Contrast is the essence of Giacomo Puccini’s operatic triptych, Il trittico. The one-act works that form the trilogy – Il tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi – range from gritty melodrama to life-affirming comedy. While each opera stands alone, the three come together to create a sense of a complete event, rich in textures and musical forms. Il trittico had its premiere at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, in December 1918. The trilogy was performed in full at Covent Garden in 1920 and again in 1965. Richard Jones’s acclaimed production was the first complete performance of Il trittico at Covent Garden in 46 years. Moving from the grimy banks of the Seine to a children’s hospital and from there to a garish apartment in 1950s Italy, Jones matches the eclectic range of Puccini’s music in a production of great verve and invention.