Admin

Organization

Singer

Soprano

Nina Stemme

Minnie

Baritone

Tomasz Konieczny

Jack Rance

Tenor

Jonas Kaufmann

Dick Johnson

Conductor

Franz Welser-Möst

Stage director

Marco Arturo Marelli

Set designer

Costume designer

Dagmar Niefind-Marelli

Lighting designer

Chorus master

Thomas Lang

Norbert Ernst

Nick

Bass

Paolo Rumetz

Ashby

Boaz Daniel

Sonora

Michael Roider

Trin

Hans Peter Kammerer

Tae-Joong Yang

Bello

Peter Jelosits

Harry

Carlos Osuna

Clemens Unterreiner

Happy

Il Hong

Jim Larkens

Jongmin Park

Billy Jackrabbit

Mezzo-soprano

Juliette Mars

Wowkle

Alessio Arduini

Jake Wallace

Jose Castro

Wolfram Igor Derntl

The Pony Express rider

Wiener Staatsoper

Orchestra

Orchester der Wiener Staatsoper

Others

Chor der Wiener Staatsoper

Italian

La fanciulla del West -  (The Girl of the Golden West)

Vienna

Austria

Puccini's Wild West drama is relatively rarely found on the repertoire, but this opera is bursting with Puccini's dramatic tonal power. The world-class ensemble – led by Kaufmann and Stemme – soars to late-romantic peak form.

Gold Rush at the Vienna State Opera! Puccini's "Western" opera La fanciulla del West confronts gold diggers, gambling, revolvers and whiskey with homesickness, longing and unbelievable loneliness: the rediscovery of an (unjustly) often forgotten opera with Nina Stemme and Jonas Kaufmann in the leading roles - "the must- see-pair of the opera of a whole generation" (Financial Times).

There are three brilliant roles to complete, all of which are incredibly difficult to sing: Nina Stemme as warm-hearted Minnie offers the entire emotional range of this highly dramatic role, from the vulnerable woman to the great tragedian, "brilliant, deeply moving, safe in the high registers" (Courier). Jonas Kaufmann as the wanted and notorious bandit Ramerrez proves in his role debut "ideally cast, powerful, with his breathtakingly beautiful baritone timbre, full of gentle Italianità" (Kurier), "a debutant in one of his already best roles - pure joy for the audience " (The world). Tomasz Konieczny, playing Sheriff Jack Rance, "catches our attention with his powerfully expressive, glorious baritone" (Opernglas).

In 1910 La Fanciulla had its successful premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Toscanini stood on the podium and none other than Enrico Caruso sang the male lead. After "La Bohème", "Tosca" and "Madama Butterfly", Puccini had gone to America in search of new materials and new musical influences. His Wild West opera is infused with elements of jazz, ragtime, and we also feel the impressionist influence of Debussy. All this makes the work one of Puccini's most modern compositions and he himself described his "Fanciulla" as the best of his operas. "The rich playing of the Vienna Orchestra under Franz Welser-Möst displays the color and detail of Puccini's score spectacularly" (Financial Times).

Director Marco Arturo Marelli transfers the action from the gold digger camp to the present, to the contemporary world of destitute miners who earn a pittance and find out the meaning of life the hard way. And in this harsh landscape blooms a passionate, all-conquering love. Puccini employs the classic dramaturgical device of the love triangle: a woman (salon owner Minnie) caught between two male rivals - the heroic tenor (Bandit Ramerrez) and his baritone challenger (Sheriff Jack Rance). "They come as close to a Hollywood star duo in a Wild West romance as the world of opera gets." (Financial Times)

Photos