The Girl of the Golden West, ENO, London Coliseum, review: 'lovingly performed'

Richard Jones's simple, sincere approach to Puccini's masterpiece is a winning formula, says Rupert Christiansen

The Girl of the Golden West opera performed by English National Opera at the London Coliseum. Susan Bullock as Minnie, Peter Auty as Dick Johnson.
The Girl of the Golden West opera performed by English National Opera at the London Coliseum. Susan Bullock as Minnie, Peter Auty as Dick Johnson. Credit: Photo: Alastair Muir

Anyone supposing Richard Jones to be one of those nasty modern opera directors who smash up innocent tales of love and period costume should make straight for the London Coliseum. Here they will be disabused of this canard by his stylistically simple and morally sincere production of Puccini’s Gold Rush masterpiece, lovingly performed.

Most directors seem faintly embarrassed by the story of bible-bashing Minnie who repels the advances of a predatory Sheriff and falls instead for a repentant bandit: the plot turns on the cogs of Victorian melodrama and the picture of a backwoods settlement is quaintly drawn. But Jones must love the piece as much as I do, because he neither ironises, patronises nor sniggers at its naïvety.

Miriam Buether’s designs are couched in the idiom of a historical cartoon – they evoke the primitive Wild West of John Ford mythology, but there’s strip lighting in the saloon and a gas cooker in Minnie’s cabin. This is a yarn, not to be taken literally.

The emotions it involves are real enough, however. There’s much gentle humour and psychological detail in the expansive first act, through which a vivid depiction of the fractured and frustrated community of ’49ers emerges: Minnie’s bible class may touchingly reduce the miners to children, but it’s no surprise when they are sparked into a lynch-mob.

At the heart of it all is Minnie, beautifully characterised by Susan Bullock as a primly efficient middle-aged lady taking late hesitant steps towards losing her virginity, but determined to maintain her self-respect in the process. Although Bullock’s singing lacks the ideal Italianate glow and runs strident under stress, the sensitivity of her phrasing and delivery of the text are exemplary. She understands this music, and she understands where Minnie is coming from too.

As Ramerrez, aka Dick Johnson, Peter Auty also excels himself. I’ve never seen him act with such energy, and his vibrant, somewhat mushy tenor finds a grand sweep for Ch’ella mi creda, one of Puccini’s most seductive inspirations.

The American baritone Craig Colclough does an excellent job as the sleazy Scarpia-like Jack Rance, and the miners are expertly cast, with outstanding contributions from Leigh Melrose (Sonora), George Humphreys (Jake) and Graham Clark (Nick).

It seems otiose to mention that debutante Keri-Lyn Wilson is wife to Met supremo Peter Gelb: her richly embroidered and forceful conducting needs no apology, contributing greatly to a glorious evening of old-fashioned operatic pleasure.

Until November 1. Tickets: 020 7845 9300; eno.org