Suor Angelica is the heart-rending tale of a young mother placed into a convent by her aristocratic family and separated from her illegitimate child. One of Puccini’s rawest creations, the opera now has its debut at the London Coliseum and transports us onto an extraordinary emotional journey.
When her family forces her to join a convent, Angelica’s life is reduced to the bare confines of its walled garden. Stuck inside this rose-scented cage, Angelica becomes tormented by the life and love she was denied. She becomes consumed by doubt and begins questioning her faith as she attempts to forgive her family and herself. A moment of crisis arrives when her aunt arrives, bringing devastating news of her son.
Puccini’s profoundly moving score beautifully captures the searching and questioning nature of grief and the possible paths to forgiveness with the aria ‘Senza mamma’ (‘Sweetest love, you died without your mother’), being possibly one of the most poignant ever written by Puccini.