Although I have a soft spot for Puccini's 'horse opera' I booked my ticket with slight feelings of trepidation - but once again only because of the English language issues. Given my recent experience of ENO's Otello, where the translation let the production down I felt, I wasn't really expecting The Girl of the Golden West to be much better. But bolstered by positive first night reaction from Twitter friends, loins were girded and off I went.
La Fanciulla del West (as this opera is better known) is a strange beast among the Puccini canon of works. Puccini was drawn towards the unusual and exotic for his plots and to an Italian I suppose you don't get much more exotic that the wild, wild West of the US goldrush period. The libretto is based on David Belasco's play and as usual Puccini has consigned huge chunks to the dustbin, including Minnie and Dick Johnson/Rammerez first meeting. Its worth a read if you like digging into the background of this opera.
The musical structure too is advanced with very few standalone set pieces (a couple of tenor arias apart) and even those are skillfully woven into the fabric of the opera. The whole opera moves at a brisk pace with scene after scene flowing quite naturally without disruptive breaks for applause.
As with quite a lot of my experiences, my first encounter with Fanciulla was via a video recording featuring Placido Domingo in the monumental ultra-traditional Pierro Faggioni production at the Royal Opera House. I finally managed to catch up with this production live in 2005 with Jose Cura - and that was the last time I saw Fanciulla live on stage....until now.
This new production by Richard Jones is very clear and uncluttered and does the job of telling the story well. Slightly updated - The Polka now has electric lighting - but it still highlights a group men mining for gold, with Minnie as the only (good) girl in town. I liked this production although I had a couple of issues with some of the directorial decisions - especially in the second act. I thought the slap/coffee throwing incident between Minnie and Johnson could have been staged better - or perhaps it was just the view from my seat. Nothing worse than a fake slap that doesn't quite come off! The second act set didn't really leave Johnson many places to hide so he ended up under the bed! Now really, hiding under the bed - isn't that the first place anyone would look? And rather then letting the poor wounded tenor faint and have a lie down, he seemed to be propped up against the wall while Minne and Rance gambled for his life. But honestly, these are minor quibbles and certainly didn't spoil my enjoyment. I found the final scene especially touching - and where Minnie & Johnson normally ride off into the sunset, here the miners are standing on the set start which receded slowly away. Very effective.
Vocally things were competent rather than outstanding although again that is probably just me being picky. I do like Susan Bullock a lot and as Minnie she certainly convinced with her acting. Her singing was fine and its a tricky part but I did miss a more typical Puccini voice in the role. These days the casting tends towards Wagnarian sopranos but I did miss a bit of warmth and plushness in the voice. The same could probably be said for Peter Auty who was a sympathetic Dick Johnson but whose voice I found slightly constricted in the upper reaches - and there are plenty of upper reaches in this role. Craig Colclough as Jack Rance grew on me - again more because of his overall portrayal than having a stunning voice. He was more than a one-dimensional villain and that greatly added to the drama.
All of the other parts were taken well and the cast made their roles into real individual characters - always a plus when so many of them are on stage at once. It's hard to know what to do with the Native American Indian characters of Wowkle and Billy. As written they can come across as horrible stereotypes with lots of "Ugh's" and other nonsense. On the other hand turning them into dramatic ciphers with no character as here didn't really work either.
Ah and what about the English translation I hear you say? Well, to my great surprise it actually worked in English. Somewhere a decision was made down the line to incorporate American accents. I thought this would be distracting but actually I think it helped with the text and translation and the translator Kelley Rourke was very skilled in producing a very singable and yet understandable translation.
If you haven't had a chance to see this opera, do go! I heartily recommend it and you will leave the theatre will a smile on your face. I'll leave you with this clip from the Met production of Fanciulla with Placido Domingo and Barbara Daniels. This is the scene were Dick Johnson has been revealed as the bandit Ramerrez and Minnie confronts him. It has Spanish subtitles but its very clear I think. And a particularly good example of a stage slap!
