A useful technical analysis of the vocal writing, with consideration of French
influences, delineations of melody types, and descriptions of writing for differ-
ent voice types.- Carner, Mosco. “The Exotic Element in Puccini.” MQ22-2 (January 1936):
45–67.
Examines Butterfly, La fanciulla del West,and Turandotto find the rhythmic,
melodic, harmonic, and instrumental features that contribute to their exoticism. - Budden, Julian. “La dissociazione del Leitmotivnelle opere di Puccini.” In
Giacomo Puccini(#1441), 452–466.
In Puccini’s hands the Leitmotivis made flexible: “a prism that emits various
colors in accord with the way it is placed, changing meaning along with the
instrumentation; there is no time in his operatic style for long Wagnerian rumi-
nations.” - Weaver, William. “Puccini’s Manon and His Other Heroines.” In Puccini
Companion(#1442), 111–121.
Women in the Puccini stories are rather alike, given to exaggerated hopes and a
poor grip on reality. They are only “superficially moral,” and they die unre-
deemed. Turandot is an exceptional case—still standing at the end. - Martino, Daniele A. Catastrofe sentimentali: Puccini e la sindrome puccini-
ana.Turin: Edizioni di Torino, 1993. 141p. ISBN 88-7063-185-0. ML410
.P97 M377.
Each opera is found to have a perfect blend of sentiments, conflicts, suffering,
and catharsis: that is the syndrome. (Martino discovers the same combination
in the works of other composers as well, so it might as well be the “opera syn-
drome.”) He also looks for gender stereotyping and notes that the heroines are
similar, except for Turandot, who is thus classed as “superwoman”: “la donna
inesistente.” Backnotes, name and title index. - Greenwald, Helen M. “Character Distinction and Rhythmic Differentiation in
Puccini’s Operas.” In Giacomo Puccini(#1441), 495–515.
Rhythm and meter are dramatic and structural devices that “shape the para-
meters of scenes, delineate characters, and even express the cultural and psy-
chological roots of the drama.” This study focuses on the women. Their first
entrances nearly all have “rhythmic punctuation.” It gets complicated: in But-
terfly, where Puccini “juxtaposes the anapest (typical of Japanese music) with
other metric and formal configurations to define the respective sexual and psy-
chological milieux of Cio-Cio San and Pinkerton.” There is also attention to
waltzes and other dances. - Greenwald, Helen M. “Realism on the Opera Stage: Belasco, Puccini, and the
California Sunset.” In Opera in Context(#288), 279–296.
Introduction of electric lighting was a major factor in production, contributing
to realism by clarifying time, place, and mood. Producer/playwright/director
David Belasco (1853–1931), a pioneer of modern staging, was sensitive to
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