Before opera became an American art form, it was up to the great Italian composer Giacomo Puccini to reflect the sound of the nation. Premiering in 1910 at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Fanciulla was an immediate sensation and is still considered by some as the composer’s greatest work. After creating Madama Butterfly, Puccini took another story from American playwright David Belasco to invoke a mythic world: a fantasy of the Gold Rush and the Wild West, teeming with romance, action, and the archetypal cowboy. Audiences will enjoy classic Puccini melodies and unforgettable characters.

Puccini composed La fanciulla del West as a musical love letter to America. Set in a mining camp during the California Gold Rush in 1849—yet featuring many of the beloved elements of classic Italian opera—it tells the story of Minnie, a virtuous saloon owner whose moral code is put to the test when she falls for Dick Johnson (a.k.a. Ramerrez), a bandit on the run from a relentless sheriff, Jack Rance, who’s determined to have Minnie for himself.

This is a production of English National Opera and Santa Fe Opera.