The trio, the three, the triptych: all are English translations of the Italian Il trittico. Which one of them captures the subtlety of what Puccini had in mind for his three short operas remains unknown. It’s not often that all three are presented together these days but that’s exactly what Scottish Opera’s production of this tale of love and loss will offer audiences. And after all, that’s exactly how the composer had originally planned it.

^{Roland Wood and Sunyoung Seo in rehearsals for Il Tabarro/Picture: Julie Howden}

In partnership with Welsh National Opera and featuring renowned Scottish director David McVicar at the helm, opera lovers will need to set aside a hefty four hours (including two longish intervals) to experience the piece as a whole. Key performer in two of the operas is baritone Roland Wood, a regularly returning Scottish Opera principal over recent years. ‘I love working with David McVicar, who is without a doubt my favourite director to work with,’ he says. ‘It’s a joy to work with someone who is so well prepared, with the meticulous attention to detail and energy that he brings to the room. He knows exactly what he wants, but you can also bring your own interpretation to it.’ 

Wood explains that all three operas are centred on the love that parents have for their children. The first, Il tabarro is hugely emotional with its sense of impending doom, heard in the orchestral scoring as well as on stage. ‘It can be overwhelming,’ says Wood, ‘but with David we are in a very supportive environment. We can be vulnerable, but without feeling wrung out at the end of the day.’

^{The cast of Gianni Schicchi in rehearsals/Picture: Julie Howden}

The second opera is Suor Angelica, written for all-female voices and set in a convent. It tells of Sister Angelica, the nun whose illegitimate son has been dead for two years before she knows anything about it. The third, Gianni Schicchi, is a comic piece that’s different in tone from the others. But it also focuses on parental love for their offspring, this time with the daughter singing to her father in Puccini’s superb aria, ‘O mio babbino caro’. 

When Il trittico was first performed at the Met in New York, it was Gianni Schicchi that was the trio’s breakout success, and it’s gone on to be frequently performed alone or with other short operas. For Wood though, the operas heard together make a perfect whole. ‘First there’s a tragedy, then a different sort of tragedy, and it then ends with the black comedy of Gianni Schicchi, featuring a loveable rogue. It makes for a Wagnerian evening with a huge cast of singers, actors, children. As a whole, it’s more interesting, more satisfactory and, together, the operas promise an emotional rollercoaster for the audience.’ 

Il trittico, Theatre Royal, Glasgow, Wednesday 15, Saturday 18 March; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Wednesday 22, Saturday 25 March.