December 14, 2009: La Fanciulla del West in Oslo

2009-12-14 La Fanciulla del West (Puccini), Den Norske Opera, Oslo

Minnie = Paoletta Marrocu
Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Jack Rance = Jason Stearns
Nick = Svein Erik Sagbråten
Ashby = Magne Fremmerlid
Jake Wallace = Njål Sparbo
Sonora = Ole Jørgen Kristiansen
Bello = Mads Wighus
Happy = Eirik Roland Egeberg-Jensen
Joe = David Fielder
Jim Larkens = Ketil Hugaas
Trin = Kjell Magnus Sandve
Harry = Henrik Engelsviken
Sid = Espen Langvik
José Castro = Carsten Stabell
Wowkle = Sigrid Ohlsson
Billy Jackrabbit = Bo Elley
Postiglione = Paul Kirkby

Joseph Colaneri, conductor

Monday I had a scare. I heard a woman exclaim "You will love it, I assure you, the Brazilian Helden-Tenor is singing. He is great!!!" Oh, no, I thought, it is not Cura who will sing. But it was the Argentine Tenor who sang.

He was great, Paoletta Marrocu was great. They were all great. I just had a tall man seating in front of me so my seat and view was not too great. But I enjoyed it. People was saying he was even better on Monday 14th than on Saturday 12th. But I had the wrong seat. Viva Argentina!!!!!!!!!!!!

Don't cry for me Argentina! for I will go to Oslo to be there when JC sings his Agentine songs. I am really looking forward to listen to his own songs. Pablo Neruda poems composed by Jose Cura, sung by the composer. And the other songs. Will it be extra songs. I hope for a full house for the Argentine songs with Jose Cura.

Magic will happen again on December 17th. Tomorrow!!!

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December 12, 2009: La Fanciulla del West in Oslo

2009-12-12 La Fanciulla del West (Puccini), Den Norske Opera & Ballet, Oslo

Minnie = Paoletta Marrocu
Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Jack Rance = Jason Stearns
Nick = Svein Erik Sagbråten
Ashby = Magne Fremmerlid
Jake Wallace = Njål Sparbo
Sonora = Ole Jørgen Kristiansen
Bello = Mads Wighus
Happy = Eirik Roland Egeberg-Jensen
Joe = David Fielder
Jim Larkens = Ketil Hugaas
Trin = Kjell Magnus Sandve
Harry = Henrik Engelsviken
Sid = Espen Langvik
José Castro = Carsten Stabell
Wowkle = Sigrid Ohlsson
Billy Jackrabbit = Bo Elley
Postiglione = Paul Kirkby

Joseph Colaneri, conductor

This is a production from Vlaamse Opera Belgium.

Music: Giacomo Puccini
Libretto: Guelfo Civinini og Carlo Zangarini

Director: Robert Carsen
Set design/ costumes: Paul Steinberg
Lighting design: Robert Carsen and Peter van Praet
The Norwegian Opera Chorus

The Norwegian Opera Orchestra


Sung in Italian, Norwegian and English subtitles
Duration: App. 3 hours
It was the first time for me in the new Opera House in Oslo. And it was the first time for Jose Cura in Oslo. He sang Dick Johnson in Puccini's La Fanciulla del West. It is almost one of his calling cards. Among many people also a quite a number of Cura fans. Jose Cura Connexion was well represented there. Old and new friends together.

It was to be a magic night. But at the beginning of the opera I really thought that it would be a boring opera night. I was so totally wrong about that. I have never seen this opera without having moments of boredom but not in Oslo. The Robert Carson production from Vlamse Opera held me in its grip. It was first time I saw this production so I cannot say how much influence the presence of Jose Cura did have to the ensemble of Den Norske Opera. It was no doubt that this was one of Jose Cura finest Dick Johnson. The singing and everything was simply the best Dick Johnson that I have seen Cura do. Paoletta Marrocu was a wonderful actress as Minnie, her voice could be unruly but in sum it was a wonderful Minnie. Jason Stearns as Sheriff Jack Rance was all that one could wish for in this role. Fanciulla del West is not the kind of opera where it is enough to have a great soprano, tenor and baritone. This opera is like Wolf-Ferrari's SLY an opera that needs a great ensemble that can act all it different characters.

Conductor: Joseph Colaneri
Director: Robert Carsen
Set design/ costumes: Paul Steinberg
Lighting design: Robert Carsen and Peter van Praet



This production of La Fanciulla del West, The Girl of the Golden West, started with the men sitting in a cinema seeing a Western film. As the prelude ended in the orchestra the men found there western hats and started to act as they were in a saloon drinking with empty hands and then was shooting with empty hands. I thought that it must be hard to remember all that you must when you don't have the props. But it was just the beginning. When Ashby (Magne Fremmerlid) came then it was really something to drink sat on the table. And when Minnie came, she had real gun. And by then it had started to look as a saloon. And she gave all "real theater" whiskey. By the time the bandit Jose Castro came all had real pistols.

