Unusually for an opera
directed by Jonathan Miller the setting
seems to be true to time and place,
something that will be a relief to purists.
Of course, it is not quite as simple
as that. The saloon, for example, although
recognisably a place for drinking and
gambling, nevertheless looks rather
like a cross between a factory and a
jail. I haven’t looked into this, but
I guess that is supposed to be a symbolic
comment on the miners’ lot in the remote
Wild West.
This live, 1991 La
Scala offering has been around a while
on video and has been much commented
on. The consensus has been that it is
a decent production all round apart
from one musical drawback which is that
the voice of the Girl of the Golden
West is less than golden. Maria Zampieri
does produce a rather harsh timbre that
may grate on some ears more than others.
It could be argued that the sound is
appropriate for such a determined character
as opposed to one for a sweet innocent.
Having said that, there is an implication
of virginal innocence in the character
also, although that will be a matter
of opinion just as Zampieri’s voice
is a matter of taste. I tend to the
tolerant side and am conscious that
in this visual medium, Maria Zampieri
looks more convincing, than, for example
Birgit Nilsson did in the role, however
well the latter sang.
Dramatically, a fine
singing/acting cast keeps the action
taut, ensuring a powerful build-up to
the near-harrowing conclusion. Lorin
Maazel, as usual, can be relied upon
to coax the orchestra into making the
most of the musical high spots.
Placido Domingo provides
the big brand name that will help sell
this DVD. He inevitably sets his vocal
stamp on the proceedings although some
viewers may take time to adjust to the
idea of him as a Mexican bandit (in
spite of his real-life family credentials
in this department). His hair style
looks as if it might be more at home
in a late eighties unisex hair salon
than a 19th Century Western saloon.
Mercifully though, it has been trimmed
since his appearance as Lohengrin the
year before when he sported an horrendously
inappropriate near-bouffant affair.
One ingredient that
determines the degree of dramatic success
in a production that the great tenor
leads is the chemistry between him and
his leading lady. In the Lohengrin
mentioned above, he and Cheryl Studer
are excellent individually but the sparks
don’t fly between them. In this Golden
Girl the chemistry score with Zampieri
is higher though still not much above
average. If you want to see a case of
chemistry at the top of the scale (or
even off it) then have a look at Placido
and Shirley Verret in Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine.
It’s on DVD and you will see what
I mean.
The only rival DVD
I know of is the earlier 1983 Covent
Garden version, also with Domingo where
he partners Carol Neblett who sings
more prettily than Zampieri but doesn’t
match the looks. It is a competent production
and the somewhat younger Domingo’s acting
and singing is probably even better;
but Miller’s direction in the La Scala
version makes for a more interesting
and dramatic visual experience.
So my recommendation
would be this 1991 Opus Arte presentation
which has the advantage of being the
cheaper of the two if you shop around.
John Leeman
Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro al!a Scala/Lorin
Maazel 
OPUS
ARTE LS3004 D [144:00] 