La fanciulla del West

Giacomo Puccini’s works, especially his arias from »La Bohème«, »Tosca« and »Madama Butterfly«, are among the most played operas. »La Fanciulla del West«, by contrast, which was premiered at the New York Metropolitan Opera in 1910, stands so much in the shadow of his other operas that it is only being performed at Unter den Linden now for the first time. At first glance, Puccini’s Wild West opera, in which the outcasts of society meet in search of wealth and a stroke of luck, has fewer moments of poetry and melody than most of his operas. On the other hand, he succeeded in creating a portrait of a community full of hardship and shattered dreams. The composer was rightly proud of his score’s refined timbres. Anton von Webern, who was not renowned for his affinity with Italian opera, commented appreciatively: »The score has an entirely original sound. Magnificent. Every beat is surprising. Very special sounds.«