So this production was acted like a fantasy but with each new person coming in a new layer of reality was put in. In the end of the opera it is a dream, the miners go into the cinema to see the western film The Girl of the Golden West after Minnie is now dressed like a movie star and so is Dick Johnson, he came out with a sigarett in his mouth very macho and glamorous. 


Nex time. Fanciulla 2009-12-14 and Canciones Argentinas 2009-12-17 in Den Norske Opera & Ballett: www.operaen.no

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November 20, 2010: La Fanciulla del West in Zurich

2010-11-20 La Fanciulla del West (G. Puccini), Opernhaus Zurich

Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Minnie = Emily Magee
Jack Rance = Ruggero Raimondi
Harry = Shinya Kitajma
Jake Wallace = Davide Fersini
Nick = Martin Zysset
Ashby = Daniel Henriks
Sonora = Cheyne Davidson
Sid = Tomasz Slawinsky
Trin = Pablo Ricardo Bemsch
Bello = Kresimir Strazanac
Joe = Boguslaw Bidzinski
Happy = Thomas Tatzl
José Castro = Valeriy Murga
Larkens = Aaron Agulay
Billy Jackrabbit = Thomas Forde
Wowkle = Bettina Schneebeli
Un Postilione = Simon Wallfisch


Massimo Zanetti, conductor


Inszeniering - David Poutney
Spielleitung - Aglaja Nicolet
Bühnenbild - Stefanos Lazaridis
Kostüme - Sue Wilmington
Lichtgestaltung - Jürgen Hoffmann


This David Pountney production of La Fanciulla del West by Giacomo Puccini is growing old and is no longer inspiring. Once upon a time the use of movie was innovating like in 2004 when I first saw this production I found it pure genius. But the times has changed and it is after all my 10th Fanciulla.

It is nothing new here. The Girl of the Golden West (LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST) is the Spaghetti Western as opera. Was it necessary to make the stage so steep and did the screen really have to be hung in a slope. It just seemed so sloppy. Every time the movie was playing or the backdrop was changed to another photo reminding us about the time of gold digging in California it was like the director took the audience as utter fools. It is the usual story of opera directors not daring to let the opera speak for it self.

When I compare to the other Fanciulla productions that I have seen at Royal Opera House (London), Deutsche Oper Berlin, Den Norske Opera (Oslo) then Opernhaus Zürich production seem to be the oldest and dullest one.

The cast was incredible. Still I was bored and not really tuned into the action. I just know that Emily Magee was the perfect Minnie and José Cura was perfect as Dick Johnson. Ruggero Raimondi was also great. But the production let this opera down.

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October 12, 2011: La Fanciulla del West in Zurich

2011-10-12 La Fanciulla del West (G. Puccini), Opernhaus Zurich

Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Minnie = Emily Magee
Jack Rance = Claudio Sgura
Harry = Michael Laurenz
Jake Wallace = Davide Fersini
Nick = Martin Zysset
Ashby = Giuseppe Scorsin
Sonora = Cheyne Davidson
Sid = Tomasz Slawinsky
Trin = Ilker Arcayürek
Bello = Kresimir Strazanac
Joe = Boguslaw Bidzinski
Happy = Thomas Tatzl
José Castro = Valeriy Murga
Larkens = Aaron Agulay
Billy Jackrabbit = Thomas Forde
Wowkle = Bettina Schneebeli
Un Postilione = Patrick Vogel

Carlo Rizzi, conductor

Producer/production - David Pountney
Set design - Stefanos Lazaridis
Costumes - Sue Willmington
Choir rehearsal - Ernst Raffelsberger

Claudio Sgura sang instead of Ruggero Raimondi the role of Sheriff Jack Rance. New for the Zurich production, he is not new for the role, he did it before in London etc.

I would not be surprised to hear that it was the production itself which induced Ruggero Raimondi to withdraw. In the Zurich production no stage is plain and straight. It makes it hard to walk especially as one is supposed to be natural. And it is the biggest drawback to this production and does not seem to serve any meening. Too bad otherwise it could have been perfect. I like the way it uses movie to enhance the drama.

