Finally a review in English about Fanciulla in Oslo

Great voices in La Fanciulla del West in Oslo

By Henning Høholt on 11/22/09 • Categorized as Opera

Because of the great voices, it was again one of the great evenings at the new Operahouse in Oslo, when the Norwegian Opera & Ballet premiered the Giacomo Puccini opera The Girl from the Golden West, for the first time at The Norwegian Opera & Ballet in Oslo.

Svein Erik Sagbråten, Jason Stearns, Paoletta Marrocu, Ho-yuoon Chung, Ole Jørgen Kristiansen 09, foto Henning Høholt

But it is not for the first time in Norway. Allready in 1921 Kirsten Flagstad was singing Minnie in a production of The Girl from the Golden West at Opera Comique, conducted by Piero Coppola, who Puccini  him self  choosed to conduct the opera many places, also in Oslo.



A line of outstanding guesting soloists was at this first evening singing and performing the three leading roles as Minnie, the bar hostes, who is close to being the only woman on stage except for her indian maid Wowkle. In the titel role Minnie, we enjoyed the wonderful italian soprano Paoletta Marrocu, who performed and sung the role as Minnie with a fantastic power and intensity. She gave the difficult titelrole so much reality and intensitivity that we believed in her in this fantastic story. Unfortunately she missed the top tunes two times in the very beginning, it sounded like she dont have these high tunes, but that we forgot very fast, and specially in the second act it was unbelievable what we experienced, together with her wonderful partner Dick Johnson. This famouse tenor role was 100 % perfect played, and wonderful sung by the brilliant tenor Ho-yoon Chung. It is my oppinnion that he is one of the best tenors I have heard for a long time in Europe. We are privilliged to have Ho-yoon Chung guesting in Oslo. I hope it will be many visits of Ho-yoon Chung also in other roles. As Jack Rance we enjoyed the famouse dramatic baryton Jason Stearns. He has it all. Voice, the look that we trusted in. Great.
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The Norwegian review was not so positive: Old production from Vlamse Opera, act 1 boring, act 2+3 better. Paoletta Marucco/Ho-yoon Chung gave great singing.

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com