"The Girl of the Golden West" (a.k.a. "Debbie Get Your Gun") closes tonight at the Lyric in Chicago. I saw it the night it opened and it was one of the bigger surprises I've had as an operagoer. I hadn't been familiar with the music, and hearing it so beautifully and convincingly sung in this production, it's clear music isn't why this opera is considered only a minor masterwork. The ballads in particular are heart-melting.
But after the deliciously dark foreshadowing of the middle act - what's a worse sign for a relationship than winning your man from a sheriff in a poker game? - my heart was congealed to lukewarm by the tossed-off preachy-peachy ending Puccini and his librettists sadly kept intact from the David Belasco play. In fact, the ending was the reason Puccini chose the play - after the demises of Mimi, Tosca and Butterfly, he wanted something more upbeat. Aaugh. Is there anything worse in art than upbeat?
This has been the most enjoyable outing of a mixed season so far at the Lyric. In the end, though, it serves as yet another example of why the opera repertory needs fresh blood, and why companies like the Lyric are turning outside the repertory to challenge their patrons. Audiences have matured; the operas haven't. "Show Boat" may be entry-level when it comes to music, but as a work of drama, it makes "Girl of the Golden West" feel like Disney entertainment.
Interesting take on the ending. I've often thought that the narrative we don't see, between Acts II and III, would be compelling. And how do Minnie and Ramerrez negotiate their precarious future? Can he just walk away from the banditi da strada without consequences? I'm sure Minnie would love tutoring the small siblings to prepare them for education and respectability, but there's plenty of room for conflict and danger.
Posted by: singingscholar | 02/21/2011 at 12:24 PM
Audiences have matured; the operas haven't. "Show Boat" may be entry-level when it comes to music, but as a work of drama, it makes "Girl of the Golden West" feel like Disney entertainment.
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