Emily Magee as Minnie was in a fantastic voice and her acting ditto. And I had not been bored by this opera before Minnie (Emily Magee) came into it nor later even as I had a severe head-ache going on all the time. It was Claudio Sgura who really came to be the Jack Rance when Minnie came. I loved him in this role. He reminded me so much of the young Silvano Carroli in the 1983 DVD from Royal Opera House. Jose Cura was Dick Johnson with heart and soul, he voice was beautiful, clear and his acting was superb.

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September 29, 2008: La Fanciulla del West, London

2008-09-29 La Fanciulla del West (Puccini), Royal Opera House, London

Minnie = Eva-Maria Westbroek
Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Jack Rance = Silvano Carroli
Nick = Bonaventura Bottone
Ashby = Erik Halfvarson
Jake Wallace = Vuyani Mlinde
Sonora = Daniel Sutin
Bello = Kostas Smorginas
Happy = Quentin Hayes
Joe = Harry Nicoll
Larkens = Andrew Foster-Williams
Trin = Hubert Francis
Harry = Robert Murray
Sid = Adrian Clarke
José Castro = Jeremy White
Wowkle = Clare Shearer
Billy Jackrabbit = Graeme Danby

Antonio Pappano, conductor

Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Director: Piero Faggioni
Set Designs: Kenneth Adam
Costume Designs: Piero Faggioni
Lighting: Piero Faggioni

Another Fanciulla on Monday 2008-09-29. This performance also started at 19. And as ususal I started with a Pizza (Funghi) at Piazza Cafe, but this time I was inside the cafe and not sitting outside. Another great Pizza Funghi. Lovely.

And then it was opera time. This time I was careful to arrive in good time before the opera starts. Fewer JCx members this time. I got to see the whole opera in my wonderful seat in the orchestra stalls. The only time we get to applaud the conductor Antonio Pappano before the opera starts is before act 3. SO both act 1 and act 2 starts suddenly from blackness to lights and music.

The only difference from Friday 26 to Monday 29 is the singer that is Sheriff Jack Rance, Silvano Carroli, the original Rance from 1977. So 31 years after this production was first played he is back, he also sang in the same production in 1978, so this was also 30 years celebration. And in 1982 it was taped on video with Placido Domingo as Dick Johnson, Carol Neblett as Minnie and Silvano Carroli as Rance, conducted by Nello Santi.

So how was he compared with himself almost 3o years ago or compared to our other Rance, Claudio Sgura. He was much older and somewhat lacking in force especially in act 1, in act 2+3 he was better. Anyway the opera changes a bit when Jack Rance is young and dashing (Claudio Sgura) or if he is more of an old rogue (Silvano Carroli 2008). Comparing 1982 performance with 2008 is almost impossible, it is to compare younger, domineering to older, domineering.

Many said this was the best performance of Silvano Carroli and the cast. It was certainly musically good. After a long wait at the stage door we finally met Jose Cura and his family and Eva-Maria Westbroek. I did not see Silvano Carroli. José Cura was still there talking when I left for my hotel. After all I was going home the next day.

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September 26, 2008: La Fanciulla del West, London

2008-09-26 La Fanciulla del West (Puccini), Royal Opera House, London

Minnie = Eva-Maria Westbroek
Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Jack Rance = Claudio Sgura
Nick = Bonaventura Bottone
Ashby = Erik Halfvarson
Jake Wallace = Vuyani Mlinde
Sonora = Daniel Sutin
Bello = Kostas Smorginas
Happy = Quentin Hayes
Joe = Harry Nicoll
Larkens = Andrew Foster-Williams
Trin = Hubert Francis
Harry = Robert Murray
Sid = Adrian Clarke
José Castro = Jeremy White
Wowkle = Clare Shearer
Billy Jackrabbit = Graeme Danby

Antonio Pappano, conductor

Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Director: Piero Faggioni
Set Designs: Kenneth Adam
Costume Designs: Piero Faggioni
Lighting: Piero Faggioni


I went to Covent Garden with the tube, and I ate the most wonderful Pizza Funghi at the Piazza Cafe. But then it had taken forever to get the pizza and even though I had had a quick look at my opera ticket I never saw that it was 19 pm and not 1930 as I had convinced my self. Pizza was still good but it cost me 15 minutes of the beginning of the opera, it is not that bad, Minnie and Dick Johnson had not arrived at the stage yet. I was lucky, the staff in ROH let me in and decided that I could see the opera live from a balcony box. Not that lucky was that is was on wrong side of much of the Johnson/Minnie action. Looking at a TV relay would have been better. But Act 1 was really special, balcony box. But too many people had their head far out of the boxes and I was naturally in the second row but I could enjoy the chair and the music and singing.

ACT 1

Lost 15 minutes. But it was OK I had after all seen this production in 2005.

