Minnie shows Johnson the keg of gold which she and the miners take turns to guard at night and Johnson reassures her that the gold will be safe there. A whistle is heard, but Johnson fails to reply. Nicks enters and warns that a Mexican has been seen around. She is confident that the gold is safe in her care. Minnie returns and asks him if he can help her to keep watch. While Minnie is busy on the upper floor, Johnson looks around the saloon for the gold and finds it under the counter. But before Castro leaves, he whispers a plan to Johnson: somebody will whistle and Johnson must reply to confirm that the place is clear. Upon seeing his leader, Johnson, in the saloon, Castro agrees to lead Rance, Ashby and the miners in a search for Ramirez, and the group then follows him on a false trail and in what turns out to be a wild goose chase. Angrilly, Rance watches them.Īshby returns with the captured Ramirez gang member, Castro. Johnson invites Minnie to dance with him and she accepts. Rance deliberately knocks over Johnson’s saddle to provoke him, but Minnie defuses the situation. Minnie and Johnson sing about their first meeting, while Rance jealously watches them (Johnson, Rance, Minnie: "Chi c’e per farmi I ricci?" ). He introduces himself as Dick Johnson from Sacramento. But Minnie is waiting for a man she can love unconditionally although Rance suggests that the man is him (Rance, Minnie: "Laggiù nel Soledad" ).Ī stranger enters the saloon and asks for a whisky and water. But he is now offering Minnie a fortune if she kisses him (Rance, Minnie: "Minnie, dalla mia casa son partito" ). Rance tells Minnie that he has never loved anyone because he is a gambler only gold fascinates him. Minnie laughs at him (Rance, Minnie: "Ti voglio bene, Minnie" ). He also says he wants to marry her after giving up his wife. The sheriff tells Minnie that he loves her and will give her $1,000 for a kiss. The Pony Express rider arrives and delivers a telegram from Nina Micheltorena, offering to reveal Ramirez’s hideout. Rance draws his revolver but at that moment, shots blast out and Minie stands next to the bar with a rifle in her hands. He tells Rance that Minnie is only toying with him. Sheriff Rance toasts Minnie as his future wife, which makes Sonora angry. Nick announces a round of drinks for Minnie. A Wells Fargo agent, Ashby, enters and announces that he is chasing the bandit Ramirez and his gang of Mexicans he shows Rance the warrant for the arrest of Ramirez. Then the miners chase him out of the saloon. Sheriff Rance quiets the fight and pins the two spades to Sid's jacket. A group of miners are playing cards when Bello discovers that Sid is cheating. One of the miners, Jim Larkens, is homesick and the miners collect enough money for his fare home. However, Sonora refuses he prefers to sit at the bar to be close to Minnie. Sid proposes that the miners play cards, while Nick suggests the men dance. The group of miners enter the saloon, taking a break after a day working at the mine. :Time: 1849 to 1850.:Place: A mining camp in the high Sierra Madre Mountains in California.Īt the saloon, Sheriff Rance is playing solitaire, while the barman is lighting the lamps. It is still sometimes performed, but not as often as Puccini's other mature operas. It shows the obvious influence of (but by no means any imitation of) Debussy, and is Puccini's only venture into impressionism. It has fewer of the "showstopping" highlights that are characteristic of other Puccini operas, but is admired for being far better integrated than his earlier work. Despite that, it was never as popular in Europe, except, perhaps, in Germany where it enjoyed a triumphant premiere in March 1913 at the Deutsche Opernhaus in Berlin (now known as the Deutsche Oper), under the musical direction of Ignatz Waghalter. This opera was the first world premiere for the Metropolitan Opera House, and was a huge success in the United States. It was first performed on 10 December 1910 in New York City at the Metropolitan Opera House with Emmy Destinn as Minnie, Enrico Caruso as Dick Johnson and Pasquale Amato as Jack Rance Arturo Toscanini conducted the premiere. Belasco, playwright for "Madame Butterfly" had also written "The Girl of the Golden West", and Puccini selected that drama for his next opera. "La fanciulla del West" ("The Girl of the Golden West") is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini, based on the play "The Girl of the Golden West" by David Belasco.Īfter the success of his opera " Madama Butterfly", Puccini returned to the source of its inspiration, David Belasco.