Mascagni’s L’amico Fritz might be the perfect antidote to an unsuccessful reimagining of Götterdämmerung.  It’s short, uncomplicated, tuneful and nobody dies.  It’s a simple love story in which an Alsatian landowner, who is a confirmed bachelor, makes a bet with the local rabbi that he can’t find him a bride.  Then he falls hopelessly in love with the daughter of his tenant and they all live happily ever after.

There were just a few things that puzzled me.  Why a rabbi as matchmaker?  Is everyone else supposed to be Jewish?  It isn’t obvious though I suppose in Alsace in the late 19th century it’s just about possible.  It hardly matters but does give rise to a question.  Are there any other incidental Jews in opera.  i.e. not part of some biblical or Shakespeare plot where Jewishness is essential,  Weinberg’s The Passenger maybe but then it’s a bit obvious why that character is Jewish.

In the production at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in 2022 the setting has been updated to maybe 1970 and Fritz’s house is replaced by a bar.  There a couple of odd continuity errors; one the composer/librettist’s and one the director’s and both will be obvious to oenophiles.  Apparently the grape harvest in Alsace takes place in April!  Also, Fritz’s tenant’s winery produces red wine in Bordeaux bottles.  Not a Riesling or a Gewürztraminer in sight!  But otherwise Rosetta Cucchi’s concept and direction are clean, straightforward and effective with a few lightly comic touches.  A cast that can act does the rest.

Musically it’s excellent.  Mascagni is writing in a style that predates verismo and perhaps owes more to 19th century French pastorals like Gounod’s Mireille.  It’s tuneful and not at all bombastic.  Both Fritz and his love interest Suzel get pretty arias and a couple of really nice duets.  Charles Castronovo and Salome Jicia make the most of them and generally make a charming and credible young couple.  In fact, it’s hard to imagine two singers better suited to these roles.  They are well backed up by Massimo Cavaletti as the rabbi David and Teresa Iervolino in the trouser role of the gypsy violinist Beppe.  The supporting cast of singers and extras are lively and competent.  Throw in some pretty playing from the orchestra and conductor Riccardo Frizza and it’s all very easy to watch and listen to.

I watched this one on DVD though Blu-ray is available.  Even on DVD it looked and sounded fine.  The picture is perfectly adequate and the DTS 5.1 sound is good too (stereo available as well).  Matteo Ricchetti’s video direction is completely unobtrusive.  There are no extras on the disk but the booklet has a decent essay, a synopsis and a track listing.  Subtitle options are Italian, English, French, German, Japanese and Korean.

So there it is, 100 minutes of undemanding, tuneful opera (maybe operetta really) acted and sung extremely well.  What’s not to like?

Catalogue number: Dynamic DVD 37960