Gianni Schicchi 2025

This February the Oxford Student Opera Society will present a production of Giacomo Puccini's opera, Gianni Schicchi!

This 1917 comedic opera is based on Dante’s Divine Comedy written to a libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. While lesser-known, this opera does include some renowned arias such as 'O mio babbino caro'. This presentation of the well-known within the lesser-known whole positions the opera as a perfect example to celebrate the scope of Puccini's operatic output for the centenary of his death occuring this year.

In line with previous productions, we will present the full, uncut opera lasting just short of an hour, entirely staged with live orchestra. Previous casts of Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni have demonstrated the enormous amount of operatic talent amongst the student body in Oxford and we have no doubt that there is considerable potential for Gianni Schicchi to succeed.

The Society’s previous two productions have included two performances of an opera in St Peter’s Chapel, Oxford and one performance in The Sheldonian Theatre, with at least one night sold out in each run. This year however, we are hosting our performance in the Oxford Town Hall which incurs a significantly higher cost. Our operas are typically staged in Trinity Term, but this year we have decided to stage Gianni Schicchi in 5th week of Hilary Term (the week commencing 17/02/2025), in order to avoid clashes with Final Honours Schools exams. This means that we have to secure funding for the venue deposit earlier than usual, with a view to securing our provisional slot by early September. As a result, we encourage and appreciate any donation you can give that will make this project possible!