Probably Puccini's best-known aria after Nessun Dorma is "O mio babbino caro". It's one of the most famous opera arias and everyone knows it: A compact two minutes or so of soaring melody, legato strings and a bubbling harp accompaniment. Sadly, it's also an aria one hardly hears in opera houses as it is sung by Lauretta in one of Puccini's less-known works, "Gianni Schicchi". Many will be surprised to know that, to put it very roughly, Lauretta is actually a spoilt brat who, in the aria, tries to convince her father to let her marry her sweet-heart who is "bello, bello".

GS is a one-act opera which, together with "Suor Angelica" and "Il Tabarro" forms Puccini's second to last work, a trio of one-act operas known as "Il Trittico". Originally, the operas were meant to be performed on one night using the same singers, but this rarely happens anymore. This might also be because of practical reasons: the three operas are set in worlds totally apart: Puccini's contemporary Paris, a convent in the 17th century and Florence in the 1200s. The mood shifts from the violent tragedy of Il Tabarro through Suor Angelica (embarassing but true: this opera is almost completely unknown to me AS YET) to the grotesque but hilarious comedy of Gianni Schicchi.

The last opera is Puccini's only attempt at a comedy. Audiences in Puccini's time were probably expecting heart-wrenching tragedy, but what they got was something completely unexpected: a story about a bunch of hypocrite relatives who are shocked to find their wealthy dead uncle has left his millions to a bunch of monks. Gianni Schicchi comes to the rescue and promises to change things for them, but, in the end, he manages to pull the carpet from under their feet and take all the money. Naturally there's also a modest but important love story.

The music is some of the most difficult Puccini wrote for the orchestra. He was particularly tricky with the rhythm and used confusing accents on the upbeat which make it look like all the barlines have been drawn on the wrong places. It is fresh and energetic and corresponds perfectly with the comedy of the action. Another curiosity is the fact that the main part, Gianni Schicchi, is a BARITONE!!! The relatives rarely have solo parts but mainly act as a chamber choir.

The exhibition I visited with Daddy in Lisbon last year has now come to Helsinki. There are 120 pictures from around the world displayed, and one can easily spend an hour today watching them and reading the texts (I did, today.) It's also particularly nice to walk on the huge map of the world and explore all the different places there are on this planet. The pictures are fantastic, with featuring breathtaking scenery as well as thought-provoking shots of the human world. Visiting first with the family and then in the evening with Maiju, we noticed that very many pictures were taken in the Ivory Coast. However, there is even a picture from Finland! Expecting some of the wonderful scenery at Koli national park or the Turku archipelago, we were somewhat disappointed to see - - a lit greenhouse in the middle of a gloomy wintery landscape. In the words of a spectator behind us: "Is that the best they could find from Finland?"
ahti.