Jack Rance = Claudio Sgura. New Sheriff in town. Loved him even if he seemed a little too young, but he was like a young and attractive Silvano Carroli. He really reminded me of SC of ROH video/DVD.

Ashby = Erik Halfvarson. So unlike Robert Lloyd's more elegant Mr Ashby. This was a man who was drinking from his bottle all the time.

Minnie = Eva-Maria Westbroek. This is her favorite opera and her dream role but I find her too ... over-acting. She made me miss Andrea Gruber as Minnie. And wondering what would have happened if Sylvie Valayre had been ROH's Minnie. SV was a wonderful Minnie in Zurich 2004 and Berlin 2006.

Dick Johnson = José Cura. WOW, even better actor and absolutely wonderful.

Jake Wallace = Vuyani Mlinde. THANK YOU, ROH: no black-face-painted as AL JOLSON, just a black man in his own skin. BUT, I never saw him in the line-up at the front for the applause in the end of the opera. WHY: Jake Wallace is a short role but really important to be able to show our appreciation for his art. He was not just a part of chorus or ensemble. As important as Trin or some of the other miners (all white persons, by the way) that got their own line-up. He should have been up there with Cura, Westbroek, Sgura, Bonaventura Bottone, Erik Halfvarson.

(I just hope somebody will say I am wrong, he was there, I must just have missed him. And for the record I don't believe this is necessary racism, but it might just be a blind spot at the ROH.)

ACT 2

I am so GLAD that Wowkle (Clare Shearer), Billy Jackrabbit (Graeme Danby) managed to made some of their UGH into something less offensive (ah, eh, oh). That made this act better for me. Westbroek and Cura was really good together. And Sgura was just perfect.

What was wrong? The roof of the cabin, if you lived with kind of roof you would have snow inside. Another snowy issue. All the opening of the door, Wowkle exclaiming "it is snowing" (a blizzard, you know) and then Johnson also IT IS SNOWING. BUT no snow was seen from the opened door, it should have been snowing inside so that we understood why Johnson needed to stay in Minnie's cabin, you know, because of the blizzard. And how heartless it was that earlier Wowkle with her little baby on her back was made to go out by Minnie and later Johnson kicking her out when she hesitated because of the SNOW. The snow that never was...

ACT 3

GREAT. Great aria: Ch'ella mi creda. Minnie was really good.


AND of course I met a lot of friends from the Jose Cura connexion. We waited at the stage door. Cura, Westbroek, Sgura came, and probably others that I did not know.

0030 Norwegian time in my hotel---

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September 24, 2006: Fanciulla del West in Berlin

2006-09-24 La Fanciulla del West (Puccini), Deutsche Oper Berlin

Minnie = Sylvie Valayre
Jack Rance = Marco Chingari
Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Nick = Clemens Bieber
Ashby = Ante Jerkunica
Sonora = Lenus Carlson
Trin = Burkhard Ulrich
Sid = Guillaume Antoine
Bello = Markus Beam
Harry = Peter Maus
Joe = Jörg Schörner
Happy = Simon Pauly
Larkens = Roland Schubert
Billy Jackrabbit = Tiziano Bracci
Wowkle = Ceri Williams
Jake Wallace = Markus Beam
José Castro = Harold Wilson
Ein Postillon = Volker Horn

Vjekoslav Sutej, conductor



La fanciulla del West


[Das Mädchen aus dem Goldenen Westen]
Oper in 3 Akten von Giacomo Puccini
Libretto von Guelfo Civinini und Carlo Zangarini nach dem Drama The Girl of the Golden West von David Belasco
Uraufführung: 10. Dezember 1910 in New York
Premiere an der Deutschen Oper Berlin: 27. März 2004

In italienischer Sprache mit deutschen Übertiteln

24. | 27. September 2006
02. Oktober 2006


Musikalische Leitung Vjekoslav Sutej
Inszenierung Vera Nemirova
Bühne, Kostüme Klaus Werner Noack
Chöre Ulrich Paetzholdt

Minnie Sylvie Valayre
Jack Rance Marco Chingari
Dick Johnson José Cura





Dauer 3 Stunden 15 Minuten
Zwei Pausen

It was the worst production with the best singing that I have seen and heard. The photos in the www.deustcheoperberlin.de does not show how bad the production was. Reading the subtitles at the same time as seeing what's going on onstage would only serve to confusion.

This is a Spaghetti Western in Opera. But here it is modernized to an extent where only the sheriff is still sheriff. The Saloon of the opera is here something else, a fast food bar with some weird security line, is this the border to Mexico or is it a part of an airport or is it a German train station. What are the Santa's there for. It is near Christmas perhaps. Why is there a movie board showing the men getting dressed or something. This security thing can't be serious 'cause when Dick Johnson (Jose Cura) aka Ramirez, there are no-one making a copy of his hand.