I love this opera. Thought I'd better get that out in the open before we go much further. And I have a pretty long history with it, as bizarrely (given its comparative scarcity) it was one of the first full length operas I watched back in the early 1990's when I was first getting into opera in a big way. Placido Domingo was really my way into opera - I loved his voice (still do) and I loved that he could act and make me believe in the character he was playing. So when I investigated his video catalogue and found Manon Lescaut (which I'd never heard of) it didn't faze me one bit...and as a bonus it also starred Kiri te Kanawa and Thomas Allen.
I think its safe to say it was love at first sight...or first listen. I just fell in love with the romance, passion and desperation it portrays. And even in a traditional no-surprises sort of production, the plot is clear and concise, the singing soaring and melodic (even if Kiri was having an off night due to illness) and the music simply sublime. Yes, I love Tosca and Fanciulla, but if I'm honest Manon Lescaut is my first love. But since 1983 there have been no performances of Puccini's first great success at the Royal Opera...until now.
You can imagine then my excitement when it was announced that Jonas Kaufmann would be taking over the mantel of the lovelorn Chevalier Des Grieux opposite Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais as Manon Lescaut. Jonathan Kent was announced as director and Antonio Pappano conductor. I had no qualms at all about Tony P at the helm. He is such a great Puccni conductor, almost feeling the music in his blood. And he has such a magnetic and enthusiastic personality - I just love to watch him talk about music and especially Italian opera.
Jonathan Kent is a slightly different proposition, although it has to be said I have only had two previous experiences with his productions, one of which I love, the other, well I pretty much hated it. I loved the ROH Tosca production, although I don't think you can really go far wrong with Tosca. The other was a Flying Dutchman for ENO which started well but then deteriorated badly and changed Wagner's passionate opera of redemption into something else entirely. So its fair to say I wasn't entirely sure which side of the fence Manon Lescaut would finally rest. As it turns out, it was somewhere in between.
But lets get the good stuff out of the way first. The most important question for me is 'is the singing any good?'. Kaufmann is a very well known quantity for me now so I had no doubts about his ability in the vocal department. And sure enough he was outstanding as a lovelorn student forever in thrall to Manon, singing with a desperate passion that I have not heard from him before. The voice seemed to soar effortlessly even in the dark and heart-rending scenes of Acts 3 and 4. Make no bones about it, Manon Lescaut is not an easy opera for singers and this is one of Puccini's most difficult tenor roles. There were definite hints of Otello in his passionate Act 3 pleas and in the total desperation of Act 4. There is such drama in the self-loathing and debasement the character feels, and Jonas gives it his considerable all. This part fits him like a glove and I'd go far as to say its one of his best roles. Yes, perhaps you could say that the Act 1 arias could be lighter and more flirtatious, but that's a minor quibble and I thought he sang them well. This is his début as Des Grieux and already he has scheduled two more new productions - one in Munich later this year with Anna Netrebko, and a rumoured production at the Met in New York, a co-production with Baden-Baden. Make no mistake, Kaufmann and Puccini are a match made in heaven.
Kristine Opolais comes to the part of Manon Lescaut with a pretty good track record in Puccini and a fast growing reputation as a singer to watch. I caught her in Tosca last year and whilst I enjoyed her performance I didn't find her as exciting as everyone had told me she was. I did enjoy her characterisation of Tosca which went a long way, but vocally I thought she was good but not extraordinary. After now hearing her in Manon Lescaut, I still feel much the same way, although I think the part of Manon suits her much better. Don't get me wrong, I loved the total performance and her chemistry with Kaufmann was extraordinary. She's an effective actress and this was a great début in a difficult role (and a difficult production...more later) but take away the stage and the acting and the set and what do you have? A very good voice to be sure but not one that I could pick out of a crowd. And that readily identifiable quality is what I miss in her voice - something special that marks her out from the crowd. I also heard her sing Desdemona's aria at the Proms last year and on balance I actually think I prefer her Verdi. But I'd definitely go to see her again - she's doing Butterfly next season and I will be there no doubt about it.
Christopher Maltman as Manon's brother Lescaut (another role début) was in very good voice indeed, in what is quite an ungrateful part for a baritone...but then Puccini wasn't really that interested in baritones as a rule. As a result his part tapers off in Act 3 and he is never seen again. I think an ounce more charm would make this character even more of a success, but Chris did what the director asked of him and it came off pretty well I thought.
