Puccini and The Girl: History and Reception of The Girl of the Golden WestSet in the American West during the California Gold Rush, La fanciulla del West marked a significant departure from Giacomo Puccini's previous and best- known works. Puccini and the Girl is the first book to explore this important but often misunderstood opera that became the earliest work by a major European composer to receive an American premiere when it opened at New York's Metropolitan Opera House in 1910. Adapted from American playwright David Belasco's Broadway production, The Girl of the Golden West, Fanciulla was Puccini's most consciously modern work, and its Met debut received mixed reviews. Annie J. Randall and Rosalind Gray Davis base their account of its creation on previously unknown letters from Puccini to his main librettist, Carlo Zangarini. They mine musical materials, newspaper accounts, and rare photographs and illustrations to tell the full story of this controversial opera. Puccini and the Girl considers the production and reception of Puccini's "cowboy" opera in the light of contemporary criticism, providing both fascinating insight into its history and a look to the future as its centenary approaches. “Engrossing. . . . An eminently readable, ideally direct and information-packed book.”—William Fregosi, Opera Today |
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Abetone Adami appendix aria audience Billy Bohème Bologna Boscolungo Budden Carlo Zangarini Carner Caro Carteggi pucciniani Caruso chapter characters Ciao composer composer's conductor Corriere della sera CREATING THE OPERA CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES David Belasco Destinn director Doria Dorothy Kirsten dramatic Elvira fanciulla del West February Giacomo Puccini Girardi Girl Giulio Golden West Guelfo Civinini Ibid Illica International Art Italian Jake Wallace January Johnson July kiss La Bohème letter to Zangarini librettist libretto Lucca Madama Butterfly Maestro Manon matinee melody Metropolitan Opera Milan Milano Postmarked miners Minnie Minnie's motif Native American newspaper November October Opera Company OPERATIZING AMERICA orchestral performance Plácido Domingo Polka Postmarked as sent premiere production Puccini among Friends Puccini MGC Puccini wrote Rance Rance's redemption rehearsals Scala Seligman sexual sing Sonora stage story Teatro Theatre theme third act tion Tito Ricordi Torre del Lago Tosca TOSCANA Toscanini translation University Press western Wowkle York Zanga