Traditionally something of an operatic step-child in the Salzburg Festival's repertoire, Puccini features this season with Il trittico - marking the work’s first production here, as well as the first artistic collaboration between director Christof Loy and conductor Franz Welser-Möst.

It was decided to perform the three works in an unconventional order, beginning rather than ending with Gianni Schicchi and followed by Il tabarro and Suor Angelica - thus providing well-scaled vehicles for star soprano, Asmik Grigorian to progress in vocal and emotional demands and to provide an ideal crown to the trio as the suicidal nun. 

However fine an achievement, it was not purely Grigorian’s evening - with some of her colleagues well on a par, and with all of the supporting roles of a high standard, as one would expect at this venue. 

Premiered originally at the New York Metropolitan opera with three legendary - and very divergent sopranos (Claudia Muzio, Geraldine Farrar and Florence Easton) undertaking the highly-contrasting characters, the triple-bill was conceived to open with Il tabarro, then Suor Angelica, while propelling the element of death which winds its way through the evening to a comic note in Gianni Schicchi. The challenge and appeal for both producers and sopranos to marry all three Trittico soprano parts is not unfamiliar, with singers such as Renata Tebaldi, Renata Scotto and Mirella Freni among those who have successfully made their mark either in the recording studio or on stage.

In the opener, Etienne Pluss’ setting in the Grosses Festspielhaus was very straightforward, with an enormous bed dominating centre stage (nice touch, the slowly-revolving ceiling fan to cool the corpse and the imposing candle stands on either bed side - which gave Simone the perfect opportunity to renounce his promise of long-burning wicks after Buoso’s will was read). A row of chairs backed to a side wall hosts the family mourners who have been almost caricatured by Loy in their colourful grimaces and choreographed play.  

With some forty solo roles filling the evening, options are limited for mentions here - but of the supports, Enkelejda Shkosa shone as Zita (as well as later as a flamboyant La Frugola, and ultimately as the sympathetic disciplinarian, La Suora Zelatrice). Alexey Neklyudov was a winning - if lightweight and short-ranged - Rinuccio, while Lavinia Bini (Nella) and Caterina Piva (La Ciesca) gave delightfully strong performances which were underscored by fine vocal potential. Matteo Peirone’s camp doctor (Spinelloccio), and Leopold Böhm’s rubber-limbed corpse (Buoso) served as lovely cameos.

In the title role, Misha Kiria brought a larger-than-life stature, and an imposing, bright-timbred baritone to the role, in addition to copious stage confidence. He and Lauretta looked much of an age - and one might quibble that the father is a touch young and the daughter a touch old to be ideal (reminding of the Melba/Ruffo Rigoletto legend in the early 20 Century).  In any case, this Schicchi is a figure with potential to darken and grow - but even now, an admirable showing.

Grigorian - in a well-chosen costume - (designer, Barbara Drosihn) was discreetly girlish and delivered a sweetly-unpretentious "O mio babbino caro" much to the audience’s delight.

Asmik Grigorian first created a justified furore here with her compelling Salome in 2018 - an event which helped propel her to international stardom. Whatever the repertoire, her great asset remains an endearingly unaffected ability to transport the words and music to hand - as much through her physique and intensity as through her sheer vocal prowess. 

In Il tabarro she well slipped into the shoes of the strawberry blond Giorgetta, lithe in dance, and astute in her emotional predicament - while harbouring an unrelenting sense of prevailing doom. 

Roman Burdenko was a formidable foil as Michele - his character superbly unfolding throughout and transported by a baritone of ideal weight and pristine technique, while Joshua Guerrero presented an appropriately Latin-sounding Luigi - who well held his own among the trio of leads.

Visually, this segment was the least successful staging-wise, with the sense of a full-size barge having invaded a living room in which oddly scattered pieces of furniture were augmented by a fire escape leading to some unknown place. Here, in particular, more imaginative lighting (Fabrice Kebour) would not have gone amiss.

Suor Angelica introduced Karita Mattila as the vital visitor to the Convent; La Zia Principessa. The role is written for an Italianate alto or mezzo, and while some maturing sopranos may have sufficient “bite” in their chest or lower passaggio range, this style or technique is foreign to this much admired Finnish artist - thus leaving the vocal aspect of the interpretation in a somewhat precarious position. Mattila’s striking stage presence and style (sporting a sleek black trouser suit and high heels) made up for much, and Loy’s direction saw both artists moving beyond vocal bounds to produce moments of exciting operatic drama.

The cast of nuns was astutely selected and well-tailored to provide light relief on occasions to contrast with the tragic essence of the tale. Grigorian blended contritely into the framework, modestly going about her chores, and winning sympathy through her manner and finely-spun interjections.

After the altercation and exit of her aunt, the Principessa, a small blue suitcase is brought in. Angelica opens it to find clothes which belonged to her young boy as well as his photograph. In agony she rents her habit open for her finely-spun and heartrending "Senza mamma, o bimbo, tu sei morto". As suicide looms, she exchanges her habit for a slinky black dress from the suitcase, takes a Bette Davis draw from a (real) cigarette, and with the swank of a young woman freed of her servitude prepares the deadly potion from the garden she has tended so lovingly. In her final moments of dilemma and despair a little boy runs in to embrace his mother.

Franz Welser-Möst led the evening with great finesse and consummate stage-to-pit control, magnanimous to his cast at all times and as such, possibly a touch reserved on occasions.   Superb playing throughout by the Wiener Philharmoniker.