If I've been cagey so far about the production there's a very good reason for that...its because basically I'm feeling a bit schizophrenic about it! I loved half of it but then.....
But I'm rushing ahead.
Jonathan Kent made no bones about it in the lead up to the production that this was to be a modern contemporary version. If I was nervous about that, it was only because I'd already seen the Welsh National Opera 'contemporary' updating recently and was less than impressed. I was so not impressed by it that I couldn't even blog about it - that's how much I disliked it. I don't mind updatings and enjoy quite a lot of them, but I do hate it when directors change the story on me, to give me their own version or tell a completely different story to the one the composer is telling. I have a particular problem when they do this with Puccini as his music is so specific and so theatrical that if you try to tell a different story, it doesn't match the music. For me, the WNO production of Manon Lescaut had the same affect as nails down a blackboard. Great directors work with the music, not against it.
I've now seen the new ROH production twice, once on stage and once on the big screen HD broadcast so I've had a chance to think about it and see what worked for me and what didn't. Broadly speaking Acts 1 and 2 worked dramatically and Acts 3 and 4 were less successful. Not helpful in the house were the restricted sight-lines experienced in some areas. I notice that ROH Director of Opera Kasper Holten has now apologised for this with a promise to do better next time.
Apart from sight-line problems most of the directorial ideas worked well in the first act, although I found the slightly self-concious waving around of iPads amusing. The gaming tables/casino set up on stage were a little odd and would it have hurt to put the supposed soldier Lescaut, into a uniform - at least for his introduction? Otherwise all was colourful enjoyment, even if there was a little too much running up and down stairs on this multi-layered set.
Act 2 was possibly my favourite although it appears I may be in the minority. This is the act where Manon has left her young lover for the abundant riches of Geronte, here played as some high-level, filthy rich banker. She is comfortably ensconced in a Barbie-pink gilded cage of a boudoir, platinum blonde wig and minuscule dress, her dancing lessons transformed into some sort of soft-porn movie shoot, watched by Geronte and his hangers-on. As bizarre as this sounds it works very well and at no point do you ever feel that Manon is there against her will. No. This is the price she is willing to pay for the riches, jewels and fame that come her way. Although the music provided by Puccini is faux- 18th century (including an elegant minuet at one point) this still works for the most part. Where Jonathan Kent has got it absolutely right, is the depiction of sex - both successful and not quite so successful. (Avert your eyes now if you're squeamish).
Manon Lescaut is about sex, passion, power, lust and desperate devotion. No where is this more evocatively portrayed than in the music of Act 2 which musically describes not only the overwhelming physical passion of Manon and Des Grieux but a slightly less successful encounter between Manon and Geronte. In traditional productions these two encounters are slightly less obvious, usually involving a dance for Manon and Geronte and then a passionate embrace for Manon and Des Grieux. Listen again. The music accompanying the 'dance' builds in a slow but steady rhythm, the music rising higher and higher with suitable vocal encouragement from the hangers on, until suddenly the music suddenly skitters out of control, as Manon's more mature admirer suffers a bad case of errr...getting overexcited shall we say? While not explicitly shown in this modern production, Manon was straddling her aged protector on the bed at this point, so I think the director knew exactly what he was doing.
As he was when he finally had Des Grieux burst onto the scene, once Manon's other admirers had left her bedroom. After the usual recriminations Des Grieux capitulates to Manon's charms, allowing himself to be seduced...although in this production he is by no means passive in the seduction! "I can fight no longer" he says, and the love duet proper begins. The ensuing duet is a musical depiction of sex - passionate loving sex to be sure, but sex all the same, and the singers throw themselves into the action as required, culminating in a musical orgasm, complete with whispered sweet-nothings muttered in the post-coital glow. When Des Grieux mutters "Manon, mi fai morire" (you make me want to die or you bring me close to death), he's not talking about actual death, but rather the more pleasant 'le petite mort' - an orgasm. And nothing wrong with that at all. Unsurprisingly, when Geronte unexpectedly reappears there is consternation all around - lets face it, he has just walked in on them, in bed, basking in the sexual afterglow and while no nudity is involved, I think this production leaves no doubt as to what as happened. As an aside, I thought it was slightly more 'passionate' in the dress rehearsal and slightly, only slightly, toned down for the HD broadcast. Not sure if this was due to the inclination of the singers, director, opera house or possible DVD censors! It still works but I'm intrigued.
