La Fanciulla

1
(No Transcript)
2
Baltimore Opera Company presents
La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden
West)
by Giacomo Puccini
Saturday, October 9 815pm Wednesday, October
13 730pm Friday, October 15 815pm Sunday,
October 17 300pm
3
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
1876 A performance of Verdis Aïda in
Pisa inspires him to focus on opera
composition. 1880 begins study with Ponchielli
at conservatory in Milan. 1883 Le villi,
written for a composition com- petition, fails to
win even an honorable mention, but is produced by
a group of influential friends in 1884. The
performance is well-received by critics and
audiences and results in music publisherRicordi
offering him a contract.
4
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Operas
Le villi (1884) (The Willis) Edgar (1889) Manon
Lescaut (1893) La bohéme (1896) (The
Bohemians) Tosca (1900) Madama Butterfly
(1904) La fanciulla del West (1910) (The Girl of
the Golden West) La rondine (1917) (The
Swallow) Il trittico (1918) (The Trilogy) (Il
tabarro, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi) Turandot
(1926)
5
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)
Puccinis works each manage vividly to evoke
a specific locale which becomes as much a part
of the story as the characters
Le Villi (1884) (The Willis) - Germanys Black
Forest Edgar (1889) - medieval Flanders Manon
Lescaut (1893) - 18th century Paris and
Louisiana La bohéme (1896) (The Bohemians) -
1830s Bohemian Paris Tosca (1900) - Rome,
1800 Madama Butterfly (1904) - modern-day Japan
6
Historical Background The California Gold Rush
John A. Todd, "James Wildon Marshal," ca. 1884.
California Historical Society, Photography
collection, FN-13223, VIP05409.
Martin Behrman, "Marshall in front of Sutter's
Mill," gelatin silver copy photoprint from a
daguerreotype. Artistic Source Carleton E.
Watkins after an 1849 daguerreotype attributed to
Robert Vance. California Historical Society,
Photography, Martin Behrman Collection, FN-12015,
VIP01403.
January 24, 1848 James Marshall discovers
some kind of mettle in the tailrace of the
mill hes building for John Sutter.
7
Historical Background The California Gold Rush
Henry R. Robinson, "A Gold Hunter on his Way to
California, via St. Louis, ca. 1849, lithograph.
California Historical Society, Fine Arts
collection, FN-16057.
Nathaniel Currier, "The Way They Go to
California," 1849, lithograph. California
Historical Society, Fine Arts collection,
FN-00033.
May 12, 1848 Sam Brannan comes to San
Francisco, waves a bottle of gold dust in one
hand and his hat in the other, and shouts Gold!
Gold! Gold from the American River! The Gold
Rush has begun.
8
Historical Background The California Gold Rush
By late summer, over 6,000 Forty-Eighters are
working the gold fields.
From a daguerreotype taken at Nevada City, CA, in
Oct., 1850, showing a 30 ft. shaft for gold
mining. L(reading letter) Capt. J. Sewall Reed.
Foreground (washing gold) Capt. E.D. Wadsworth.
California Historical Society, Photography,
George E. Lyman Collection, FN-24881.
"Group of miners," daguerreotype. California
Historical Society, Photography collection,
FN-23581, VIP05302.
9
Historical Background The California Gold Rush
Concerned about regulating and securing their
claims, miners took matters into their own hands,
forming more than 500 self-governing mining
districts. Each district had an elected recorder
whose duties were to keep a record of all claims
in the district and to settle disputes over
contested claims.
John Prendergast (attr.), "James Stuart Hung by
the Vigilance Committee on Market St. Wharf, On
the 11th of July 1851 Immense Multitude Present
-- 500 of the Vigilance Committee on Duty at the
Execution," 1851, lithograph. Justh Quirot Co.,
lithographers, San Francisco. Published by Justh
Quirot Co., San Francisco. California
Historical Society, bequest of Templeton Crocker,
Fine Arts collection, FN-04141.
Harrison Eastman, "The Miner's Ten Commandments,"
1853, wood engraving. Anthony Baker, engravers,
San Francisco. Published by James M. Hutchings,
Placerville, California. California Historical
Society, Fine Arts collection, FN-30782.
Each district adopted its own unique mining
codes. The codes defined such things as the
maximum size of claims, the process of filing
them, the necessity for continually working them,
and what constituted the abandonment of a claim.
10
Historical Background The California Gold Rush
Fewer than 5 of Californias Gold Rushers left
richer than theyd come. Songs expressing the
loneliness and despair of the homesick miners
were common.
The Lousy Miner It's four long years since I
reached this land, In search among the rocks and
sand And yet I'm poor when the truth is
told, I'm a lousy miner, I'm a lousy miner in
search of shining gold. Oh, land of gold,
you did me deceive, And I intend in thee my bones
to leave So farewell, home, now my friends grow
cold, I'm a lousy miner, I'm a lousy miner in
search of shining gold.
(DETAIL ) - "Mining in Auburn Ravine in 1852."
California Historical Society, Photography
collection, FN-13679.
Due to the mass immigration caused by the Gold
Rush, California easily qualified for statehood.
President Millard Fillmore signed the bill
admitting California as a free state on
September 9, 1850.
11
La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden
West)
Libretto by Guelfo Civini and Carlo
Zangarini Based on the play by David Belasco
(1905) Composed 1908-10 Premiere December 10,
1910, Metropolitan Opera, New York Emmy Destin,
Enrico Caruso, Pasquale Amato Arturo Toscanini,
conductor
12
Hello, Nick!
Act I
Mistress Rance, fra poco
13
Hello, Minnie!
14
Dove eravamo?
The Bible Lesson (excerpt)
Minnie, dalla mia casa
Laggiù nel Soledad
15
Act II
Oh, se sapeste
The Poker Game
16
Act III
Ch'ella mi creda libero e lontano
Minnie to the rescue
Finale
17
Baltimore Opera Company presents
La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden
West)
by Giacomo Puccini
Saturday, October 9 815pm Wednesday, October
13 730pm Friday, October 15 815pm Sunday,
October 17 300pm To order tickets, call (410)
727-6000 or visit www.baltimoreopera.com.