Luckily when Jose Cura is there the opera becomes more real and interesting. Not that Sylvie Valayre is a bad Minnie, she is singing and acting wonderfully but this production does nothing to help this character to be a real and truly interesting person to the spectator. Minnie belongs to the West and in another century. Women today have much more and other choices to make. Truly when Sylvie Valayre and Jose Cura sings together there is deep connection between those two, Dick Johnson and Minnie, and therefor the audience connects too. Jack Rance is also more real when with Sylvie or Jose. Marco Chingari is an admirable singer doing his best. But the scenography and costumes does put me off.

The 2nd act is better. But still not good. The material Minnie's cabin is made of is so poor than one single man can easily destroy part of the wall. It is just carbon paper. And this is supposed to be the winter and in the mountains, and a single woman lives there alone. That is simply not realistic... It did not like how the cabin looked and I really did not like the idea that the men looking for Ramirez would destroy the cabin if they really wanted to protect " la ragazza del campo". They would have just knocked on the door and Minnie would have opened. So that was stupid. The good thing about the second act was that this time I found the opening with the two Native Americans, Wockle and Jackrabbit, soon to be parents and soon to marry, a truly nice and realistic moment. Of course the duets between Sylvie Valayre and Jose Cura and their acting was wonderful and showed the naivety of the two of them in a heartening way.

Jose Cura had told us that the 3rd act was worst, and in a way it was. It was situated in heaven, he said. Well, yes, there were clouds instead of mountains. But you could easily ignore that and make the "Heavenly" clouds into mountain sloops in your mind. I was more
troubled with the concept of a TV team being there to tape the execution. It was so not necessary. And in the end it was revealed as a movie in making. Well yes, right, that would have been nice, not since this was a modern Fanciulla del West.

The important thing is that the singing was outstanding, still I was glad I did not have to see this production again.

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September 18, 2005: Fanciulla del West in London

2005-09-18 La Fanciulla del West (Puccini), Royal Opera House, London

Minnie = Andrea Gruber
Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Jack Rance = Mark Delavan
Nick = Francis Egerton
Ashby = Robert Lloyd
Jake Wallace = Jonathan Lemalu
Sonora = Mark Stone
Bello = Grant Doyle
Happy = Jared Holt
Joe = Harry Nicoll
Larkens = Graeme Broadbent
Trin = Hubert Francis
Harry = Robert Murray
Sid = Adrian Clarke
José Castro = Jeremy White
Wowkle = Clare Shearer
Billy Jackrabbit = Graeme Danby

Antonio Pappano, conductor



La fanciulla del West

The Royal Opera 2005 - 2006

6:00 PM
18-Sep-05


Supported (2005) by The Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera House Fund

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Running time: 3 hrs 30 mins

Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Director: Piero Faggioni
Set Designs: Kenneth Adam
Costume Designs: Piero Faggioni
Lighting: Piero Faggioni



My seat was better but the performance on Thursday was better I felt. This was just a nice Ch'ella mi creda where as Thursday had more passion. Mark Delavan was perhaps a bit better, but everything hung by a thread, nearly getting things right. The weak point of this production seem not to observe the details closely. More faithfulness to Belasco's play would have been a pluss. Minnie's portrait was not true the a real woman of the West, too much girlishness and to little of the pioneer woman, a woman who sleeps with her gun. Andrea Gruber should have been perfect, after all she has sung Turandot, not Liu.

After the opera, we waited for the stars to get out. Andrea Gruber I saw, but no photos did I take, she was walking fast, and when she stopped there was too many people between us. Harry Nicoll and the man who sang Nick, the same. But Mark Delavan and Robert Lloyd got photographed. Then Jose Cura came, his wife and his son Jose Ben was waiting for him. So Cura was invited behind the glass to sit and autograph and getting photographed. Of course we were plenty people there almost all with cameras.

