Glenn Gould School: Spring Opera — Serenata Italiana, featuring Rossini: La cambiale di matrimonio & Puccini: Gianni Schicchi. March 18 & 20, 2026, Koerner Hall.
As a diehard opera fan, I love attending productions put on by mainstream companies the likes of the COC and Opera de Montreal. But, I also seek out shows produced by universities and conservatories, where one often encounters voices of great promise, young artists with the potential for significant careers.
The Glenn Gould School’s spring opera presentation this week fit the bill nicely.
On offer was La cambiale di matrimonio (Marriage Contract), Rossini’s very first opera composed in 1810, when he was only 18. It was paired with the more frequently staged Gianni Schicchi, Puccini’s only comic piece. Both are short, one act works, full of pretty tunes and colourful characters, a perfect choice for some late-winter merriment.
Rossini: La cambiale di matrimonio
In this presentation, the two operas share the same unit set (with minor adjustments of furnishings, such as a bed in Schicchi) by designer Adriana Bogaard.
The set is totally traditional and pleasing to the eye. No doubt GGS chose to stage the Rossini opera because its pivotal character, with the silly name of Slook, is a Canuck, poked fun by the other characters, sure to generate plenty of laughs from the Koerner Hall audience.
Slook travels from Canada to Europe to meet Fanny, the girl whom he intends to marry, arranged through a marriage contract. Lots of comical twists and turns to the story, and we end up with no marriage but plenty of hilarity.
As Slook, the warm baritone of James Cool-Stevenson was ideal and his acting — complete with multiple costume changes — also contributed to the merriment.
The soubrette soprano Alyssa Bartholomew was endearing as Fanny. Kudos to baritone Gabriel Klassen who sang Tobias Mill, her father. Matthew Black (Norton) and Alannah Beauparlant (Clarina), as the “downstairs folks” were also deserving of praise.
Puccini: Gianni Schicchi
Though Cambiale is the earliest opera by Rossini, his signature style is already much in evidence. A lightweight work, amusing and frothy, its plot is a bit too farcical to be taken seriously.
Gianni Schicchi is an altogether more mature work both musically and dramatically. Puccini composed it as part 3 of a triptych, together with Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica, called Il Trittico. Nowadays, it is often performed by itself or with other works.
James Coole-Stevenson, in addition to being a lively Slook, took on Schicchi with distinction. Some of the most beautiful music are assigned to the two young lovers, namely Rinuccio (tenor Jeffrey Liu) and Lauretta (soprano Leandra Dahm). They were both excellent. Lauretta gets to sing “O mio babbino caro,” arguably one of the most recognizable of Puccini tunes, and Dahm sang it very well.
I also liked mezzo Jada Alexiou as a very animated Zita, certainly the most youthfully glamorous old-lady Zita I have ever seen.
Schicchi is very much an ensemble show, and the GGS students gave their all, performing with enthusiasm and commitment, no doubt well coached and guided by stage director Stephen Carr.
The Royal Conservatory Orchestra under conductor Gordon Gerrard sounded terrific, showing these musicians are ready for prime time. All in all, it was a most enjoyable two plus hours of music on a cold late winter evening.
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