Puccini: La fanciulla del West

Aronica is a handsome Dick Johnson in every sense of the word; and the American Emily Magee is a Wagnerian-voiced Minnie who somehow bypasses the god-fearing naivety suggested in the libretto.... — BBC Music Magazine, October 2018, 3 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 13th Jul 2018
Catalogue No: 57816
Label: Dynamic

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Puccini: La fanciulla del West

Emily Magee (Minnie), Roberto Aronica (Dick Johnson), Claudio Sgura (Jack Rance)
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro di San Carlo
Juraj Valčuha

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Triumphantly premiered at New York’s Metropolitan Opera on 10th December 1910, La fanciulla del West brought Puccini huge international success, even though the opera was never to attain the popularity of La bohème, Madama Butterfly and Tosca. It was Puccini’s first important attempt to free himself from the traditional patterns of operatic dramaturgy, making use of surprisingly modern musical language, as recent scholars have duly pointed out. This recording documents the production staged at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples at the opening of the 2018 season, with Hugo de Ana as director and set designer, and Juraj Valcuha as conductor, both praised by audiences and critics alike.

Reviews

October 2018

Aronica is a handsome Dick Johnson in every sense of the word; and the American Emily Magee is a Wagnerian-voiced Minnie who somehow bypasses the god-fearing naivety suggested in the libretto. But you do cheer when, racing against time, she rescues Johnson from the rope.

Awards Issue 2018

[Magee] is a little rough-and-ready in Act 1 – which suits the character – and can depart from the note on occasion, her tone a touch acidic. But it’s a gutsy performance and she’s dramatically engaging…Sgura has an inky baritone and can certainly snarl, but his sheriff is elegantly sung. Roberto Aronica is a stolid but likeable Dick Johnson, a little cloudy mid-range but the voice opens up nicely at the top. ..this is an enjoyable recording and could win Puccini’s opera new convert.

November 2018

Acting values are high…Vocal performances are strong, too. Sgura makes a grandiose Rance…Best of all is Emily Magee’s Minnie, something of a paragon, up to each and every one of her role’s vocal demands and exuding truth and sincerity in her physical realization of Puccini’s idealized, redemptive heroine…The choral and orchestra forces of the San Carlo are on exceptional form under their Slovak music director Juraj Valčuha, who proves a commanding exponent of the score.

Opera Now October 2018

Emily Magee stars as Minnie, and excellent she is, too. Her soprano has warmth and bloom, plus the tensile strength to ride the orchestral peaks. She inspires confidence at all times. The large supporting cast is outstanding, each character finely delineated, and conductor Juraj Valčuha ensures that every singers moment in the spotlight is skilfully supported.

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Puccini: La fanciulla del West

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