“O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi (1918)

“O mio babbino caro” is not, as it might superficially seem to be, a dutiful daughter’s expression of her love for her dear father. In fact, Lauretta is turning on the charm so as to persuade her father, Gianni Schicchi, to rescue the family of her lover Rinuccio from an unfortunate situation. The head of the Donati family has just died and, it transpires, has left his property not to his expectant relatives but to the Monastery of S Reperata. Without his inheritance Rinuccio cannot marry Lauretta. Hence her fervent appeal to her father who, though he is surely clever enough to see through her endearments, gives in to her request. Who, after all could resist such a persuasive melody and such affectionate harmonies? The opera - a one-act comedy originally designed to accompany Il Tabarro and Suor Angelica in a triple bill called Il Trittico - ends happily for Schicchi, Lauretta and Rinuccio but not for Rinuccio’s greedy relatives.