NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCES ON THE FORMATION OF PUCCINI'S EARLY COMPOSITIONAL STYLE Author(s): Suzanne Scherr Source: Revista de Musicología, Vol. 16, No. 6, Del XV Congreso de la Sociedad Internacional de Musicología: Culturas Musicales Del Mediterráneo y sus Ramificaciones: Vol. 6 (1993), pp. 3206-3215 Published by: Sociedad Española de Musicología (SEDEM) Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/20796927 Accessed: 26-02-2019 19:12 UTC
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This content downloaded from 132.174.255.206 on Tue, 26 Feb 2019 19:12:18 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCES ON THE FORMATION OF PUCCINI'S EARLY COMPOSITIONAL STYLE
Suzanne SCHERR
This paper proposes that with Puccini's third opera, Manon Lescaut, of 1893, the heir apparent to the Italian operatic tradition entered the first stage of his new style?a style which grew out of several elements (both Italian and otherwise) comprising the common language of western art music in the early 1890's. Table 1 summarizes those elements of the musical language accepted and rejected by Puccini in composing his first masterpiece, divided roughly into grand opera tradition, French op?ra comique, Italian Wagnerites, and the Giovane Scuola Italiana of the 1890s.
Grand Opera
The influence on Puccini of grand op?ra, particularly the Italian grand opera of his teacher Ponchielli, was very strong. In fact Puccini's first two operas, Le Villi and Edgar, demonstrate his early compositional emphasis on pictorial ambience and theatrical spectacle. In the third opera, Manon Lescaut, a strong aesthetic of dramatic focus and efficiency emerged which rejected dramatically unmotivated and distracting crowd scenes yet reinforced the orchestral establishment of dramatic ambience. The musical structures of late Verdi left a very strong imprint on young Puccini. I refer particularly to the chamber music scoring and organizing functions of harmonies and motivic manipulation in Otello [94]
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Table 1.
ACCEPTED REJECTED by Puccini by Puccini
French Grand Op?ra sudden contrasts grand spectacle and Meyerbeer tableaux with action in ensembles coloratura Les Huguenots (1836) exotic/historical setting L'Africaine (post. 1865)
Italian Grand Opera primacy of vocal melody accompanimental role Verdi concentration on human drama of orchestra Forza (1862) large finale at end of Act III which duet form: A - - (A+B) Carlos (1867/1884) carries forward the drama Aida (1871)
Ponchielli recurring material: orchestral finale concertato Lituani (1874) peroration at curtain close orchestral/vocal Gioconda (1876) orchestral creation of pictorial bombast Prodigo (1880) ambience increased importance of musical distinction of differing chorus/ballet groups within a choral scene scena variata male-in-love romanzo minor-major female-in-crisis aria
Late Verdi harmony which defines/organizes broken chordal figures Otello (1887) the musical structure in orchestra as Falstaff (1893) delicate textures?chamber music accompaniment scoring?rich string writing traditional forms orchestra doubles/triples stretched by way of dramatically significant melody substitutes of singer recalling/identifying themes continuous orchestral texture scene as basic unit (rather than set piece) tonal/thematic assymmetry of scenes
in particular: motivic manipulation replaces sparing use of Falstaff (1893) set forms and serves as unifying recalling/identifying factor, in addition to providing themes material for transitional passages ' natural speech inflection almost total lack of vocal melisma
French Op?ra Comique melancholy text chromatic vocal Massenet natural speech declamation inflection Manon (1884) legato, tender melody lack of bombast transparent texture delicate, spare harmonic background
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Table 1. (Cont.)
