Giacomo Puccini's Gianni Schicchi BACKGROUND

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Giacomo Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi BACKGROUND There is some debate over whether Giacomo Puccini or librettist Giovacchino Forzano had the idea of basing an opera on the brief passage of Dante’s Inferno describing the wily rogue who cheated the poet’s own relatives out of a considerable fortune. Forzano completed the libretto in June 1917, and Puccini began working on it immediately before setting it aside to finish Suor Angelica , which would become the second part of Il trittico. Il trittico , the trio of short operas encompassing Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi , premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1918 to mixed reviews, with Gianni Schicchi the most well-received. Though usually present at all his premieres, Puccini did not attend. (The lingering presence of mines made the transatlantic journey dangerous so soon after the conclusion of World War I.) Thus, the Met’s General Manager Giulio Gatti-Casazza sent him a telegram following the performance: “Most happy to announce the complete authentic success of the Trittico . At the end of each opera long very sincere demonstrations more than forty warm curtain calls altogether. In spite of public notice forbidding encores by insistence Lauretta’s aria [“O mio babbino caro”] was repeated. Principal strength Moranzoni magnificent. Farrar Muzio Easton De Luca Montesanto Didur incomparable singers and actors. Daily press confirms success expressing itself very favourably on worth of the operas enthusiastically for Schicchi .” Though Il trittico was performed in its entirety a few times, Suor Angelica and Il tabarro gradually faded into the background, while the more popular Gianni Schicchi , with memorable arias like “O mio babbino caro,” was billed with short operas by other composers, such as Cavalleria Rusticana or Pagliacci. It remains one of the masterpieces of Italian comedy. Washington National Opera www.dc-opera.org 202.295.2400 · 800.US.OPERA .

Copy Link

Recommended publications

10-12-2019 Turandot Mat.Indd
Synopsis Act I Legendary Peking. Outside the Imperial Palace, a mandarin reads an edict to the crowd: Any prince seeking to marry Princess Turandot must answer three riddles. If he fails, he will die. The most recent suitor, the Prince of Persia, is to be executed at the moon’s rising. Among the onlookers are the slave girl Liù, her aged master, and the young Calàf, who recognizes the old man as his long-lost father, Timur, vanquished King of Tartary. Only Liù has remained faithful to the king, and when Calàf asks her why, she replies that once, long ago, Calàf smiled at her. The mob cries for blood but greets the rising moon with a sudden fearful reverence. As the Prince of Persia goes to his death, the crowd calls upon the princess to spare him. Turandot appears in her palace and wordlessly orders the execution to proceed. Transfixed by the beauty of the unattainable princess, Calàf decides to win her, to the horror of Liù and Timur. Three ministers of state, Ping, Pang, and Pong, appear and also try to discourage him, but Calàf is unmoved. He reassures Liù, then strikes the gong that announces a new suitor. Act II Within their private apartments, Ping, Pang, and Pong lament Turandot’s bloody reign, hoping that love will conquer her and restore peace. Their thoughts wander to their peaceful country homes, but the noise of the crowd gathering to witness the riddle challenge calls them back to reality. In the royal throne room, the old emperor asks Calàf to reconsider, but the young man will not be dissuaded.
[Show full text]
Gianni Schicchi De Giacomo Puccini: Los Semiomotivos
2015 32 Iciar Nadal García Gianni Schicchi de Giacomo Puccini: los semiomotivos Departamento Lingüística General e Hispánica Director/es Pueo Domínguez, Juan Carlos Blesa Lalinde, José Ángel Tesis Doctoral Autor Director/es UNIVERSIDAD DE ZARAGOZA Repositorio de la Universidad de Zaragoza – Zaguan http://zaguan.unizar.es Departamento Director/es Tesis Doctoral GIANNI SCHICCHI DE GIACOMO PUCCINI: LOS SEMIOMOTIVOS Autor Iciar Nadal García Director/es Pueo Domínguez, Juan Carlos Blesa Lalinde, José Ángel UNIVERSIDAD DE ZARAGOZA Lingüística General e Hispánica 2009 Repositorio de la Universidad de Zaragoza – Zaguan http://zaguan.unizar.es Departamento Director/es Tesis Doctoral Autor Director/es UNIVERSIDAD DE ZARAGOZA Repositorio de la Universidad de Zaragoza – Zaguan http://zaguan.unizar.es GIANNI SCHICCHI DE GIACOMO PUCCINI: LOS SEMIOMOTIVOS Tesis Doctoral Presentada por Icíar Nadal García para optar al título de doctora Codirectores de la Tesis: Dr. D. José Ángel Blesa Lalinde, Universidad de Zaragoza Dr. D. Juan Carlos Pueo Domínguez, Universidad de Zaragoza Área de Teoría de la literatura y literatura comparada Departamento de Lingüística General e Hispánica Universidad de Zaragoza GIANNI SCHICCHI DE GIACOMO PUCCINI: LOS SEMIOMOTIVOS Icíar Nadal García Vº Bº Los codirectores de la tesis Fdo. Dr. Jose Ángel Blesa Lalinde Fdo. Dr. Juan Carlos Pueo Domínguez AGRADECIMIENTOS Al terminar de redactar la investigación desarrollada hasta hoy, me siento afortunada por haber encontrado tantas personas generosas y de tan gran calidad. Quiero agradecer la ayuda de los codirectores de la tesis, José Ángel Blesa y Juan Carlos Pueo, mis maestros en estos últimos años. Su asesoramiento científico, su exigencia y su entusiasmo durante este proceso, han sido decisivos.
