Giacomo Puccini

La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West)

contemporary opera 16

December 9., Sunday 11:00

Erkel Theatre

Opera in three acts, in Italian, with Hungarian and English surtitles

After watching David Belasco's play The Girl of the Golden West on his 1907 visit to New York, Puccini resolved to set this somewhat unusual love story of the Wild West to music on the opera stage. The dramatic material proved to be a good choice, with an effectively moving plot that takes viewers to the denouement with a sure hand. The character of Minnie is also a highly suitable addition to Puccini's ranks of heroines: driven by love and passion, she thus has no fear of risking even her own life. 
The piece is staged at the Erkel Theatre in a production directed by Vasily Barkhatov, who is regularly engaged to work all over Russia and Europe.


THE CRITICS RESPOND:

I’ve always felt that what kills this work is having paunchy Caruso-type Western characters with big moustaches and revolvers at their sides being forced to sing, ‘Hello, hello, buona sera, ragazzi.’ (…) This time, however, there is no need to believe this. And what remains is the regular opera set-up: the soprano and tenor are in love with each other, but then along comes the baritone.” (Miklós Fáy, Élet és Irodalom)

Details

Location
Erkel Theatre
Date
Dec. 9, 2018
Start time
11 a.m.
End time
2 p.m.
Libretto based on David Belasco's The Girl of the Golden West by
Guelfo Civinini, Carlo Zangarini
Director
Vasily Barkhatov
Set designer
Zinovy Margolin
Costume designer
Olga Shaishmelashvili
Lighting designer
Alexander Sivaev
Dramaturg
Eszter Orbán
English surtitles
Arthur Roger Crane
Hungarian surtitles
Eszter Orbán
Chorus director
Gábor Csiki

Events

Premiere: Dec. 1, 2018

Erkel Theatre
season ticket
Erkel Theatre
season ticket
Erkel Theatre
season ticket
Erkel Theatre
season ticket
Erkel Theatre
season ticket
Erkel Theatre
season ticket
Erkel Theatre
season ticket
Erkel Theatre
season ticket

Reviews

I’ve always felt that what kills this work is having paunchy Caruso-type Western characters with big moustaches and revolvers at their sides being forced to sing, ‘Hello, hello, buona sera, ragazzi.’ (…) This time, however, there is no need to believe this. And what remains is the regular opera set-up: the soprano and tenor are in love with each other, but then along comes the baritone.” (Miklós Fáy, Élet és Irodalom)