Monday 15 September 2014

And off in a balloon they went (La Fanciulla del West, WienerStaatsoper 2014-09-14)

Mala lingua, indeed!

Why the balloon in the end? Was it not implausable enough in the original, off they went unto the sunset. 

Production aside, it also had some musical problems. It was nothing like the wonders that was Graeme Jenkins conducting Janaceks's Jenufa. The orchestra was frequently too loud and the conductor was too precise to allow the music to flow. Worst was the first act. Not only was it too loud orchestra but it was slow. The singers struggled, even Wagnerian soprano Nina Stemme struggled. Sadly this was neither Wagner nor the more common opera by Puccini. 

La Fanciulla del West is something conpletely different than Tosca or Butterfly. Second act was wonderful. Nina Stemme and Jose Cura together was great. And the second act is the most musical rewarding in this opera. Third act is a long wait for the tenor aria. Jose Cura was just great as Dick Johnson / Ramerrez. I did not care much for the Sheriff Jack Rance even musically speaking.
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

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