[Show full text]
We Are Proud to Offer to You the Largest Catalog of Vocal Music in The
Dear Reader: We are proud to offer to you the largest catalog of vocal music in the world. It includes several thousand publications: classical,musical theatre, popular music, jazz,instructional publications, books,videos and DVDs. We feel sure that anyone who sings,no matter what the style of music, will find plenty of interesting and intriguing choices. Hal Leonard is distributor of several important publishers. The following have publications in the vocal catalog: Applause Books Associated Music Publishers Berklee Press Publications Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company Cherry Lane Music Company Creative Concepts DSCH Editions Durand E.B. Marks Music Editions Max Eschig Ricordi Editions Salabert G. Schirmer Sikorski Please take note on the contents page of some special features of the catalog: • Recent Vocal Publications – complete list of all titles released in 2001 and 2002, conveniently categorized for easy access • Index of Publications with Companion CDs – our ever expanding list of titles with recorded accompaniments • Copyright Guidelines for Music Teachers – get the facts about the laws in place that impact your life as a teacher and musician. We encourage you to visit our website: www.halleonard.com. From the main page,you can navigate to several other areas,including the Vocal page, which has updates about vocal publications. Searches for publications by title or composer are possible at the website. Complete table of contents can be found for many publications on the website. You may order any of the publications in this catalog from any music retailer. Our aim is always to serve the singers and teachers of the world in the very best way possible.
[Show full text]
Puccini Il Tabarro
Puccini Il Tabarro MELODY MOORE · BRIAN JAGDE · LESTER LYNCH MDR LEIPZIG RADIO CHOIR · DRESDNER PHILHARMONIE MAREK JANOWSKI Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) Giorgetta Melody Moore, Soprano Il Tabarro (1918) Michele Lester Lynch, Baritone Opera in one act Luigi Brian Jagde, Tenor Libretto: Giuseppe Adami Un venditore di canzonette Khanyiso Gwenxane, Tenor Frugola Roxana Constantinescu, Mezzo-soprano 1 Introduzione 2. 02 Tinca Simeon Esper, Tenor 2 O Michele? (Giorgetta, Michele, Scaricatori) 2. 07 Talpa Martin-Jan Nijhof, Bass 3 Si soffoca, padrona! (Luigi, Giorgetta, Tinca, Talpa) 2. 11 Voce di Sopranino & 4 Ballo con la padrona!(Tinca, Luigi, Giorgetta, Talpa, Michele) 1. 35 Un’amante Joanne Marie D’Mello, Soprano 5 Perché? (Giorgetta, Un venditore di canzonette, Michele, Midinettes) 3. 21 Voce di Tenorino & 6 Conta ad ore le giornate (Midinettes, Frugola, Giorgetta) 3. 56 Un amante Yongkeun Kim, Tenor 7 To’! guarda la mia vecchia! (Talpa, Frugola, Michele, Luigi, Tinca) 1. 21 8 Hai ben raggione; meglio non pensare (Luigi) 2. 22 MDR Leipzig Radio Choir 9 Segui il mio esempio (Tinca, Talpa, Frugola, Giorgetta, Luigi) 2. 32 Chorus Master: Jörn Hinnerk Andresen 10 Belleville è il suolo e il nostro mondo! (Giorgetta, Luigi) 2. 29 11 Adesso ti capisco (Frugola, Talpa, Luigi, Voce di Sopranino, Voce di Tenorino) 2. 22 Dresdner Philharmonie 12 O Luigi! Luigi! (Giorgetta, Luigi) 1. 30 Concertmaster: Wolfgang Hentrich 13 Come? Non sei andato? (Michele, Luigi, Giorgetta) 1. 13 Assistant Conductor: Andreas Henning 14 Dimmi: perché gli hai chiesto di sbarcarti a Rouen? (Giorgetta, Luigi, Michele) 4. 36 15 Perché non vai a letto? (Michele, Giorgetta) 7.