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September 15, 2005: Fanciulla del West in London

2005-09-15 La Fanciulla del West (Puccini), Royal Opera House, London

Minnie = Andrea Gruber
Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Jack Rance = Mark Delavan
Nick = Francis Egerton
Ashby = Robert Lloyd
Jake Wallace = Jonathan Lemalu
Sonora = Mark Stone
Bello = Grant Doyle
Happy = Jared Holt
Joe = Harry Nicoll
Larkens = Graeme Broadbent
Trin = Hubert Francis
Harry = Robert Murray
Sid = Adrian Clarke
José Castro = Jeremy White
Wowkle = Clare Shearer
Billy Jackrabbit = Graeme Danby

Antonio Pappano, conductor



La fanciulla del West

The Royal Opera 2005 - 2006

7:00 PM
15-Sep-05

Supported (2005) by The Jean Sainsbury Royal Opera House Fund

Sung in Italian with English surtitles

Running time: 3 hrs 30 mins

Conductor: Antonio Pappano
Director: Piero Faggioni
Set Designs: Kenneth Adam
Costume Designs: Piero Faggioni
Lighting: Piero Faggioni



§ Jette Parker Young Artist

I liked the production but I think the Zurich production (2004) was superior. Anyway the tenor was the same as in Zurich, and Jose Cura did a wonderful job. He had improved and proved that the role of Dick Johnson alias Ramirez is probably the ideal opera role for Jose Cura at this time. Just as it used to be for Plácido Domingo in the 1980s.

Andrea Gruber was a wonderful Minnie, superbly acted but not always vocally on the top of things, but it was a mere minor detail. Worse was it that Mark Delevan as Sheriff Jack Rance was so weak, a bit better in act 2 and act 3 but nothing as the menace that Juan Pons gave this role in Zurich 2004./ Jonathan Lemalu as Jack Wallace was a disappointment. Francis Egerton as Nick was acting wonderfully and was in beautiful voice the whole evening. Mark Stone made an Ok Sonora. Robert Lloyd was making Ashby almost a good role to do. Harry Nicoll as Joe was something I have a hard time remembering anything of, so unlike Zurich 2004 where Joe was quite poignant. It was a great chorus moment though.

It was a wonderful opera night. It started raining again, and to make matters worse it was a "premiere" party and so we couldn't stand there and just wait for how many hours to maybe see Jose Cura appear. It was a bit cold too. So we just went home...

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September 14, 2014: La Fanciulla del West in Vienna

2014-09-14 La Fanciulla del West (Puccini), Wiener Staatsoper

Minnie = Nina Stemme

Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura

Jack Rance = Tomasz Konieczny

Nick = Carlos Osuna

Ashby = Alexandru Moisiuc

Jake Wallace = Gabriel Bermúdez

Sonora = Boaz Daniel

Bello = Tae-Joong Yang

Happy = Clemens Unterreiner

Joe = Benedikt Kobel

Jim Larkens = Marcus Pelz

Trin = Thomas Ebenstein

Harry = Peter Jelosits

Sid = Mihail Dogotari

José Castro = Gabriel Bermúdez

Wowkle = Ilseyar Khayrullova

Billy Jackrabbit = Il Hong

Postiglione = Jinxu Xiahou

Graeme Jenkins, conductor

Director  & Set design - Marco Arturo Marelli

Costumes - Dagmar Niefind

Lighting design - Marco Arturo Marelli

Of course you can update an opera. You just have to be careful about what that does to the story, the persons and their surroundings. It was not too bad but an update should give the opera a lift or something and that never happened. The only uplifting thing was the balloon. And the balloon ending did not make much sense. Did the director intend is as a laugh and so making it all a laughingstock?

Puccini's latest masterpiece, La Fanciulla del West, in Wiener Staatsoper was simply not played well enough to be take flight. A Spaghetti Western just like an opera is always best when played straight. Updated to the 1950s so we have electricity and Minnie comes to work in an overall. The first act just looked wrong and with the help of the orchestra and conductor it did not sound that good either. 

First act started with the otherwise fine conductor putting holes and airs where sound should have been and putting the wall of sound too high at other times. From the first phrase he was off the wrong horse. As the act progressed it became better. The chorus was a mess maybe because it was not so much a  chorus of choristers as a chorus of soloists. The blue overall made Minnie into a too boyish or mannish woman. It was not before act two that Nina Stemme was allowed to be a more attractive Minnie. The minor soloists never really came off as persons. Nick, Larkins and Ashby was the one could mark but not truly noticable. Sonora, who? Nina stemme was Nina Stemme more than Minnie. The gruff-voiced Sheriff Jack Rance was there. Then Jose Cura comes and we have an opera!! The tenor is here. So I start day-dreaming of Nina Stemme as Isolde and Jose Cura as Tristan. Of course, my day-dreaming was cause by Nina Stemme, the Wagnerian soprano. Jose Cura as Tristan ¿que idea? singing Tristans death scene!

The first acts ends with a lovely duet of Dick Johnson and Minnie. Best part until the rest of the opera. Then intermission. Only 1 pause because act 2+3 are played together.  

