GENRE	Opera in tre atti (dal dramma di David Belasco)
LIBRETTO	Guelfo Civinni and Carlo Zangarini, after David Belasco, The Girl of the Golden West
FIRST PERFORMED	Metropolitan Opera House, New York, 10 December 1910
NOTES	Puccini found the subject for his American commission upon a visit to the United States in 1907. Belasco’s play provided him with an ideal scenario: “an open space in the great California forest, with colossal trees.” While the opera was apparently a success with the public, the critics were generally unenthusiastic. The opera reflects Puccini’s efforts to fuse tightly constructed uninterrupted drama with continuously expressive music. At the same time, however, critics felt that it lacked the pure lyricism of La bohème or Madama Butterfly. Puccini’s most extensive changes were made for the second and fourth versions. In the latter case, Puccini cut almost an entire scene for Minnie and Billy in act one.

PUBLICATION TITLE	La fanciulla del West
VERSION	First version
TYPE	Italian piano and vocal score
EDITION	Riduzione di Carlo Carignani
PUBLISHER	G. Ricordi & C. Editori
DATE	1910
PLATE NUMBER	113300
RICORDI STAMP	11.1910
VOLUME	333 pp.
HOPKINSON NUMBER	7A
NOTES	Bears a signed dedication by Carlo Carignani (6 June 1911). The score includes penciled emendations in an unknown hand, and the words “corretto da Giacomo Puccini autografi” [corrections made from Puccini’s manuscript] have been written on the first page of music. Many of these emendations appear to correspond to changes made in the later published versions.
PUBLICATION TITLE	The Girl of the Golden West
VERSION	First version
TYPE	English-Italian piano and vocal score
EDITION	English version by R. H. Elkin.
PUBLISHER	G. Ricordi & C. Editori (Boosey & Co., New York, variant)
DATE	1910
PLATE NUMBER	113483
RICORDI STAMP	None
VOLUME	338 pp.
HOPKINSON NUMBER	7A (a)
PUBLICATION TITLE	The Girl of the Golden West
VERSION	Second version
TYPE	Second English-Italian piano and vocal score
EDITION	English version by R. H. Elkin. “(New Edition).”
PUBLISHER	G. Ricordi & Co., New York
DATE	1911
PLATE NUMBER	113483
RICORDI STAMP	None
VOLUME	344 pp.
HOPKINSON NUMBER	7B (variant, issued in New York rather than London)
PUBLICATION TITLE	La Fille du Far-West
VERSION	First French edition
TYPE	French piano and vocal score
EDITION	Adaptation Française de Maurice Vaucaire.
PUBLISHER	G. Ricordi & C., Paris
DATE	1911
PLATE NUMBER	113850
RICORDI STAMP	1.1912
VOLUME	337 pp.
HOPKINSON NUMBER	7C (d)

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