The National Theatre to give world premiere of Jan Kučera’s opera Don Buoso in combination with Giacomo Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi.
The Don Buoso project was initiated by the stage director David Radok, who has returned to the National Theatre Opera after 22 years. The title character will be portrayed by Štefan Margita, to whom the role has been tailor-made. The main part in Gianni Schicchi, directly linking up to Don Buoso, has been assigned to Svatopluk Sem.
“We will present a new Czech opera, created by David Radok and Jan Kučera. It will be performed at the National Theatre, which has hosted premieres of numerous Czech operas that have subsequently been staged across Europe and beyond,” Jan Burian, General Director of the National Theatre, said.
The new Czech opera project was initiated by the renowned stage director David Radok. Titled Don Buoso, it was written by the composer and conductor Jan Kučera to Radok’s Czech libretto, which was then translated into Italian by Maddalena Rossi.
The opera Don Buoso is a prequel to Gianni Schicchi, depicting that which preceded Buoso Donati’s death, with which Giacomo Puccini’s famous one-acter, centred on the deceased’s last will and testament, begins. The greedy surviving relatives, craving Buoso’s vast fortune, are outwitted by the servant Gianni Schicchi, who by snatching the pick of the inheritance also makes it possible for his daughter Lauretta to marry the young Rinuccio Donati.
The production Don Buoso / Gianni Schicchi will receive its opening night at the National Theatre in Prague on 3 November, with the second premiere performance to take place two days later. It will be conducted by Italy’s Giancarlo Andretta. The sets were designed by David Radok, the costumes by Zuzana Ježková and the lighting was conceived by Přemysl Janda.
The tenor Štefan Margita, who was entrusted with the role of Don Buoso, said: “Jan Kučera’s opera is a perfect match to Puccini’s masterpiece, drawing upon its style, while being an original work in itself. The wonderful production has been staged by the distinguished director David Radok, who has also penned the libretto and designed the scenery. It is my great honour to collaborate with this extraordinary artist. The rehearsals have been really intense, and working with Radok has been truly inspiring.”
The composer and conductor Jan Kučera said: “David Radok has devised a prequel to Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, depicting that which precedes, or could have preceded, its story. Accordingly, my opera, Don Buoso, features the same characters, and I have also employed an almost identical orchestra. When, two years ago, David Radok and I began working together, we agreed that the new opera would not imitate or copy Puccini’s brilliant music – after all, I wouldn’t venture to presume that I was able to do so. On the other hand, we deemed it appropriate that the music be written in a similar style, as it would not be suitable to apply, for instance, atonality or minimalistic idiom.”
Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, premiered in 1918 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, is returning to Prague’s National Theatre after 27 years. It is the humorous culmination of Il trittico, made up of three one-acters. The libretto to Gianni Schicchi, written by Giovacchino Forzano, is based on an episode from Dante Alighieri’s epic La divina commedia. In the score, the composer applied modernist musical elements, yet he also adorned it with several quintessentially Puccini arias, including Lauretta’s “O mio babbino caro”, which has become a megahit and a staple of many sopranos’ repertoire.
“Gianni Schicchi is an amazing opera, abounding in twists and turns, as well as surprises,” Svatopluk Sem, who portrays the title role, pointed out. “Just like Puccini’s other operas, its music is exquisite. The role of Gianni is witty and very pleasant to sing. I don’t find it overly challenging in terms of technique, yet it is rather tricky – a case in point is mimicking Don Buoso, which entails changing the voice. But, although it requires some special effort, I quite like posing as old Buoso, parodying him. Another thing that makes the role intriguing is a magnificent aria, the one and only assigned to the character, which is relatively demanding in terms of expression, acting and singing.” As regards Jan Kučera’s Don Buoso, the first part of the production, Sem said: “The orchestral part is superb, containing several splendid Puccini-linked passages, which will undoubtedly impress the audience. Yet, even though I am on the stage for a relatively long time, my role in Don Buoso is not extensive. I have just four musical numbers to perform. I can only reveal that I am Buoso’s servant. All in all, the rehearsals are quite tough, yet working with the director David Radok and the whole creative team is highly inspiring.”
Both Don Buoso and Gianni Schicchi expose and denounce such negative human qualities as hypocrisy, avarice and selfishness. With their stories linked together, the two operas feature identical characters. Don Buoso is portrayed by Štefan Margita, Gianni Schicchi by Svatopluk Sem, Lauretta by Doubravka Součková, Rinuccio by Daniel Matoušek, Zita by Jana Sýkorová, Simone by Jiří Sulženko, Gherardo by Martin Šrejma, Nella by Jana Šrejma Kačírková, La Ciesca by Kateřina Hebelková, Marco by Jiří Hájek, Betto by Zdeněk Plech, Doctor Spinelloccio by Miguelangelo Cavalcanti, the notary Amantio by Martin Matoušek, the cobbler Pinellino by Daniel Klánský and the dyer Guccio by Jan Líkař.
„I think that a brand-new Czech opera, combined with Puccini’s masterful one-acter, staged by the brilliant David Radok, together with our great ensemble of soloists, with the marvellous Štefan Margita in the centre, is the best imaginable introduction to the forthcoming Year of Czech Music,“ said Per Boye Hansen, Artistic Director of the National Theatre Opera and the State Opera.
