Now that Suor Angelica has reclaimed a place in audience hearts, Il tabarro is cast as the underrated third of Il trittico. Perhaps the drama is too Grand Guignol for modern sensibilities but I would argue it’s Puccini’s most convincing slice of verismo, a sweaty little one-acter about barge owner Michele, who discovers his wife, Giorgetta, is having an affair with stevedore Luigi, and wreaks a terrible revenge.

The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is in a huge state of upheaval. Former music director Fabio Luisi, who took up the reins in 2018 with the goal of competing with La Scala, resigned last year in protest at political appointments made by the governing board. Productions are mounted on a shoestring, with Verdi’s Rigoletto, Trovatore and Traviata using the same sets, for example. Understandably, Denis Krief deployed the same strategy for his Trittico last November, but it will take more than prudent financing to restore the company’s fortunes.

A picture postcard of the Seine acts as a backdrop. Michele’s barge is represented by a long wooden platform littered with a few crates, with steps below deck for the stevedores to emerge with sacks of cargo. There’s little space for the song-seller to peddle his wares to the passing girls, who all trundle off in exactly the same direction as they entered. It’s not just that it looks budget, but it lacks the sense of claustrophobia and grime essential for the opera to work effectively. After Michele murders Luigi – a completely tame bit of direction here – the lighting (also by Krief) drops far too suddenly as Giorgetta comes out on deck.

Musically, things are much stronger. The singers give good, honest performances, even if their acting can be stilted, and Valerio Galli gets persuasive results from the Maggio orchestra. Franco Vassallo is a solid, brooding Michele, ‘Nulla! Silenzio!’ – Puccini’s best baritone aria – dispatched with passion and a fiery top G. María José Siri’s dark spinto makes her perfect for Puccini’s soprano roles (I saw her fine Cio-Cio-San at La Scala), and, apart from an occasional squally moment, she’s an intense Giorgetta. Best of all is Angelo Villari as Luigi, whose steely tenor gleams with testosterone.

At just 50 minutes, this DVD/Blu-ray is exceedingly short measure. For just a few quid extra, you can purchase the entire Trittico in Richard Jones’s outstanding Royal Opera production on Opus Arte. To rub salt into the wound, the Gianni Schicchi from this Maggio Musicale staging was released separately in August (another £20), and Suor Angelica followed in September (these will be reviewed in the next issue). That’s £60 for a single evening’s triple bill. Surely even Dante’s old swindler Schicchi wouldn’t be quite as audacious?