This year’s Jette Parker Artists showcase is a triple bill of modern-ish operas; a cleverly assembled trittico of one-acters, linked by a theme of bereavement. That sounds bleak until you consider that Puccini’s Trittico was originally inspired by The Divine Comedy, and who bothers about that today? Anyway, the three operas that make up Tales of Love and Loss are far from dispiriting in their overall effect. Like Puccini, Talia Stern – who directs all three – has gone for two tragedies plus a raucous, palate-cleansing comedy. And like Gianni Schicchi, the final laugh-fest (Elena Langer’s Four Sisters) plays out around a barely cold corpse and sends you into the night feeling uneasy, but undeniably entertained.

The Puccini parallels stop there. For all their shared themes, the three operas create their own worlds and speak with highly distinctive voices. First up is The Departure, written in 1961 by Elizabeth Maconchy to a libretto by Anne Ridler, and drenched – with its offstage chorus and aching horns – in the eerie, overcast atmosphere of mid-century British noir. Julia (Ellen Pearson) is in her bedroom, preparing for a reunion with her estranged husband Mark (Sam Hird). She’s excited and fretful as she paces........

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