Photograph Copyright Bill Cooper
And alas this is where my praise for the physical production more or less ends. In Act 3, the original story has Manon (after Geronte has her locked up for being an 'immoral woman') sentenced to exile to the American colonies. In this production Manon is sentenced to....I'm not really sure! When Des Grieux and Lescaut arrive to rescue Manon, she seems pretty much able to wander about as she wants! No ship awaiting to take her to exile, in fact no mode of transport at all. It seems to be some sort of game show set up, although everyone looks to be a loser and their fate is to step through a ripped poster. Now, call me old-fashioned but that doesn't really work for me. The music and singing was as sublime, passionate and heartfelt as ever (especially from Jonas) but there was no sense of drama in the setting, no sense that he was about to be separated for ever from his love, that she would be exiled and never seen again. Luckily the two principles managed to overcome the lack of coherent drama, providing it all with their acting and singing -but what a let down!
The very short Act 4 (which basically consists of one long duet interspersed by a solo aria for Manon) was also scenically not ideal. For a start, the action basically continued on without pause from Act 3, Manon still dressed in her tattered and now faded pink Barbie dress. In the novel on which this is based, some time has passed and Manon and Des Grieux have settled happily in the colonies until once again trouble ensues, Des Griuex kills the Governor's nephew who had desired Manon, and they had to flee, ending up in some deserted wasteland far from civilisation. Although Puccini didn't set any of this to music, I think it important to note that once again they are in trouble and its not just a continuation of the previous act. The production here sets this on a half destroyed flyover/highway leading nowhere. Honestly, if this is literally just supposed to depict 'the end of the road' then I'm disappointed and slightly miffed to be honest. While I don't like to over-intellectualise at the opera, I don't like being treated as stupid either. I presume the director wasn't aiming for stupid but that's what it felt like. Anyway, this worked a lot better in the broadcast than it did in the theatre. The singers were placed precariously high up on the highway, resulting in a lot of sight-line problems in the house. The singing was of course sublime and in many ways, made up for the lack of imagination and clear plot narrative displayed. Here I thought, Opolais came into her own, as Manon finally realises how much she loves the man beside her. "My faults will be forgotten, but my love will never die." Frankly, if you're not in tears by this point, you've a harder heart than me!
So in all it was a mixed bag and yet I actually do like this production and I will buy it if it comes out on DVD. Somehow the singing and orchestral playing overwhelm any faults in the production - and the faults are not so huge that the piece as a whole is not worth seeing. But I do also wonder if this production will be revived in the near future - and how revivable it is. Exactly how good would this production have been without the combined vocal and dramatic talents of Kaufmann, Opolais, Maltman and Pappano in the pit? How many top class sopranos do we have who can also pull off the skimpy Act 2 costume. How many tenors can match not only the excessive vocal demands, but also the shimmying up and down staircases and ladders? I don't know the answer, but I do know that this will be a hard cast to follow. That plus the fact that contemporary productions date rather quickly. Jonathan Kent commented that his Tosca for ROH had to be traditional to accommodate frequent revival with a variety of singers. Does he then not expect the same for his Manon Lescaut?
At this point I must also praise Tony Pappano and the ROH orchestra. What a master of Italian opera and Puccini in particular Pappano is. The famous Intermezzo was so richly played, the narrative so clear, the emotion so apparent, that I was almost in tears just listening to this piece. I'm looking forward to the rumoured collaboration between the Maestro and Kaufmann in a recording of Puccini arias. I'll leave you with Pappano and the Intermezzo:
La Fancuilla del West (to give the opera its full title) or 'The Girl of the West' in English, is not the opera that springs most readily to mind when you think of Puccini - Tosca, Boheme and Turandot are probably better known by the general public and even if you don't know the opera you could probably reel off a few of the better known arias - tiny hands, fine days and brightly shining stars spring to mind. But arias from Fancuilla don't readily spring to mind. And that's a shame because even though the opera is more through-composed that Puccini's earlier works, there are still musical highlights - mainly for the tenor it has to be said.