ACCEPTED REJECTED by Puccini by Puccini
Bizet realistic libretto chromatic vocal Carmen (1875) counterpoint of significant inflection motives to express dramatic action orchestral peroration colorful orchestration
Italian Wagnerites rejection of set forms: tonal simple repetitions of Boito rounding without reprise previously heard music Mefistofele (1868/1875) libretto: natural speech forms lack of continuity more human drama between elements chamber music scoring basically tonal structures tonal underpinning based on recurring material enharmonic modulation
Catalani thematic/tonal rounding without use of recitativo-tremolo ?dmea(1876) exact repetition to link set pieces Loreley (1890) extension of unit to scene in place of set form
La Wally (1892) continuous elaboration of prominence of augmented dramatically significant motives triad in melodies in orchestra modal harmonies parallel fifths in orchestra
La Giovane Scuola Italiana emphasis on human drama exaggerated importance strong dramatic gestures of effusive, lyrical melody streamlining of dramatic details static repetition of primacy of melody previously heard music Act III finale experimentation with set forms lack of bombast-sparser orchestration dramatically significant motives
Mascagni dominant chords with lowered third; static set forms Cavalleria Rusticana (1890) tonic with added sixth L'Amico Fritz (mi)
Leoncavallo limited and static use of / Pagliacci (1892) recurring material ' recitativo-tremolo, parlante, and other marking-time devices for orchestra
Franchetti several identifying/recalling themes Asrael (1888) enharmonic modulations Cristoforo Colombo (1892)
Giordano sparse orchestration bland tonal language Mala Wte(1892)
Cil?a spare harmonic style static use of recurring La Tilda (1892) material
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and Falstaff. (Of course Falstaff is not grand op?ra but opera comica alla Verdi; however, it is included in the discussion here.) It is, in fact, the rejection of the Italian set forms as an organizing force, towards which Verdi pointed in Otello and Falstaff, which identifies Puccini's critical step toward this new style. Verdi allowed the motives at the inner workings of his texture to grow, develop and spill over into the following episode, thus creating groups of episodes linked tonally and motivically. The motivic organization in Puccini functions similarly in that it is a part of a new structuring which rejects the traditional set forms. However, in Puccini it is primarily the orchestra which establishes and furthers the drama motivically. The vocal soloists often complete entire sections in an interjectory mode and it is rare that an important melody is introduced by the voice. (Note that the orchestral introduction of an aria melody is not a part of Puccini's style). Rather, the instruments unobtrusively introduce parts of the prime motivic material, which is gradually integrated into the vocal lines. The climax is reached finally, and only, near the end of the section where a full statement of the prime motive is given to the lead singers, supported by the orchestra. Puccini's gradual introduction of motivic material reverses Verdi's gradual disintegration of the motives. An example of this type of presentation is the gradual introduction of the love melody in Act I in the Manon/Des Grieux love duet at [54]+3. The orchestra plays parts of the melody first, then soloists sing parts of it separately, and finally together with the orchestra (only for a few measures at the end of the duet) a full statement is given. A unifying device parallel to the just-mentioned gradual emergence of primary motivic material is that of the insertion of two (or more) texturally and/or melodically similar sections into a contrasting sequence of episodes to serve as a cohesive bracket. These brackets are often only a few measures long, usually in the nature of a transition or an interjection. However, their abrupt appearance serves to confirm the ongoing existence of another dramatic/musical plane, whose presence has a direct connection with or impact on the primary dramatic/musical plane. Puccini's pervasive juxtaposition of such sparse material adds to the effective, clipped pacing of his music drama, and distinguishes his music from Verdi's technique of successive motivically-linked episodes. It is precisely this reverse of Verdi's motivic technique which is at the core of the new style. The scena framework, that is, a loose alternation of lyrical vs. conversational sections ending with an ensemble or finale, is replaced by an ongoing dramatic aesthetic with moments, not necessarily sections, of lyrical expression. The pacing, or breathing, of the work no longer hinges on the fluctuation of these dramatic/musical conventions, although their components continue to be used throughout. Rather the [97]
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pacing consists of a gradually increasing juxtaposition of dramatic/ musical polarities. The evolution to this new technique occurred gradually in Manon Lescaut. By the time Puccini composed Acts and (the last two acts composed, in that order), this new technique had blossomed into a conscious juxtaposition of motivic polarities, no longer expressed as active vs. passive, but rather as a gradual crystallization and reinforcement of the dramatic/musical identities in this opera: Manon's attraction to wealth vs. sincere love. As an organizing force, this technique functions on several levels. In the Act II reconciliation, the soprano, tenor and orchestra work through several different emotions: Manon deals with her guilt and desire while Des Grieux struggles with his anger and continuing attraction to Manon (all expressed motivically by the orchestra, occasionally supported by the singers). Avoiding the wandering episodic succession of beautiful melodies typical of the veristic school, Puccini drives towards (at least momentary) victory of one polarity via the above-discussed juxtaposing brackets of motivic recall and the gradual presentation of the full lyrical statement. On the way to attaining this full statement, the listener has traveled through some many-colored and not-so-clearcut nuances, thus achieving a yet more satisfying final arrival. The strategically clipped pacing and gradual juxtaposition of dramatic/musical polarities define the breakthrough to a new style, however unevenly employed in Manon Lescaut
French op?ra comique
As with late Verdi, Puccini used tonality to define dramatic section alization and to support the associations established by melodic/rhythmic material. However, Puccini's inspiration for his bittersweet chords (altered dominants, frozen sixths, and parallel augmented chords) and spare harmonic background was French op?ra comique, particularly the works of Jules Massenet. The delicate orchestral texture paired well with a more natural speech declamation, although Puccini avoided the fussy chromatic inflection in the voice sometimes heard in French op?ra comique. Puccini's even, diatonic vocal lines float over an essentially tonal orchestral texture replete with chromatic added tones. As mentioned above, the singers are free to converse or interject while the orchestra plays out the different levels of co-existing musical drama. Puccini's more realistic declamation is accompanied by a more realistic, less heroic and fantasy-like libretto (typical of the entire veristic school), taking as its original source Bizet's Carmen of 1875. Counterpoint [98]
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of significant motives to express dramatic action is yet another characteristic of this unusual French opera to be recalled 18 years later in Manon Lescaut.