I love act 2. It was charming, it worked. Nina Stemme was most beautiful and Jose Cura the most handsome. Minnie is running so fast towards her first kiss that they both fell on the floor and then almost made out. So that was a bit over the top but maybe that is what Fanciulla needs. The wonderful tenor aria was marred by one unfortunate loud cough, but it was still divine. 

Act 3 I do not love. Usually I feel it drags on forever untill finally the tenor since the great act 3 aria which is really the highlight. Somehow this production never makes you feel that this is a manhunt out to get Ramerrez. And one does not fear for this man life so when Minnie comes to rescue him there is still no tension. Then off they go in a many coloured balloon. And that finally burst my balloon.

A  lovely ending that does not fit.  It was not awful but it was not great. 

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Original blog post

June 4, 2016: La Fanciulla del West in Hamburg

2016-06-04 La Fanciulla del West (G. Puccini), Hamburgische Staatsoper

Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Minnie = Amarilli Nizza
Jack Rance = Claudio Sgura
Harry = Benjamin Popson
Jake Wallace = Stanislav Sergeev
Nick = Jürgen Sacher
Ashby = Tigran Martirossian
Sonora = Kartal Karagedik
Sid = Alexey Bogdanchikov
Trin = N.N.
Bello = Viktor Rud
Joe = Daniel Todd
Happy = Zak Kariithi
Harry = Benjamin Popson
José Castro = N.N.
Larkens = Alin Anca
Billy Jackrabbit = Bruno Vargas
Wowkle = Marta Swiderska
Un Postilione = N.N.

Josep Caballé-Domenech, conductor
Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg
Chor der Hamburgischen Staatsoper

Inszenierung: Vincent Boussard
Bühnenbild: Vincent Lemaire
Kostüme: Christian Lacroix

Licht: Guido Levi

It was Jose Cura's Day.

Some people disagree with me but this was the best Fanciulla del West for me, anyway.

This was the performance where I was never bored. I think the orchestra and the conductor did a fine job at least when I was the on June 4th, 2016. I loved Amarilli Nizza as Minnie. I found her absolutely right. She was the perfect Minnie. Jose Cura did one of his best Dick Johnson. Claudio Sgura was a great Jack Rance. The only thing about Jack Rance was that the director seemed to have had less thought about this important role in La Fanciulla del West than he used when thinking out the singer Jack Wallace. The director made Jack Wallace into a blonde but male Marilyn Monroe clone. What a stupid and useless idea that was! Putting Marilyn Monroe into an actual gold-mine, whoops.

I loved it. It was believable except for Marilyn Monroe, the canary in a gold-mine. The kiss in second act with the curtain coming down, it was snowing, a snow storm outside, and then curtain up and wow, suddenly a few seconds in real time could have been hours together with Dick doing more than just kissing Minnie. That was elegantly done. The sets was used in the best manner in this opera production. And even the 3rd act was well done. Bravi, tutti!


I must apologize to Marilyn Monroe: Sorry but you are still the icon to be used and abused and this time they did it as they were still in kindergarten. Buh!

Original blog post

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May 9, 2004: La Fanciulla del West, Zurich

2004-05-09 La Fanciulla del West (Giacomo Puccini), Opernhaus Zurich

Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Minnie = Sylvie Valayre
Jack Rance = Juan Pons
Nick = Volker Vogel
Ashby = Giuseppe Scorsin
Sonora = Cheyne Davidson
Trin = Martin Zysset
Harry = Miroslav Christoff
Joe = Peter Keller
Bello = Gabriel Bermúdez
Sid = Günter Groissböck
Happy = Reinhard Mayr
Larkens = Pavel Baransky
Billy Jackrabbit = Boris Petronje
Wowkle = Kismara Pessatti
Jake Wallace = Peter Kálmán
José Castro = Valeriy Murga
Un Postilione = Boguslaw Bidzinski

Patrick Fournillier, conductor



Matinee at the opera, same Fanciulla del West, the same singers. Cura, they said was sick, but he would still try to sing. I did not hear that in his voice, but then orchestra did not try to kill the singers this time. I met a lot of friends from JCx and we ate dinner together it took ages to get served, my stomach did not quite agree with the food, something that I really got to know when I came back to my hotel room. Suddenly it was 2130.

La Fanciulla del West, matinee, Opernhaus Zurich 2004-05-09
José Cura, Sylvia Valayre & Juan Pons

I guess we were all a bit nervous when the opera did not start at 1400 and certainly we were very nervous when the lady came out. "Oh God!" Even cowboys can get cold, she said, but as he did not want to disappoint the audience or make trouble for the operahouse he will still sing, please be merciful. "He" probably meant Cura (But it was Martin Zysset??). Well, Cura sang well and the orchestra played like angels (I think the announcement did make the orchestra understand that the hard & dense playing of Friday was not the thing to do).

