opera

And it's a good thing I did, because how would we - us opera enthusiasts - feel without such operatic hits by Puccini as Madame Butterfly, La Bohème, Tosca, or Turandot?! However, the composer - fond of traveling the world - dreamed of something else...

 

His journey to the United States revealed to him a new, unknown, and as yet unexplored world in opera. He wanted his latest opera to encompass the primal wildness, roughness of customs, and vivid colors of distant California during the "gold rush"; against such a backdrop, he staged his raw, cruel drama of strong characters, though love will have the most to say here as well.

 

The Girl of the Golden West, for that is the work in question, anticipated by many years the later fashion for Western films and in this respect was an absolute novelty. The music of The Girl combines elements of African-American rhythm and jazz melody from the New Orleans period with Puccini's already rich compositional achievements. The audience was surprised but also delighted after the premiere. They received not only something new but also something splendid! Similarly, it was at the Łódź premiere of The Girl in 1971 with outstanding performances by, among others, Halina Romanowska and Jerzy Orłowski. And how will it be this time?... We are convinced it will be just as remarkable. Wojciech Rodek is the musical director of the production, directed by Karolina Sofulak. In the leading female role, we will see and hear Dorota Wójcik and Anna Wierzbicka, and the enamored Bandit will be played by Dominik Sutowicz.

 

This is a unique opportunity to meet Puccini in a slightly lesser-known light, but one that is definitely worth exploring!

We invite you.