ITALIAN WAGNERITES
Many of the characteristics already mentioned?chamber music texture, more naturalistic speech patterns, tonal organization without exact melodic repetition, and a general rejection of the traditional Italian set forms?were also typical of Boito and Catalani, the two major figures associated with ?wagnerism? in Italy. Such characteristics were beginning to form a common language in Italian opera with younger composers at the end of the century. The most ?Wagner-like? character istics adapted by the young Puccini were enharmonic modulation and Catalani's vigorous elaboration of orchestral motives along with extensive use of recalling and identifying themes. Like Catalani, Puccini experimented with modal harmonies, including parallel fifths in the orchestra in Act IV of Manon Lescaut, although these techniques were more prominently positioned in his subsequent opera, La Boh?me.
Giovane Scuola Italiana
Along with his peers in the Giovane Scuola Italiana of the 1890's, Puccini wrote beautiful, soaring, emotion-packed melodies and incorporated them into streamlined libretti with strong dramatic gestures. A crucial distinction of Puccini's first style is the tempered use of these melodies. As discussed above, they are presented gradually by the orchestra, given few full vocal statements, and are juxtaposed dramatically to create an increasingly intense texture of dramatically significant recalls. In the area of transitions between and unification of musical units, Puccini differed radically from Boito and Catalani, as well as from his peers in the Giovane Scuola Italiana, who often reverted to recitativo tremolo, parlante, or other marking time devices for the orchestra to fill in these gaps. There is no filler music in Puccini, which well matches the intensity of the dramatic style. The orchestra is either emphasizing past events in the light of the present situation via recall, or laying the groundwork for what will come (the incipient forms of later motives). Even in the choral parlante, the orchestra actively participates with [99]
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Table 2. Puccini, Manon Lescaut, Act II, Minuetto/Madrigale. mm. 382-392 D Major Lescaut: recitative [13] * Orchestra: Marion's aria mm. 393-398 on a/e Lescaut: recitative [13]+11 Orchestra: fifths (tuning up) mm. 399-423 D Major + Orchestra: minuet in 17th-century orchestration [13]+17 (the characters dance) mm. 424-453 D Major The Dancing Teacher: recitative [14] + Orchestra: variation on minuet [section in F-sharp Major] D Major Chorus [chromatic alterations/deceptive cadences] mm. 454-464 a minor The Dancing Teacher [16J+1 mm. 465-488 A Major Manon, Geronte, chorus [161+12 mm. 489-500 b minor Manon [19] [f-sharp minor] mm. 500-505 D Major Chorus [20] mm. 506-521 D major Manon, Geronte, chorus [21 ] + Orchestra: variation as at mm. 424-453 [section in F-sharp Major] D major 1893: the above section reduced to 8 measures
mm. 522-525 D Major dominant ninth orchestra: transition [22] mm. 526-541 G Major ? Manon: aria ?L'ora, O Tirsi? [22J+4 [1 st Strophe ends in D Major] [2nd strophe ends in G Major] 1908: chorus added; last phrase repeated mm. 542-549 G Major Manon, Geronte, chorus [23J-7 1908: the above section was cut
mm. 550-569 b/D/e/F Orchestra: transition [231+1 mm. 569.-579 F Major Geronte: recitative [24]+4 Orchestra: Manon's aria
dramatically significant motives, rather than with background music. Table 2 demonstrates how Puccini used the orchestral recall of two significant motives (Manon's aria ?L'ora, O Tirsi? and a variation on the Minuetto, identifying courtly love and ambience) to place an inner and outer bracket around the Minuetto/Madrigale scene of Act . Table 3 is a
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Table 3. Musical examples. MUSICAL EXAMPLE: FATE MOTIVE !
