Wagner ‘s goal was to write opera that consisted of endless melody. I don’t think he reached that goal, but Puccini did in La Fanciulla Del West. Saturday’s performance, the last of seven of this season’s run at the Met, was a spectacular success. Puccini’s luminous score received a dazzling reading by the Met’s orchestra, now the Stradivarius of ensembles, under the brilliant direction of Marco Armiliato. Conducting without a score, the maestro fully realized Puccini’s intricate counterpoint between orchestra and singers. The melodies rush between both with astonishing fluency and beauty. There is nothing like this work in any of Puccini’s other operas – indeed in anybody’s operas.

Sometimes a performance flies. Fortunately this one took off when the cameras were on and it is thus on its way to wherever intelligent life may exist in the universe. On earth, it will be around for a long time. After Madama Butterfly Puccini decided to explore different musical avenues. Each of the six operas he composed over the last 14 years of his life is different from all the other composer’s works for the theater.

The first two HD shows of this season were marred by bad singing from the tenor leads as were the first three of this run of Puccini’s Western opera . The return of Jonas Kaufmann to New York reversed this unfortunate streak. The great German tenor sang four performances of Fanciulla – this was the last. He had been absent from the house since 2014, cancelling several performances during that period. When, if ever, he’ll be back is uncertain. He has expressed reluctance to be separated from his three children by an ocean.

The tenor sang the previous Tuesday’s performance, broadcast by Sirius, through the duress of a cold. On Saturday all traces of a virus were gone and he was in splendid voice. Puccini’s singing cowboy requires a spinto who can shade his tone like a lyric tenor, but who also can send a blaze of forte B-flats at the end of the second act’s ‘Or son sei mesi’. Kaufmann’s dark voice handled this aria and the better known third act’s ‘Ch’ella mi creda’ with brilliant ease. There is no other tenor on the Mets current roster who can come close to him. He’s the operatic equivalent of a matinee idol with a great voice, good looks, and good acting. All he lack is a few inches. His leading lady was a little taller.

The Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek was the eponymous Girl. Puccini’s virginal saloon keeper needs the voice of Brunhilde and the charm of Mimì. Westbroek was almost perfect as Minnie. She has vocal heft needed for the part. She can act. Of course, by the time a soprano acquires the skill needed for the demanding role, she’s way too old for the character, but so what. One can quibble about a few sharp high notes and a sound not quite Italianate, no matter. Westbroek was triumphant. This is a role that Birgit Nilsson sang, which demonstrates how demanding it is. I can think of no one now active who is the equal of the Dutch singer in this part.

The third principal in this opera is the unlucky in love sheriff, Jack Rance. Obviously, he’s a baritone. Serbian  Zeljko Lucic has been regularly singing the big baritone roles at the Met since 2006. But I’ve never heard him sound as good as he did yesterday. His rich tone was carefully crafted to convey the complex character that Puccini put into the role, but which most baritones miss. The married sheriff who’s ready be a bigamist if Minnie will have him, is in pursuit of a doubly hopeless goal.  Lucic made  Jack a fully believable person, rather than the stock almost superfluous baritone that’s  usually offered. Puccini would have been delighted at his characterization.

There are more than a dozen cameo roles in this opera. The Met cast them all with fine singers who created the gold rush atmosphere that’s written into the piece. Director Gregory Keller managed to skirt the politically incorrect first part of Act 2 where the Indian couple, pregnant but unmarried actually say ‘Ugh’.

Going to the opera is like attending a corrida de toros. You have to sit through a lot of bad performances in order to see a great one. With this particular show the Met struck gold in more than one way. If you missed it, catch the repeat. Also, if you hear someone question Puccini’s genius – tell him to get lost.

 

 

Metropolitan Opera House
October 27, 2018 Telecast

LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST
Giacomo Puccini-Guelfo Civinini/Carlo Zangarini

Minnie………………Eva-Maria Westbroek
Dick Johnson…………Jonas Kaufmann
Jack Rance…………..Zeljko Lucic
Joe…………………Scott Scully
Handsome…………….Richard Bernstein
Harry……………….Alok Kumar
Happy……………….Joseph Barron
Sid…………………Jeongcheol Cha
Sonora………………Michael Todd Simpson
Trin………………..Eduardo Valdes
Jim Larkens………….Adrian Timpau
Nick………………..Carlo Bosi
Jake Wallace…………Oren Gradus
Ashby……………….Matthew Rose
Post Rider…………..Ian Koziara
Castro………………Kidon Choi
Billy Jackrabbit……..Philip Cokorinos
Wowkle………………MaryAnn McCormick

Conductor……………Marco Armiliato

Production…………..Giancarlo Del Monaco
Designer…………….Michael Scott
Lighting designer…….Gil Wechsler
Stage Director……….Gregory Keller
Video Director……….Gary Halvorson