Cura sang very well, and one might have thought that he had just pretended to be sick in order to get the orchestra to play a more humane Puccini music. BUT, many prominent singers have said that they have done their best performance when sick, WHY, when you are sick your technique must be perfect and you must concentrate even more than when in top form, THAT's the TRUTH. And there where evidence of Cura not being in top form, not during the acts, of course, but when taking applause he was not so smiling all the time, or little thing's like hand towards his head. And although he did meet his fans after the opera at the stage door, one could see his face lapse to the more tired face but then he would see one of his usual fans and his face would lit up with a smile and tiredness wiped away from his face as if it was never there.

Fabulous physique, will power and a great vocal technique was what made it possible for José Cura to give a wonderful performance as Dick Johnson / Ramirez. Just tiny details showed that he was not entirely well. But then no two performance are the same, are they? Tired, he seemed helpless and exhausted at the end of the opera when the rope was still hanging 'round this neck and he was waiting for somebody to untie him. If I had not seem Fanciulla on Friday I would have thought it brilliant acting only but I think he was really at the end of his rope there and then.

Sadly, I do not love this opera. And it is enough to hear Cura sing two arias from this opera in the Puccini arias album. Was it because of the playing of the orchestra that had ruined my first live Fanciulla and so in a way kept ruining my feeling even if they played much better this time. Was it the movie setting that disturbed me so much that I nearly "missed" the opera? Sylvie Valayre has a really beautiful voice, and she acted great. But my vision of Minnie is based on the video with Placido Domingo and Neblett as Minnie. A blond Minnie, but this young, black-haired Minnie. Juan Pons was great as Jack Rance. But still, I do not love this opera. That's SAD.

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May 7, 2004: La Fanciulla del West, Zurich

2004-05-07 La Fanciulla del West (G. Puccini), Opernhaus Zurich

Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Minnie = Sylvie Valayre
Jack Rance = Juan Pons
Nick = Volker Vogel
Ashby = Giuseppe Scorsin
Sonora = Cheyne Davidson
Trin = Martin Zysset
Harry = Miroslav Christoff
Joe = Peter Keller
Bello = Gabriel Bermúdez
Sid = Günter Groissböck
Happy = Reinhard Mayr
Larkens = Pavel Baransky
Billy Jackrabbit = Boris Petronje
Wowkle = Kismara Pessatti
Jake Wallace = Peter Kálmán
José Castro = Valeriy Murga
Un Postilione = Boguslaw Bidzinski

Patrick Fournillier, conductor




1900-2230
Intermission after act 1 and act 2.

I went to the opera house at 1730, and when I was there I collected my ticket for I Vespri Siciliani. I did not love this production, José Cura was good, Sylvie Valayre was good and Juan Pons was good in the main roles. But the production was bit gimmicky for me, using movies as backdrop sometimes. Many times it just prevented me from observing the action on stage, during one of the duets Minnie/Ramirez was it particularly disturbing.

La Fanciulla del West, Opernhaus Zurich 2004-05-07
with Sylvie Valayre (Minnie), José Cura (Dick Johnson/Ramirez) & Juan Pons (Sheriff Jack Rance)

I think Puccini would have like this opera made into a film, a spaghetti-western. The production made the movie-screen into the opera. It was nice as a opening of the opera, the notice "Intermission" on screen at the end of act 1 and 2, and as "running text" at the end of the opera. It was also implemented as a part of the drama in the opera, that was not so successful. Then it was often more disturbing, for instance I nearly missed what was going on between Minnie and Johnson/Ramirez in one of their duets. The movie backdrop made my eyes look at the movie which was not giving me anything in the drama from the real action that was between the opera singers / the characters. So clearly the movie idea as part of the scenography had not been thoroughly thought through. It is also, I think, an evidence of not believing in the audience willingness or ability to use their imagination to "get the action". The audience is not stupid, nor are we so easily duped as the production team might have thought. A more clever use of the movie media would have enhanced the opera in a much better way.

Another critical point of this performance was the orchestra and it conductor. I have read of the dense orchestration of Puccini opera, this was the first time I realized how dense it was. The music from the orchestra played as the elegance of town orchestra of a little Spanish town. It was band music. Making it very hard for the singers to come through the density of the orchestra. On Sunday luckily the Swiss orchestra played as I used to hear them, with all the elegance a professional opera orchestra can do, Puccini sounded like Puccini should be.

Otherwise, all the singers, chorus sang and acted well

I was at my hotel room 2330. I met Yvonne and other JCx members also at the opera house during and after the opera. Waited at the stage door for José, and I did get some great photos of him.

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