La Fanciulla del West

Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)

DESCRIPTION

Anja Silja might not be the first singer who comes to mind for a Puccini heroine, but she proves an ideal Minnie. Her slender, steely soprano conveys the character’s youth, warmth, and grit with striking assurance. Robert Ilosfalvy may not sound entirely idiomatic in Italianate style, though that may partly reflect the fact that this performance is sung in German; in any case, his burly voice is otherwise well suited to the role. The real surprise is Vassilio Janulako as Rance, bringing a dark baritone that captures both the character’s menace and his misguided romanticism. Charles Mackerras, also not especially associated with Puccini, leads a performance of sweeping grandeur.

CAST

Minnie – ANJA SILJA
Jack Rance – VASSILIO JANULAKO
Dick Johnson – ROBERT ILOSFALVY
Nick – HEUBER NOEHLER
Ashby – CARLOS FELLER
Sonora – TAKAO OKAMURA
Jake Wallace – JAN VAN REE
José Castro – UDO KABOT
Trin – FRANCISCO VERGARA
Jack – RONALD BURGER
Harry – ALFONSO VASQUEZ

DETAILS

Location: Köln
Date: September 26, 1976
Conductor: Charles Mackerras
Catalogue Number: OD 10167-2
Label: Opera Depot
Number of Discs: 2
In Mono