Have always gotten much pleasure going to see the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD broadcasts at the cinema. It is not a series where every production is great, there have been misfires and disappointments but there are many good to wonderful productions too. What is especially interesting and pleasurable about them is how it feels like you are there at the Met itself, so vivid the atmosphere with its high anticipation and excitement, but far more accessible in terms of location and cost.
'La Fanciulla Del West' is not my favourite Puccini opera by all means, have more of a fondness for 'Tosca' and 'La Boheme' and also 'Madama Butterfly' and 'Turandot', and it is not really one of my favourites either. Its story is not always plausible with an overlong first act and the secondary characters are standard, psychologically though the three main characters are interesting. However, while the opera has been criticised for a lack of any memorable arias (excepting "Ch'Ella Mi Creda", the most famous part of the opera and a tenor favourite, and Rance's "Minnie Dalla Mia Casa"), the music is beautifully crafted with homages to Strauss, Debussy and to a lesser extent Wagner but with enough of Puccini's lyrical style to make you realise it is still Puccini you're listening to. The three principal roles are very demanding, especially Minnie's (the role's difficulty one of the main reasons why the opera is not performed as others, as well as needing a large ensemble cast and not always being easy to stage), and most have taken risks in the staging during Act 2. It is one of the least performed Puccini operas but not his worst, for me that's 'Edgar'.
This 2018 production is a very impressive one, one of the better productions seen actually of the opera. Although most have been good to wonderful, there are a few watchable but near-misses, the two Nina Stemme productions particularly.
Firstly, the production values are great. It is an old production from Giancarlo Del Monaco (son of the great tenor Mario), most familiar to me through the excellent production in the early 90s with Barbara Daniels, Placido Domingo and Sherrill Milnes, but it looks very handsome and evocative and for me it doesn't show its age. You really feel as though you have been transported to the West. I particularly loved the tavern/saloon set for Act 1. The costumes are beautifully tailored and attractive (plus traditional) and you can understand why everybody loves Minnie as much as they do.
As usual, the HD is splendid and the camera work, picture and sound quality are sharp and clear. Musically, it is of outstanding quality, the orchestra show a great understanding of the both lyric and dramatic style of Puccini's very continuous score and the conducting from Marco Armiliato is tender and subtle, while bringing out the fiery tension of Act 2 effectively, much urgency and sensitivity here.
Staging wise, the production is throughout very compelling, managing mostly, apart from occasional static moments, to get a lot of momentum and mileage out of the first act which could have easily dragged. The staging is at its best in the poker scene ending Act 2, the dramatic high point of 'La Fanciulla Del West' (well the whole latter half of the act) and the ending, which evokes chills and tears.
'La Fanciulla Del West' is an ensemble opera in a sense, and it is a large ensemble, and there is a great cast to do justice to the roles. Jake Wallace and Nick are particularly well done in the secondary, but every bit as important roles. Of the leads the star was Jonas Kaufmann, on superb form as Johnson. His warm baritone-like middle register is as smooth and warm as chocolate, and his high notes do ring and don't sound strained (have always found his middle register more beautiful though), while he is a strong actor, there is intensity but also charm that allows one to see what Minnie sees in him.
Eva-Marie Westbroek attacks the fiendishly challenging music for Minnie with fearless abandon, not always the nicest of sounds at times but she is easily heard in the louder parts and allows some tenderness and lyricism to come through in the more exposed passages. She is a very committed actress too, especially in the latter half of Act 2. Zeljko Lucic is menacing yet sometimes restrained and always commanding as Rance. He is in sonorous voice and sings with great musicianship.
Overall, excellent production. 9/10 Bethany Cox
'La Fanciulla Del West' is not my favourite Puccini opera by all means, have more of a fondness for 'Tosca' and 'La Boheme' and also 'Madama Butterfly' and 'Turandot', and it is not really one of my favourites either. Its story is not always plausible with an overlong first act and the secondary characters are standard, psychologically though the three main characters are interesting. However, while the opera has been criticised for a lack of any memorable arias (excepting "Ch'Ella Mi Creda", the most famous part of the opera and a tenor favourite, and Rance's "Minnie Dalla Mia Casa"), the music is beautifully crafted with homages to Strauss, Debussy and to a lesser extent Wagner but with enough of Puccini's lyrical style to make you realise it is still Puccini you're listening to. The three principal roles are very demanding, especially Minnie's (the role's difficulty one of the main reasons why the opera is not performed as others, as well as needing a large ensemble cast and not always being easy to stage), and most have taken risks in the staging during Act 2. It is one of the least performed Puccini operas but not his worst, for me that's 'Edgar'.
This 2018 production is a very impressive one, one of the better productions seen actually of the opera. Although most have been good to wonderful, there are a few watchable but near-misses, the two Nina Stemme productions particularly.
Firstly, the production values are great. It is an old production from Giancarlo Del Monaco (son of the great tenor Mario), most familiar to me through the excellent production in the early 90s with Barbara Daniels, Placido Domingo and Sherrill Milnes, but it looks very handsome and evocative and for me it doesn't show its age. You really feel as though you have been transported to the West. I particularly loved the tavern/saloon set for Act 1. The costumes are beautifully tailored and attractive (plus traditional) and you can understand why everybody loves Minnie as much as they do.
As usual, the HD is splendid and the camera work, picture and sound quality are sharp and clear. Musically, it is of outstanding quality, the orchestra show a great understanding of the both lyric and dramatic style of Puccini's very continuous score and the conducting from Marco Armiliato is tender and subtle, while bringing out the fiery tension of Act 2 effectively, much urgency and sensitivity here.
Staging wise, the production is throughout very compelling, managing mostly, apart from occasional static moments, to get a lot of momentum and mileage out of the first act which could have easily dragged. The staging is at its best in the poker scene ending Act 2, the dramatic high point of 'La Fanciulla Del West' (well the whole latter half of the act) and the ending, which evokes chills and tears.
'La Fanciulla Del West' is an ensemble opera in a sense, and it is a large ensemble, and there is a great cast to do justice to the roles. Jake Wallace and Nick are particularly well done in the secondary, but every bit as important roles. Of the leads the star was Jonas Kaufmann, on superb form as Johnson. His warm baritone-like middle register is as smooth and warm as chocolate, and his high notes do ring and don't sound strained (have always found his middle register more beautiful though), while he is a strong actor, there is intensity but also charm that allows one to see what Minnie sees in him.
Eva-Marie Westbroek attacks the fiendishly challenging music for Minnie with fearless abandon, not always the nicest of sounds at times but she is easily heard in the louder parts and allows some tenderness and lyricism to come through in the more exposed passages. She is a very committed actress too, especially in the latter half of Act 2. Zeljko Lucic is menacing yet sometimes restrained and always commanding as Rance. He is in sonorous voice and sings with great musicianship.
Overall, excellent production. 9/10 Bethany Cox
