100 Years of “La Fanciulla del West”

Despite a blizzard which practically shut down New York City, the Met went ahead as scheduled with the December 27th performance of Puccini’s “La Fanciulla del West” (The Girl of the Golden West).The opera, which is celebrating its centenary with this run, was performed in a revival of Giancarlo Del Monaco’s highly theatrical 1991 production. The performance was significant in that it was the debut of American tenor Carl Tanner in the role of Dick Johnson. Deborah Voigt portrayed Minnie, the title “Girl”, and Lucio Gallo rounded out the love triangle as the sheriff Jack Rance. Conductor Nicola Luisotti guided the cast through a lively and moving performance.

Snowed in at the Met

Met audiences are accustomed to Ms. Voigt portraying dramatic heroines of Strauss, Verdi, and Wagner, but she described the role of Minnie as “fun to sing, but not easy to sing.” This description was certainly true as Ms. Voigt’s voice seemed shaky during her first moments onstage. Her top notes sounded a bit shrill and she struggled to be heard over the orchestra. However, by the middle of Act 1 she had found her groove, and was singing with ease and confidence. She delivered accurate and powerful high notes and lyricism in softer passages. Ms. Voigt is also a superb actress and proved masterful at interpreting the many facets of Minnie’s personality. Overall, she delivered a powerful performance which proved especially touching at times.

From left to right: Tony Stevenson, Carl Tanner, Deborah Voigt, Lucio Gallo, and Oren Gradus (Photo courtesy of Marisa Palmisano)

Carl Tanner had natural stage presence and the pressure of a Met debut did not seem to inhibit his performance. Mr. Tanner has a large, powerful tenor voice with an underlying baritonal quality. He was tender in the role’s lyric passages and delivered soaring high notes. Tanner and Voigt worked well together onstage, and exhibited natural chemistry. Their love duet at the end of the Act One brought me chills.

Lucio Gallo seemed perfect for the role of Jack Rance. His characterization was intense and he convincingly portrayed the sinister aspects of the cold-blooded sheriff. Vocally, Mr. Gallo displayed a full-bodied baritone sound with forceful top notes. His interplay with the other characters was dramatic, yet he never tended toward overacting.

The Cast of "La Fanciulla del West" (Photo courtesy of Mai Nguyen)

Although every secondary performer contributed to the rowdy atmosphere of a typical Western mining town, some stood out above the rest. Michael Forest and Dwayne Croft as the miners Joe and Sonora displayed proficiency as singers and solid ability as actors. Tony Stevenson as the bartender Nick sang with an agile voice and lightened the mood with comic touches. After almost 1800 performances with the Met, James Courtney still exhibited a strong voice as the Wells Fargo agent Ashby. Both Ginger Costa-Jackson and Philip Cokorinos as the Indians Wowkle and Billy Jackrabbit added levity to the opening moments of Act 2.

Backstage with Deborah Voigt (Photo courtesy of Mai Nguyen)

Nicola Luisotti led an upbeat and vibrant reading of Puccini’s complex score. Maestro Luisotti brought out each nuance of the score’s detailed orchestration and the Met orchestra played with vigor and intensity – truly a star of the evening!

Although campy at times, the production captured the heartrending emotional journey of Minnie and Johnson amidst the knock-down-and-drag-out world of the California gold rush. The sets and direction convey a grand, cinematic scope, and evoke the feeling of a classic Western. Combined with Puccini’s music, the result was one of the highlights of my season.

The run of Fanciulla continues through January 8th with a “Live in HD” transmission and “Toll Brothers Radio Broadcast” on the 8th. (In the remaining performances, Marcello Giordani will resume the role of Dick Johnson.)

For information, photos, and videos of this production visit:

http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/template.aspx?id=14006

…or view a full a full photo gallery at:

http://archives.metoperafamily.org/Imgs/Fanciulla1011.htm

Feel free to leave a comment , or e-mail me at cbrowner@taftschool.org.