The stately National Theatre in Rijeka is marking the centenary of Puccini by staging one of his lesser-known operas. Written for Caruso and premiered at the New York Metropolitan, La fanciulla del West is being performed for four nights close to the waterfront in Croatia’s port city.
Opening tomorrow, Wednesday, February 28, and running into early March, the production is unique for several reasons. While opera houses around the world are honouring Giacomo Puccini, who died 100 years ago, by putting on his most famous works, Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Turandot, Rijeka’s National Theatre has taken the bold step of showcasing his opera set in the Wild West, a tale of saloons, sheriffs and sassy women.
The piece is also the first to be directed by the great Croatian bass-baritone singer Giorgio Surian, who shares the lead role on stage.
Soon to celebrate its own 140th anniversary, Rijeka’s Croatian National Theatre was designed by the same team of architects as its namesakes in Split and Zagreb: Austrian Ferdinand Fellner and his German partner Hermann Helmer. The interior was partly created by Gustav Klimt and brother Ernst, who worked on the ceiling before the grand opening in 1885, a performance of Verdi’s Aida.
La fanciulla del West, Ivan Zajc Croatian National Theatre, Verdijeva, Rijeka. Feb 28, Mar 1-2 & 4, 7pm (Mar 2, 6pm). Tickets from €8. Running time 2hrs 30mins.