Dick Johnson (Ramirez) = José Cura
Minnie = Amarilli Nizza
Jack Rance = Claudio Sgura
Harry = Benjamin Popson
Jake Wallace = Stanislav Sergeev
Nick = Jürgen Sacher
Ashby = Tigran Martirossian
Sonora = Kartal Karagedik
Sid = Alexey Bogdanchikov
Trin = N.N.
Bello = Viktor Rud
Joe = Daniel Todd
Happy = Zak Kariithi
Harry = Benjamin Popson
José Castro = N.N.
Larkens = Alin Anca
Billy Jackrabbit = Bruno Vargas
Wowkle = Marta Swiderska
Un Postilione = N.N.
Josep Caballé-Domenech, conductor
Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg
Chor der Hamburgischen Staatsoper
Inszenierung: Vincent Boussard
Bühnenbild: Vincent Lemaire
Kostüme: Christian Lacroix
Licht: Guido Levi
It was Jose Cura's Day.
Some people disagree with me but this was the best Fanciulla del West for me, anyway.
This was the performance where I was never bored. I think the orchestra and the conductor did a fine job at least when I was the on June 4th, 2016. I loved Amarilli Nizza as Minnie. I found her absolutely right. She was the perfect Minnie. Jose Cura did one of his best Dick Johnson. Claudio Sgura was a great Jack Rance. The only thing about Jack Rance was that the director seemed to have had less thought about this important role in La Fanciulla del West than he used when thinking out the singer Jack Wallace. The director made Jack Wallace into a blonde but male Marilyn Monroe clone. What a stupid and useless idea that was! Putting Marilyn Monroe into an actual gold-mine, whoops.
I loved it. It was believable except for Marilyn Monroe, the canary in a gold-mine. The kiss in second act with the curtain coming down, it was snowing, a snow storm outside, and then curtain up and wow, suddenly a few seconds in real time could have been hours together with Dick doing more than just kissing Minnie. That was elegantly done. The sets was used in the best manner in this opera production. And even the 3rd act was well done. Bravi, tutti!
I must apologize to Marilyn Monroe: Sorry but you are still the icon to be used and abused and this time they did it as they were still in kindergarten. Buh!
This page was last updated: June 20, 2022