Perhaps the 'Cowboys and Indians' American West setting is also off putting? But Puccini was always attracted to the exotic and what could be more exotic than a love story set in the American Wild West at the time of the Gold Rush? At least that's where the playwright David Belasco set his original story and where Puccini's librettists also set their story. Not where this production is set but more of that later.
The story itself is relatively simple, boy wanders into bar in a mining town, where he meets girl and they fall in love, despite interference from the local sheriff - your classic love triangle. However, what the girl doesn't know is that her new love is in fact the leader of a band of renegades who rob and steal from the local community. When she finds out, she throws him out, he is shot by the sheriff's posse but is hidden by Minnie (the girl). When he is found, still bleeding and wounded, by the sheriff, a high stakes poker game takes place - winner gets the bandit (Dick Johnson or Ramerrez). As you may guess, Minnie wins her bandit and gets to nurse him back to health.
But that's not the end, for as soon as he leaves the sanctuary of Minnie's cabin, he is set upon and captured and about to be strung up for his crimes (but not until he's sung a gorgeous aria naturally). Minnie rides in and puts a stop to all that nonsense, reminding the assorted miners of their basic humanity until they agree that they won't kill him. Minnie and Ramerrez ride off into the sunset together. An operatic happy ending? Possibly.
As might be expected, Vienna's new production has very little of the Wild West about it. Its still a mining community in the US, although given Jake Wallace's audio gig on cassette player, I'm guessing at some time in the 1960's. All of the miners are dressed in overalls so it loses a lot of cowboy theme and the Act 1 set consists of Minnie's diner surrounded by a steel container town. It actually works quite well providing you ignore some of the ambiguities that always happen when you update opera. The Act 1 plot basically consists of a lot of back story and set up until a) the soprano arrives and then b) the tenor arrives. So there are no 'big' tunes, but instead of that we get vivid orchestration and (hopefully) some fine work from the male comprimario singers.
Act 2 takes place in Minnie's cabin and its here that things get more interesting - both dramatically and musically. Minnie brushes up quite nicely for her new beau and they chatter about this and that and try to ignore their growing attraction - well Minnie tries to ignore, I think Dick is all for it. On dismissal of Minnie's house-help (here not played in Native American-Indian fashion, but is played pregnant), kissing and rolling around on the floor ensues. Well, if it was Jonas Kaufmann you would wouldn't you?
Alas, Dick/Ramerrez thinks better of it and tries to leave but is now stranded by a snow storm. Minnie (as you might suppose) is not entirely disturbed by this turn of events and they settle down for the night - in separate beds. Damn! This sweet interlude is only interrupted by the sheriff and his gang turning up on the hunt for Ramerrez - thus unmasking Dick Johnson and Ramerrez as one and the same. Minnie doesn't give him up to the sheriff at this point but seemingly cannot forgive him for being a lying, cheating bastard! You go girl. Personally I think he's just a mixed up guy needing the love of a good woman but that's just me.
All this changes however when he is shot and she is then willing to lie and cheat herself to keep him from the clutches of the sheriff. They play poker with Ramerrez as the prize. (I'd play!). Minnie cheats at cards and she gets to keep her man - for now at least.
Act 3 is short and sweet and basically consists of Dick/Ramerrez being captured, nearly hung out to dry and then Minnie riding to the rescue just in the nick of time.
Apart from updating and not so many cowboys (and no Indians), the story was played pretty much straight in this new production. Jonas Kaufmann looked very fetching in leather ensemble, Nina Stemme looked less so in unflattering dungarees and red hair. Her wardrobe did improve marginally for the second act but flattering it was not. Luckily both were in fine vocal form. This is not Ms Stemme's first stab at Minnie and the experience showed. Its a demanding role with very little pay-off in terms of having a belt it out aria - none here for the soprano alas. But in a succession of duets and quasi-conversations she embodied the character of the good-hearted innocent Minnie and why a man like Johnson/Ramerrez might have been attracted to her.
