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Season opening in Bologna with La Fanciulla del West


“Una suprema verità d’amore” 
.For the first time, I’m conducting La fanciulla del West, a work which marks a turning point for Puccini, enigmatic and experimental, revolutionary even, in its compositional and theatrical technique, orchestration, and conception of a miraculously western setting with its unmistakeable Puccini hallmark. I am delighted to be making this debut at the Teatro Comunale, Bologna, where I’ve always been able to work so well thanks to shared perspectives with the orchestra and the ongoing nature of this partnership. This Fanciulla, in a new staging by Paul Curran, will inaugurate the new season. If all of Puccini’s operas are blessed with modernity and often experimentation, La fanciulla del West is emblematic of this. Firstly, it brings all conductors joy because here, even more than in other operas, the orchestra and its traditional instruments, alongside other more “exotic” ones, plays a leading role. But it is also a joy for drama lovers thanks to its exceptional theatricality. This opera, whose title refers to the female protagonist, Minnie (practically the only woman, since Wowkle has only a few lines), is enlivened by dozens of men who are simultaneously rough and sentimental. But Minnie is not at all intimidated by them; quite the opposite! This poses a considerable dilemma in our times, as we question ourselves on gender-related themes. Minnie is, for the first time in Puccini, not a victim but a redeemer in an opera whose central theme is redemption. The contrast between her and Puccini’s other female characters, all defeated, is incredible, making Minnie one of his most complex and fascinating heroines.
📷 TCBO