Festival Opus de Gattières: Mascagni's L'amico Fritz: the delicate murmur of an opera in the shade of cherry trees
- Nathalie Audin
- Jul 28
- 4 min read
Saturday 19 July 2025
Published on the website: Resonances Lyriques Org
After the graceful bursts of Puccini's La Rondine in 2024, the Festival Opus Opéra de Gattières, true to its singular sensibility, has chosen a rarer, more secretive work for its 36th edition: Pietro Mascagni's L'Amico Fritz. A bold and refined choice. "A lyrical comedy inspired by the pastoral tradition, with Ravélian charm," soberly announces the note of intent in the auditorium programme. But here it is above all a veiled charm, a music of discreet sentiment that unfolds. The intensity nestles in the silences, caresses rather than imposes itself: therein lies all the appeal of this production.
A village idyll like a fresh, intimate watercolour.
In the soft light of an idealised countryside, the story unfolds of Fritz, an opulent landowner with little inclination to fall in love, and Suzel, a discreet young girl whose freshness will gently awaken the sleeping heart of the man who, until then, thought himself inflexible to such feelings.
To narrate this tender country idyll, Pietro Mascagni composed L'Amico Fritz in 1891, to a libretto by P. Suardon based on the novel by Erckmann and Chatrian. This lyrical comedy is bucolic and delicate, as if painted with clear water, far removed from the harsh, sunny tension of Cavalleria Rusticana, the Sicilian verist drama created the previous year.
Here, there are no clashes or shouted passions: only diaphanous music, vibrant with restrained emotions. A masterly score in which the orchestral colours blend together in light touches, sometimes shimmering, often tender, creating an almost impressionistic soundscape.
It was this score that amazed the celebrated English playwright George Bernard Shaw, who wrote on the occasion of the opera's London premiere: "I think I can sum up this work by saying that it has all the charms of a fine public holiday".1
Sobriety on stage and orchestral delicacy: a refined harmony
Jeanne Pansard-Besson's direction perfectly captures this intimate, playful atmosphere. In a village bar - Gattières itself? - in the shade of an ancient tree, a few friends are chatting happily away. At the centre is the mayor: a benevolent and mischievous figure, master of the game of love, the shaper of destiny without seeming to be. The plot is simple, but every detail adds to the impression of warm intimacy.
There's no overload or unnecessary embellishment: here, sobriety becomes a source of beauty. The right gesture, the sincere gaze, the silence are all natural. The pared-down stage provides a perfect setting for the musical delicacy, and allows the characters to vibrate with a truth that is all the more touching for its discreteness. The whole is supported by precise, lively direction by the actors, who know how to capture the essential without ever overemphasising it or leaving room for the slightest weariness.
A lyrical comedy for lovers of subtlety
L'Amico Fritz is not designed to dazzle. It is for those who appreciate half-tones, barely whispered shivers, the modesty of sincere outbursts. Nothing clashes, everything is sketched out. And those who know how to listen to what is said only in hints, those who shiver at the dawn of subtlety, will be delighted. The orchestra, always tender, never flashy, serves this lyrical comedy with finesse. Among its jewels, the Intermezzo unfurls its nuanced tones, and above all, in Act II, the celebrated "Cherry Duet", a veritable jewel of elegance and sensuality - one of the most seductive of all Mascagni's operas - unfurls an irresistible charm, rich in an instrumental palette of rare variety, suspended, as if plucked from the blossom of a branch.
Precise, transparent musical direction
Under the elegant baton of Barbara Dragan, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice plays with suppleness, precision and a genuine awareness of the breaths in the score. Nothing is over-stressed or set in stone. The conductor alternates bucolic tenderness, gentle sensuality and diffuse nostalgia with a rare eye for detail.
A moment of grace illuminates Act I: Věra Nováková, on solo violin, offers a suspended interlude of fluid, inhabited virtuosity. Like a silken thread between branches, the music gently links two souls who do not yet know that they are attracted to each other...
Voices that embrace the place and soul of the work
Charlotte Bonnet, in the role of Suzel, radiates a soft, true light. Her clear voice, light yet powerful, rises with ease, accurately portraying all the nuances of her character. She captures our attention without ever playing the game of seduction, between restraint and the awakening of love. And therein lies her secret: a discreet, moving and profound enchantment!
Davide Battiniello sketches out a sincere and credible Fritz, supported by a seductive timbre and a polished vocal line, even if the fullness and high register still need to be fully released.
Ivan Thirion (David) is a solid, colourful baritone with a generous acting temperament.
Noelia Ibáñez, perfect in every way in the role of Beppe, blends musical virtuosity and theatrical naturalness with ease.
In the secondary roles, Alan Starovoitov (Hanezò), Pierre Eladlia (Federico) and Milena Lohachova (Caterina) bring their youth and spontaneity with luminous conviction, fitting perfectly into the overall weave.
A production served up with as much care as finesse
In the stone setting of the Festival Opus in Gattières, this production of L'Amico Fritz left the mark of a moment of harmony. No fuss, no effects: just the beauty of an opera served up with tact, delicacy and love of detail, supported by a programme that wisely focuses on promising artists. A rare work, which the festival has brought to light with talent, in the shared intimacy of a summer's evening.
Nathalie AUDIN
1 Note of intent for the programme
Direction musicale : Barbara Dragan
Stage direction : Jeanne Pansard-Besson
Distribution :
Fritz : Davide Battiniello
Suzel : Charlotte Bonnet
Beppe : Noelia Ibáñez
David : Ivan Thhirion
Hanezò : Alan Starovoitov
Federico : Pierre Eladlia
Caterina :Milena Lohachova
Nice Philharmonic Orchestra
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