[Show full text]
Male Zwischenfächer Voices and the Baritenor Conundrum Thaddaeus Bourne University of Connecticut - Storrs, [email protected]
University of Connecticut OpenCommons@UConn Doctoral Dissertations University of Connecticut Graduate School 4-15-2018 Male Zwischenfächer Voices and the Baritenor Conundrum Thaddaeus Bourne University of Connecticut - Storrs, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations Recommended Citation Bourne, Thaddaeus, "Male Zwischenfächer Voices and the Baritenor Conundrum" (2018). Doctoral Dissertations. 1779. https://opencommons.uconn.edu/dissertations/1779 Male Zwischenfächer Voices and the Baritenor Conundrum Thaddaeus James Bourne, DMA University of Connecticut, 2018 This study will examine the Zwischenfach colloquially referred to as the baritenor. A large body of published research exists regarding the physiology of breathing, the acoustics of singing, and solutions for specific vocal faults. There is similarly a growing body of research into the system of voice classification and repertoire assignment. This paper shall reexamine this research in light of baritenor voices. After establishing the general parameters of healthy vocal technique through appoggio, the various tenor, baritone, and bass Fächer will be studied to establish norms of vocal criteria such as range, timbre, tessitura, and registration for each Fach. The study of these Fächer includes examinations of the historical singers for whom the repertoire was created and how those roles are cast by opera companies in modern times. The specific examination of baritenors follows the same format by examining current and
[Show full text]
Ceriani Rowan University Email: [email protected]
Nineteenth-Century Music Review, 14 (2017), pp 211–242. © Cambridge University Press, 2016 doi:10.1017/S1479409816000082 First published online 8 September 2016 Romantic Nostalgia and Wagnerismo During the Age of Verismo: The Case of Alberto Franchetti* Davide Ceriani Rowan University Email: [email protected] The world premiere of Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana on 17 May 1890 immediately became a central event in Italy’s recent operatic history. As contemporary music critic and composer, Francesco D’Arcais, wrote: Maybe for the first time, at least in quite a while, learned people, the audience and the press shared the same opinion on an opera. [Composers] called upon to choose the works to be staged, among those presented for the Sonzogno [opera] competition, immediately picked Mascagni’s Cavalleria rusticana as one of the best; the audience awarded this composer triumphal honours, and the press 1 unanimously praised it to the heavens. D’Arcais acknowledged Mascagni’smeritsbut,inthesamearticle,alsourgedcaution in too enthusiastically festooning the work with critical laurels: the dangers of excessive adulation had already become alarmingly apparent in numerous ill-starred precedents. In the two decades prior to its premiere, several other Italian composers similarly attained outstanding critical and popular success with a single work, but were later unable to emulate their earlier achievements. Among these composers were Filippo Marchetti (Ruy Blas, 1869), Stefano Gobatti (IGoti, 1873), Arrigo Boito (with the revised version of Mefistofele, 1875), Amilcare Ponchielli (La Gioconda, 1876) and Giovanni Bottesini (Ero e Leandro, 1879). Once again, and more than a decade after Bottesini’s one-hit wonder, D’Arcais found himself wondering whether in Mascagni ‘We [Italians] have finally [found] … the legitimate successor to [our] great composers, the person 2 who will perpetuate our musical glory?’ This hoary nationalist interrogative returned in 1890 like an old-fashioned curse.
[Show full text]
Sailing on Seas of Uncertainties: Late Style and Puccini's Struggle for Self
International Journal of Ageing and Later Life, 2008 3(1): 77Á95. # The Authors Sailing on seas of uncertainties: late style and Puccini’s struggle for self-renewal By AMIR COHEN-SHALEV Abstract The popularity of Puccini’s melodramatic operas, often derided by ‘‘serious’’ musicologists, has hindered a more rounded evaluation of his attempt at stylistic change. This paper offers a novel perspective of life- span creativedevelopment in order to move the discussion of Puccini beyond the dichotomy of popular versus high-brow culture. Tracing the aspects of gradual stylistic change that began in The Girl from the Golden West (1910) through the three operas of Il Trittico: Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi (1918Á1919), the paper then focuses on Puccini’s last opera, Turandot (1926), as exemplifying a potential turn to a reflexive, philosophical style which is very different from the melodramatic, sentimentalist style generally associated with his work. In order to discuss this change as embodying a turn to late style, the paper identifies major stylistic shifts as well as underlying themes in the work of Puccini. The paper concludes by discussing the case of Puccini as a novel contribution to the discussion of lateness in art, until now reserved to a selected few ‘‘old Masters.’’ Keywords: Puccini, late style, life-span development, creativity. Amir Cohen-Shalev, Department of Gerontology, University of Haifa, Israel. 77 International Journal of Ageing and Later Life Beloved and popular, the operas of Giacomo Puccini have at the same time been derided by more ‘‘serious’’ musicologists as the product of a decadent, bourgeois society (Greenwald 1993).
