This opera depicts the triangular relationship between Minnie, the saloon owner and 'mother' to the entire town of gold miners, Jack Rance, the sheriff and Dick Johnson (alias Ramerrez), a bandit leader. The music is highly developed in Puccini's seamless lyrical style, the arias for the main characters emerge from the texture and return to it effortlessly.
The vocal colours are strongly polarised with the cast being all male except for one travesti role and Minnie herself. The score bristles with robust melody as well as delicate scoring, betraying a masterly hand at work. Carol Neblett is a strong Minnie, vocally distinctive and well characterised, while Plácido Domingo and Sherrill Milnes make a good pair of suitors for the spunky little lady. Zubin Mehta conducts with real sympathy for the idiom.

Domingo, as in the theatre, sings heroically...the crowning glory of a masterly set is the singing of Carol Neblett as the Girl of the Golden West herself, gloriously rich and true, with formidable attack on the exposed high notes.

Zubin Mehta brings just the right amount of swagger to this tale of sheriffs and bandits in the Wild West. Carol Neblett is commanding in the taxing role of Minnie, whilst Plácido Domingo is on marvellous form as the bandit, Dick Johnson. Much as he did in the role of Scarpia in Tosca, Sherrill Milnes is wonderfully scheming and menacing as Jack Rance, the sheriff. A splendid recording of perhaps my favourite Puccini opera.