Credits:

Puccini (1858-1924)

Description:

Puccini's "Trilogy," premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1918, was composed as an attempt to perform three one-act operas in succession in one evening (one theory is that he intended to parody Wagner's "Ring"), but each opera has nothing striking in common and is now performed independently, or together with other one-act operas by other composers, The operas have been performed in a variety of ways, either alone or in conjunction with one-act operas by other composers. The opening piece, "The Cloak," is a shocking tale of an old captain of a baggage ship who takes the hand of a young man under his command. The young man who steals the captain's wife is sung by Johan Botha, who passed away in 2016. De Billy, who served as chief conductor of the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra until 2010, is also a must-hear for his well-balanced sound. Naxos Japan