[Show full text]
La Fanciulla Del West Recital
La Stagione d’Opera è realizzata con il contributo di In collaborazione con Soci Fondatori Teatro Donizetti di Bergamo Teatro Grande di Brescia Teatro Sociale di Como Teatro Ponchielli di Cremona Teatro Fraschini di Pavia La Fanciulla Recital del West d’Opera G. PUCCINI La Fanciulla del West Recital d’opera di Guelfo Civinini e Carlo Zangarini tratto dal dramma The girl of the Golden West di David Belasco musica di GIACOMO PUCCINI con Rebeka Lokar, soprano Angelo Villari, tenore Devid Cecconi, baritono accompagnati al pianoforte dal Maestro Valerio Galli Progamma dall’Atto Primo Introduzione (pianoforte) Ti voglio bene, Minnie (Cecconi - Lokar) Mister Johnson, siete rimasto indietro (Lokar -Villari) dall’Atto Secondo Un bacio, un bacio almen (Lokar -Villari) Vieni fuori, vieni fuor! (Lokar- Villari- Cecconi) dall’Atto Terzo Risparmiate lo scherno. Ch’ella mi creda (Villari -Cecconi) Nell’ambito della Stagione Opera 2020 OperaLombardia vuole continuare a sostenere gli artisti e le maestranze dello spettacolo, oltre a mantenere forte e vivo il legame con il proprio pubblico anche attraverso i nuovi sistemi di comunicazione. Sarà un omaggio all’opera di Giacomo Puccini. Gli interpreti principali di quella che sarà una produzione 2021 al Teatro Grande di Brescia, presentano in forma di concerto i momenti più significativi dell’opera. Durata: un’ora senza intervallo La Fanciulla del West a prima della Fanciulla del West, settimo titolo nella produzione di Puccini, andò in scena il 10 dicembre del 1910 al Metropolitan Ldi New York: sul podio
[Show full text]
Il Trittico 301
Recondite Harmony: Il Trittico 301 Recondite Harmony: the Operas of Puccini Chapter 12: Il Trittico: amore, dolore—e buonumore “Love and suffering were born with the world.” [L’amore e il dolore sono nati col mondo] Giacomo Puccini, letter to Luigi Illica, 8 Oct 19121 Puccini’s operatic triptych, Il Trittico, is comprised of the three one-act operas: Il tabarro, a story of illicit love; Suor Angelica, a tale of a nun’s suffering at the loss of her illegitimate child; and Gianni Schicchi, a dark comedy in which both love and loss are given a morbidly humorous twist. The Trittico2 was always intended by the composer to be performed in a single evening, and it will be treated as a tripartite entity in this chapter. The first two editions, from 1918 and 1919, group all three works together, which was at Puccini’s insistence. In an unpublished letter to Carlo Clausetti, dated 3 July 1918, the composer reveals how he clashed with publisher Tito Ricordi over this issue: There remained the question of the editions—that is, [Tito Ricordi] spoke of them immediately and pacified me by saying that they will publish the works together and separately. But I think that he was not truthful because the separated ones will never see the light of day. And what will happen with the enumeration? There will certainly not be two types of clichets [printing plates], one with numbers progressing through the three operas, and the other with numbers for each score, starting from number one. So, he deceived me.3 1 Eugenio Gara.
