Our upcoming production of Il trittico gives you the rare opportunity to see all three of Puccini's operas, Il tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi, in one night as the great composer intended.
It’s often said that ‘the best things come in threes’; the idea of ‘the power of three’ has intrigued and captivated people across the globe and is present in our everyday lives, such as breakfast, lunch and dinner, traffic lights and primary colours to name a few. The ‘power of three’ is a principle that suggests that things that come in threes are more satisfying, and we think that Il trittico will definitely satisfy your opera cravings.
This trilogy of one act operas isn't the only thing that should be enjoyed as a three; from The Mighty Ducks movies to Neopolitan ice cream, let’s explore some other popular threesomes.
The movie trilogy is adored by film fans and with epic trios such as The Lord of The Rings, The Godfather and Back to the Future, it’s no wonder trilogies are so well loved. There has even been a musical version of Back to the Future and an operatic version of The Lord of the Rings, featuring members of WNO Chorus has recently been commissioned. Some trilogies are so popular, that the story is picked up years later to give fans a little more, such as Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. The James Dean trilogy; East of Eden (1955), Rebel Without a Cause (1955) and Giant (1956) were the only movies Dean made in his tragically short career, but they cemented his name in movie history.
The music world has also fallen to ‘the power of three’ with some popular trilogies by various artists. In the mid-60s, Bob Dylan released three albums within a 14-month period; Bringing It All Back Home (1965), Highway 61 Revisited (1965) and Blonde on Blonde (1966). Though there have been over 80 releases under his name since his death, Jimi Hendrix only released three studio albums; Are You Experienced? (1967), Axis: Bold As Love (1967) and Electric Ladyland (1968). Since their founding in 1967, Fleetwood Mac’s lineup was in constant flux and the band was on the verge of collapse when drummer Mick Fleetwood was introduced to the folk-rock duo Buckingham-Nicks. This line-up released three albums; Fleetwood Mac (1975), Rumours (1977) and Tusk (1979). It’s hard to believe that a band as influential as Nirvana only released three albums, Bleach (1989), Nevermind (1991) and In Utero (1993), before lead singer Kurt Cobain’s untimely death.
The world of sport also uses threes; from Olympic medals to boxing trilogies; most notably the three fights, ‘Fight of the Century’, ‘Fight of the Year’ and ‘Thrilla in Manilla’ between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. There is also ‘the Treble’ in world football where a team wins their national league, their country’s main cup, and their continent's main club trophy, which has been achieved by teams like Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Celtic.
With so many trilogies to enjoy, make Il trittico your new favourite trio this Summer when WNO perform it in its entirety at our home venue in Cardiff from 15 to 22 June and again this Autumn. We'll also be performing a special concert version of Il trittico in Oxford and taking Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi on tour to Llandudno, Plymouth and Southampton.
The best things come in threes