ACT I [22]+15/21 choral/orchestral transition as guests get off coach [25]-2 ending tag - extension of above [52]+15 orchestral transition to love encounter [53J-1 announces Manon's return ACT II [41J+3 orchestral variation under Manon's ?Liberi? ACT III beginning of variation in strings intermezzo ACT IV [4J+9 2nd half of 1st curse [61+5 extension of duet [8]-4 orchestral transition betwen 2nd curse and 1 st respite [91+7 prelude to aria [17] short episode between repose episodes; Manon: ?lo t'amo tanto e muoio? [23] final episodes: orchestra/Des Grieux: ?Senza de ti... perduto... ti seguir?!?
MUSICAL EXAMPLE: MANON MOTIVE
ACT I [27J+7 Manon: ?Manon Lescaut mi chiamo? [34] Des Grieux's aria: ?Manon Lescaut? ACT II [8]+12 in orchestra under Manon's ?Ei m'ha scordata!?? ACT III [10]+4 orchestra/Des Grieux: ?Fra poco mia sarai? ACT IV [24] orchestra/Manon: ?dimmi... la luminosa mia giovinezza? Il sol... pi? non... vedr??
MUSICAL EXAMPLE: LOVE MOTIVE ACTI [54]+3 orchestral counterpoint to Des Grieux [55] flute counterpoint to Manon [55]+17 Des Grieux/orchestra [57] Manon/Des Grieux/orchestra [61 j+12 orchestral transition ACT II [33]+10 in orchestra while Des Grieux sings: ?lo t'amo? (part of love duet) ACT III [9]+10 in orchestra while Manon (from the prison window) sings: ?Tu... amore!??
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Table 3. (Cont.) MUSICAL EXAMPLE: DESTINO MOTIVE
ACT II [34J+4 Des Grieux/orchestra: ?Nel occhio tuo profondo io leggo il mio destin? [36] Manon/Des Grieux/orchestra INTERMEZZO [6]-1 in orchestra truncated [6]+4 in orchestra used as cadence ACT III [15] orchestral transition (during attempted escape) [28] closing peroration in orchestra ACT IV [9]+12 in orchestra at end of aria prelude
MUSICAL EXAMPLE: ACT IV - GENTLY EXPANDING CADENCE MOTIVE
ACT I [54]+15-17 orchestral transition under Des Grieux: ?questo disdegno melanconico!? between orchestral statements of love motive ACT IV [1 ]-1 orchestra/Des Grieux: ?la strada maladetta al termine s'avanza? [1 j+6-8 orchestral transition while Manon sings: ?Erra la brezza nella gran pianura? [2]+14 orchestrar transition [7]-3 orchestral transition (fortissimo) [8]-1 orchestral transition [19]-1 to +1 orchestral transition
non-exhaustive listing of some of the hearings of just five of the over 60 dramatically significant motives or themes which give cohesion to this opera. Putting aside the clear statements sung by both soloist and orchestra and the occasional orchestral peroration, we see the preponder ance of recall at points where earlier generations of opera composers put filler music?dramatically insignificant connections or background music. Whereas continuous orchestral texture was part of the common language of opera by 1893, continuous motivic significance was not, and in this particular area, Puccini reflected closely the aesthetic not necessarily of the Italian Wagnerites, but of Wagner himself. In fact, in composing Manon Lescaut, Puccini struggled with two major areas: balance and transitions, both of which affect the pacing, that is, the breathing, of both music and drama. Writing in a musical style highly charged with dramatic significance, Puccini was sensitive to the
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This content downloaded from 132.174.255.206 on Tue, 26 Feb 2019 19:12:18 UTC All use subject to https://about.jstor.org/terms NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INFLUENCES ON... PUCCINI. 3215 pitfalls of a string of ultra-dramatic miniatures lacking a cohesive force. Therefore we find in his compositional process, a constant revision of the succession of elements and a rethinking of the transitions in this constant search for balance and cohesion. Using short, juxtaposing, yet significant transitions and brackets, Puccini created a ?braided? complex, where certain elements surface only briefly and periodically, yet their presence lends continuity and cohesiveness to the work as a whole. Puccini's first work in his new style, therefore, reflects the national and international conventions of the 1890's, yet imposes on that common language a disciplined dramatic focus, most evident in his manipulation of a continuous musical/dramatic significance.
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