[Show full text]
Il Trittico Pucciniano
GIACOMO PUCCINI IL TRITTICO PUCCINIANO Il trittico viene rappresentato per la prima volta al Teatro Metropolitan di New York il 14 dicembre 1918. Il tabarro - Luigi Montesanto (Michele); Giulio Crimi (Luigi), Claudia Muzio (Giorgetta); Suor Angelica - Geraldine Farrar (Suor Angelica), Flora Perini (Zia Principessa); Gianni Schicchi - Giuseppe de Luca (Gianni Schicchi), Florence Easton (Lauretta), Giulio Crimi (Rinuccio); direttore d'orchestra Roberto Moranzoni. La prima italiana ha luogo, meno d'un mese dopo, al Teatro Costanzi (odierno Teatro dell'opera di Roma) l'undici gennaio 1919, sotto la prestigiosa direzione di Gino Marinuzzi, fra gli interpreti principali: Gilda dalla Rizza, Carlo Galeffi, Edoardo de Giovanni, Maria Labia, Matilde Bianca Sadun. L'idea d'un "Trittico" - inizialmente Puccini aveva pensato a tre soggetti tratti dalla Commedia dantesca, poi a tre racconti di autori diversi - si fa strada nella mente del Maestro almeno un decennio prima, già a partire dal 1905, subito a ridosso di Madama Butterfly. Tuttavia, sia questo progetto sia quello d'una "fantomatica" Maria Antonietta (che, come si sa, non fu mai realizzata) vengono per il momento accantonati in favore della Fanciulla del West (1910). La fantasia pucciniana è rivisitata dall'immagine d'un possibile "trittico" nel 1913, proprio mentre proseguono - gli incontri con Gabriele D'Annunzio per una possibile Crociata dei fanciulli...... Infatti, proprio nel febbraio di quello stesso anno Puccini è ripreso dall'urgenza del "trittico": immediatamente avvia il lavoro sul primo dei libretti che viene tratto da La Houppelande, un atto unico, piuttosto grandguignolesco, di Didier Gold, cui il compositore aveva assistito, pochi mesi prima, in un teatro parigino: sarà Il tabarro, abilmente ridotto a libretto da Giuseppe Adami.
[Show full text]
The Morgan to Display Original Manuscripts from Madama Butterfly and La Bohème in New Exhibition on Giacomo Puccini
Press Contacts Patrick Milliman 212.590.0310, [email protected] Sandra Ho 212.590.0311, [email protected] THE MORGAN TO DISPLAY ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS FROM MADAMA BUTTERFLY AND LA BOHÈME IN NEW EXHIBITION ON GIACOMO PUCCINI SHOW MARKS 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT COMPOSER’S BIRTH Celebrating Puccini on View September 15, 2009, through January 10, 2010 New York, NY, July 24, 2009—The life and art of one of opera’s iconic figures, composer Giacomo Puccini, is the subject of a new exhibition opening September 15 at The Morgan Library & Museum. On view are approximately forty items related to Puccini’s career, including rarely seen original sketches for his acclaimed operas Madama Butterfly and La Bohème. The exhibition celebrates the 150th anniversary (2008– 09) of Puccini’s birth in Lucca, Italy, on December 22, 1858. The show runs through January 10, 2010. In addition to original manuscripts, the exhibition also includes a display of first-edition librettos, personal letters, a period poster and playbills, souvenir postcards, and rare material linked to Puccini’s relationship with such legends as Enrico Caruso and Arturo Toscanini. The exhibition is drawn almost exclusively from the Morgan’s extensive music holdings, including the Cary, Heineman, and Fuld collections, as well as the Robert Owen Lehman Collection, which is on deposit at the Morgan. “The Morgan is delighted to bring to life this major figure in operatic history,” said William M. Griswold, director of the Morgan. “So many of Giacomo Puccini , La Bohème, sketches for Act IV, 1895.The Dannie and Hettie Heineman Collection. Heineman MS 173B.
[Show full text]
Puccini's Gianni Schicchi
Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi - A survey by Ralph Moore Having already surveyed the first two operas in Puccini’s triptych Il trittico, I conclude with the last instalment, Gianni Schicchi. There are nearly fifty recordings if live recordings are counted but despite the claim on the Wikipedia that it “has been widely recorded”, it enjoys no more studio recordings than its two companion pieces. I survey below eleven, consisting of all nine studio accounts plus two mono radio broadcasts all in Italian; I am not considering any live recordings or those in German, as the average listener will want to hear the original text in good sound. The plot may be based on a cautionary tale from Dante’s Inferno about Schicchi’s damnation for testamentary falsification but its comic treatment by librettist Giovacchino Forzano, in the commedia dell'arte tradition, makes it a suitably cheery conclusion to a highly diverse operatic evening consisting of a sequence which begins with a gloomy, violent melodrama, moves on to a heart-rending tear-jerker and ends with this high farce. It is still genuinely funny and doubtless the advent of surtitles has enhanced its accessibility to non-Italian audiences, just as non-Italian speakers need a libretto to appreciate it fully when listening. This was Puccini’s only comic opera and satirises the timeless theme of the feigned grief and greed of potential heirs. The starring role is that of the resourceful arch-schemer and cunning impostor Gianni Schicchi but the contributions of both the soprano and tenor, although comparatively small, are important, as each has a famous, set piece aria, and for that reason neither part can be under-cast.
[Show full text]