Il tabarro (The Cloak) was the first work in Puccini's operatic triptych known as Il trittico, the other two operas being Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi. This year marks the centenary of Il tabarro's first performance, in December 1918. Redolent of the French settings of Puccini's two previous successes, La bohème and Manon Lescaut, the action is centred on a barge on the River Seine in Paris; the atmosphere, dark and brooding, leads to violence and a murderous conclusion.

Conductor Bertrand de Billy and the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra bring the score to life with impressive authority, while the cast of outstanding singers is headed by tenor Johan Botha who gives one of the finest performances of his career.

Cast:
- Luigi: Johan Botha (tenor)
- Michele: Wolfgang Koch (baritone)
- Giorgetta: Elza van den Heever (soprano)
- La Frugola: Heidi Brunner (soprano)
- Tinca / Song Seller / Lover: Charles Reid (tenor)
- Talpa: Janusz Monarcha (bass)
- Lover: Elisabeta Marin (soprano)