"La Rondine" by Puccini: Do you like it? Would you see it?

Question

So I have a chance to see La Rondine by Puccini at the SF Opera this winter. Have you seen it? Do you like it? Would you see it? Here's the cast:

Magda de Civry: Angela Gheorghiu*
Ruggero Lastouc: Misha Didyk
Lisette: Anna Christy
Prunier: Gerard Powers*

Any insight?

Hi Lynn: This season is a blockbuster ** = I have tickets. Samson and Delilah**, Tannhäuser**, The Magic Flute (need to get tickets to this), La Rondine, Macbeth, The Rake's Progress, Madama Butterfly (I think I'd be a sobbing mess if I saw this), The Little Prince, Das Rheingold, Ariodante, Lucia di Lammermoor** (Bel Canto - yay!)

Of course I can wait for your answer, Mr. Italian! Merci pour votre attention.

Answer 1

I wonder if you care to wait some time to have my humble opinion. At the moment I am entertaining some relatives.

Later: First, Puccini belongs to a formal exodus that produced different styles at the end of 19th century (Mahler, the first Schoenberg, Debussy). His effort to stay in the middle between Verdi and Wagner had up and down success, and for a fact his melodic, cantabile vein gained him more fortune than the extreme verism of his fellows, Mascagni, Leoncavallo, Giordano, Cilea and to some extent Boito and his Mephistophilis (great production with Ramey in SF years ago). The Swallow was first staged in Montecarlo in 1917, in the middle of World War,with Gilda Dalla Rizza and Tito Schipa . It comes 7 years after Fanciulla del West and one year before the Trittico, in a period when Debussy was spreading his influence all over Europe with his full- tone range technique. It is a new experiment of opera seria with a flavor of wienerisch operetta. The story of Magda de Civry (good luck to Gheorghiu, the role is difficult and lately his husband Alagna had serious problems with Radames at La Scala) is a kind of light Traviata, the dream of redeeming a licentious life with a great passional love, in this case failing without tuberculosis, simply because life is so and so it will always be. Let's be frank and honest: it wasn't a success and it isn't a landmark. Luckily, there are the Toscas, the Mimis, the Cio Cio Sans, the Turandots to save the reputation of the tuscan Maestro. Magda has two arias (Che il sogno di Doretta; Ore liete e divine). The part of Ruggero is quite shadowed and psychologically weak. But, my patient friend, you'll spend a pleasant night. Were it up to me, Flute, Tannhaeuser and Macbeth ueber alles in your season.
Great Magdas in the past: number one all the life Signorina Renata Tebaldi (rest in peace), and after Mirella Freni. As Ruggero, pick the legendary Schipa and Di Stefano. Have fun.

Answer 2

It's a lovely early work by Puccini, that rarely gets the attention it deserves. Gheroghiu is probably quite right for the part of Magda with her big lyric voice. Apparently the opera is undergoing a revival, as LA, Dallas, Royal Opera (UK) and others are all producing it as well this year. (Check out under the Google to find out where else)
I have only heard excerpts, never in full. If you are a Puccini fan, why not go and enjoy?
What else is playing in SF this year, anyways?

Answer 3

"La Rondine" is rarely performed, so when I saw it on the SF Opera schedule I immediately requested tickets. Also, "The Rake's Progress", "Samson and Delilah" and "The Little Prince". Opera San Jose is doing Lucia, and the rest I've seen several times already.

Answer 4

of course you should! anytime you get to see a rarely performed piece by a great composer you should take it ... next on the Puccini list is Edgar