Jonas Kaufmann's role début as Dick Johnson once again illustrated his winning way with Italian opera but also his understanding of Puccinian line and phrasing. The high notes were ringing and his two allotted arias gorgeously sung and acted. As a first outing I thought it was good and I do hope he keeps it in his repertory to develop further.
Tomasz Konieczny played the sheriff Jack Rance as some sub-par Scarpia, a cardboard cut-out villain with very few redeeming features. That's not how I read the character in the opera but I presume that's how he was instructed to play it. Alas, the voice was also not pretty and sounded pretty strangulated and effortful in places.
The opera ends with Minnie and Dick climbing into a rainbow coloured balloon and sailing off to a new life. Why? Beats me. I'm sure there's some intelligent and deeply thought out reason by the director Marco Arturo Marelli, but nothing that had gone on previously pointed to this somewhat surreal exit. Or maybe he just likes coloured balloons.
But all in all this is a very enjoyable production and if you do get a chance to see it I don't think you'll be disappointed.
And we're back! After a brief summer hiatus the 2013-14 season at the Royal Opera House kicks off with Puccini's Turandot and I managed to snag a ticket to the general dress rehearsal on Saturday.
This is only my second experience of attending a dress rehearsal but I'm starting to pinpoint the subtle differences between this and a performance. Of course its less informal - the orchestra and conductor are dressed casually, the house isn't packed to capacity and there are lots of official photographers clicking away. The audience are also dressed casually for the main, although I've never really noticed a dress code even on normal performances and I tend to dress as the mood takes me. But for me the real difference is the mix of people in the audience, and a real willingness to engage your neighbour in conversation. I found myself sitting next to a couple whose young son was in the chorus. They had never been to the opera house before and had never seen or heard Turandot before and it was lovely to chat at the intervals about their growing enthusiasm and at the end my neighbour was converted stating that she could quite happily watch it all again.
Now, being a dress rehearsal I don't really want to go into too much detail about the singers, even though they were singing out full voice and gave every evidence of treating this as an actual performance. I guess one of main reasons for this revival could be the thrilling soprano of Lise Lindstrom. Turandot doesn't actually sing until the beginning of the second act but boy was that worth waiting for. It's not the hugest voice but it is totally secure in the upper reaches and has a thrilling steely tone that this part demands. I've heard other Turandot's on stage, CD and DVD but when I heard Ms Lindstrom sing I knew this was the singer I'd been waiting for. When she sings you immediately know that this part holds no terrors for her and you can sit back and relax and enjoy.
While Ms Lindstrom was outstanding, the other singers in the cast were by no means shabby. Marco Berti as Calaf is a 'typical' Italian tenor in both good and bad ways. He is a 'strapping lad' as they say in my parts and his acting looked to be pretty rudimentary but I've seen worse and the fact that his voice was firing on all cylinders was compensation enough in this part. He certainly held his own against Ms Lindstrom in the all important confrontation scenes. This is the first time I've heard him sing so I'm no expert but I think this may be a good part for him, requiring less subtlety than perhaps some other roles.
Eri Nakamura as Liu almost stole the show and was certainly the audience favourite when she took her bows at the end.
My only disappointment was the production itself. This is a revival of a now veteran production by Andrei Serban first staged in 1984 and to be honest its beginning to show its age. I last saw this production in 1997 (Grace Bumbry as Turandot) and it now seems to be a shadow of its former self. I'm not sure if its the direction (or lack of) or just that the production is old and needs replacing but there is definitely something missing, a sense of drama, danger....something. In a way it resembles a product of its times - gaudy and garish but slightly empty at the centre.
Which makes it even more surprising that (according to the cast sheet given out) this set of performances is being filmed for DVD release in Spring 2014! In my honest opinion, perhaps a little late in the day to be recording a 30 year old production for release on DVD without the benefit of any 'star' singers. Lise Lindstrom is excellent but I'm not sure how many DVD's would be sold on her name alone.
Still, there is much here to enjoy and I'd certainly recommend it for the singing alone and of course for Puccini's gorgeous music.
