Tosca's Prism: Three Moments of Western Cultural HistoryDeborah Burton, Susan Vandiver Nicassio, Agostino Ziino Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, which premiered in Rome in 1900, is one of the most popular operas in the repertory. Based on Victorien Sardou's play La Tosca, the enduring tale of love, lust, jealousy, and politics takes place in the specific setting and time of the Eternal City in June 1800, and draws on the historical events following the fall of the Roman republic. In this extraordinary collection, distinguished musicologists, historians, theater professionals, and luminaries of the operatic stage reflect on three diverse moments of European history - 1800, 1900, 2000 - through the refracting prism of Puccini's Tosca, providing multidimensional images of each period from a wide range of perspectives. |
Contents
Forewords | ix |
The Napoleonic Legacy in Italy 3 | xviii |
The Life and Times of Domenico Puccini | 19 |
The Protagonists and the Principal Phases of | 67 |
From One Tosca to Another | 85 |
Victorien Sardou and the Legend of Marengo | 94 |
The Two Toscas | 114 |
Musical and Literary Imagery | 121 |
Guide Themes and Reminiscences in Puccinis Tosca | 167 |
Puccinis Music in the Italian Theoretical Literature | 221 |
The Eternal Politics of Tosca | 249 |
Bivalent Harmony and Vocal Calculations | 264 |
A Discussion among | 281 |
A Comparative Overview of the Structures | 297 |
About the Contributors | 311 |
| 317 | |
The Political and Cultural Worlds of Puccinis | 135 |
Tosca Act II and the Secret Identity of F | 147 |
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Common terms and phrases
Adapted from Giacomo Alaleona Analysis of Puccini's Angelotti anticlericalism appoggiaturas Archivio Storico aria army Attavanti audience Austrian battle Bohème Bonaparte cantata Carteggi pucciniani Casa Ricordi Castel Sant'Angelo Cavaradossi century chord church composer Copyist Deborah Burton Deum Domenico Puccini drama Editors Example Farnese final France Francesi French Gara Giacomo Puccini Giovanni Giovanni Paisiello Giulio Ricordi Giuseppe Giacosa historical Ibid Illica Italian Italy Jacobin Kleine-Ahlbrandt La Tosca Lazzari Lazzaroni letter librettists libretto lover Lucca Luigi major Marengo Maria Carolina Mario Mélas minor modern motive musicale musicians Naples Napoleon Napoli Neapolitan Paisiello Paris piano-vocal score Milan political Puccini's music Puccini's opera Puccini's Tosca Repubblica romana Risorgimento Rivista Roma Rome Sant'Andrea Sant'Andrea della Valle Sardou's play Scala Scarpia scene Sciarrone Setaccioli sheet sing Spoletta Storia Storico di Casa Studi Te Deum Teatro theater theme tion tonal Torre del Lago tutta tutto Victorien Sardou victory whole-tone wrote