcalf directs, and Chris Hopkins is the pianist and music director.

---

Gianni Schicchi is sung in Italian with English subtitles. Click here to view from 6 Jan. Click here to view the whole Grange Park Opera season 2022