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Overview
Synopsis
Set during the Gold Rush, the ‘Polka’ Saloon, which is near California’s Cloudy Mountain, hosts the local community of gold miners. Like every good Western, this saloon is a place for drinking, gambling, fighting, dancing, and watching women, but in this lonely place the only woman worth watching is Minnie, the owner.. The men constantly argue over which among them Minnie will choose, and the bartender, Nick, knows the value of her presence as the men spend their winnings and wages trying to impress her. The local Sheriff, Jack Rance, is obsessed with her. A brooding and violent man, he cannot appeal to Minnie’s love for life, her love of God, and of the beauty of the world.
When the stranger Dick Johnson arrives at the saloon with news that he is chasing a well-known local bandit, all of the miners seek the opportunity to impress Minnie with their gallantry and heroism, and go in pursuit of this man who they believe is guilty of many murders and other crimes. Johnson and Minnie are left alone, and she finds herself drawn to him, feeling the first intoxicating effects of attraction. She invites him to visit her at home later that evening, an offer he cannot resist. A surprise visit from the Sheriff interrupts their intimate evening; he has come looking for Johnson, whom he believes is the bandit Ramerrez that they have been looking for. It is up to Minnie to find out the truth, and save Johnson from execution.
Despite its problematic portrayals of Native Americans and frequent racism, which are products of the setting and context of it’s creation, La fanciulla del West is at its heart a love-story. Minnie and Johnson’s destiny is completely changed from the moment they meet, and she risks everything to save his life.
Show Information
- Music
- Giacomo Puccini
- Libretto
- Carlo Zangarini , Guelfo Civinini
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1910
- Genres
- Drama, Romance
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- 1849, 1850, California, Cloudy Mountain, Gold Rush, Western
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- Mostly Male Cast, Professional Opera, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult, Early Teen, Late Teen Characters, Large Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
_As this opera is through-composed without strict scene delineations, the following is given as guidelines to when the action or the music changes. _
Act One - Inside the ‘Polka’ Saloon
Introduction
‘Hello! Alla “Polka”! Alle “Palme”!’ - Jack Rance, Larkens, Harry, Joe, Bello, Nick, Sid, Happy, Sonora, Trin, Miners
‘Che faranno i vecchi miei la lontano’ - Jake Wallace, Nick, Trin, Harry, Joe, Sonora, Bello, Happy, Chorus
‘Jim, perchѐ piangi?’ - Trin, Harry, Joe, Sonora, Bello, Happy, Miners, Larkens
‘Va tutto!’ - Sid, Bello, Sonora, Harry, Rance, Miners, Ashby, Trin, Nick
‘Hello, Minnie!’ - Minnie, Trin, Sonora, Rance, Bello, Joe, Miners, Harry, Ashby, Nick
‘Dove eravamo?’ and ‘Lavami e sarò bianco come neve’ - Minnie, Harry, Trin, Joe
‘La posta!’ - Nick, Trin, Joe, Harry, Bello, Postiglione, Ashby, Minnie, Rance, Happy, Miners
Duet: ‘Ti voglio bene, Minnie!’ - Rance, Minnie
Aria: ‘Minnie, dalla mia casa son partito’ - Rance, Minnie
Aria: ‘Laggiù nel Soledad’ - Minnie, Rance
‘Chi c’ѐ, per farmi i ricci?’ - Johnson, Nick, Minnie, Rance
‘Mister Johnson, voi m’avete seccato!’ - Rance, Johnson, Minnie, Miners, Sonora, Johnson, Trin, Harry, Bello, Happy
‘La, la, la, la, la’ - Minnie, Johnson, Nick, Rance, Chorus (outside), Ashby, Castro, Sonora, Trin
Duet: ‘Mister Johnson, siete rimasto indietro’ - Minnie, Nick, Johnson
‘Che cosa’ c’ѐ ?’ - Minnie, Nick, Johnson
‘In quel barile, Johnson’ - Minnie, Johnson
Act Two - Minnie’s Cabin
‘Il mio bimbo ѐ grande e piccino’ - Wowkle, Billy, (Baby)
‘Billy, ѐ fissato?’ - Minnie, Billy, Wowkle
‘Hello! Hello!’ - Johnson, Minnie, Wowkle
‘Oh, se sapeste come il vivere ѐ allegro!’ - Minnie
‘E quando infurian le tormente?’ - Johnson, Minnie
‘Ugh! Neve!’ - Wowkle, Minnie, Johnson
‘Sognavo… si stava tanto bene!’ - Minnie, Johnson
‘Hello!’ ‘Chiamano!’ - Nick, Johnson, Minnie, Sonora, Rance, Ashby
‘Vieni fuori! Sei venuto a rubare!’ - Minnie, Johnson
Aria: ‘Una parola sola!’ - Johnson, Minnie
‘L’han ferito…che importa’ - Minnie, Johnson
‘Che c’ѐ di nuovo, Jack?’ - Minnie, Rance
‘Ѐ là! Ѐ là!’ - Rance, Minnie, Johnson
‘Siete pronto?’ - Rance, Minnie
**Act Three - The great California forest **
‘Ve lo giuro, sceriffo’ - Nick, Ashby, Rance, Miners
‘Hurrah! Ragazzi Sceriffo, avere udito?’ - Ashby, Rance, Chorus, Nick, Joe, Harry, Bello, Sonora, Trin, Happy, Billy
‘Sceriffo Rance, consegno a voi quest’uomo’ - Ashby, Johnson, Rance, Trin, Harry, Joe, Bello, Happy, Sonora, Chorus
‘Ѐ Minnie!’ - Rance, Sonora, Johnson, Miners, Minnie, Trin, Harry, Joe, Happy, Chorus
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.