- Korfmacher, Peter. Exotismus in Giacomo Puccinis “Turandot.”Cologne:
Dohr, 1993. 243p. ISBN 3-925366-13-4. ML410 .P97 K84.
A history of the myth and its manifestations in Europe, connected to a genesis
of the opera. The emphasis is on explicating the exotic atmosphere of the score
and of other scores at the time. Bibliography, index. - Powers, Harold S. “Dal padre alla principessa: Riorientamento tonale nel
finale primo della Turandot.” In Giacomo Puccini(#1441), 259–280.
Comments on the Atlas-Parker controversy (#1484) about composer transpo-
sitions and their impact on tonal design. Powers disagrees with both of them
but favors the view that the composer knew what he was doing. In Turandot,
Puccini transposed the finale of act 1 from G major/E minor to G-flat major/E-
flat minor. In doing so, he realigned one relationship and strengthened two
others, making a stronger link to the enigma scene of the second act. He did
not annul the role of the tonal design he had written originally but subordi-
nated that design to another consideration, so that the finale to act 1 is still
part of the tonal web but in modo diverso. The change was in no way casual.
Later thoughts by Powers on the transposition issues are in #2475. - Casali, Patrick Vincent. “The Pronunciation of Turandot: Puccini’s Last
Enigma.” OQ13-4 (Summer 1997): 77–92.
Why is the final “t” silent in all the early recordings? Rosa Raisa—who created
the title role—clearly said in a 1962 interview that it had to be silent, claiming
both Puccini and Toscanini had said so. Casali says Puccini’s contemporaries all
agreed on the silent “t.” But in a 1961 Metropolitan performance and recording
the “t” is sounded. It is also heard in later recordings and in German-language
recordings of all periods. The essay offers a tabulation of the silent and sounded
“t” in recorded performances. Puccini’s verse (#1505) is not mentioned.
Le villi- Budden, Julian. “The Genesis and Literary Source of Giacomo Puccini’s First
Opera.” COJ1-1 (March 1989): 79–85.
Offers a summary of the story on which the work seems to have been based,
Alphonse Karr’s story Le Willis,and presents a genesis account. Librettist Fer-
dinando Fontana made a one-act opera of it, and Puccini set it in accord with
the paradigmatic Italian style of the time, more Germanic than melodic.
Daniel Purcell (1660–1717)
- Barstow, Robert Squire. “The Theatre Music of Daniel Purcell.” Ph.D. diss.,
Ohio State U., 1968. 2v.
Daniel was the brother of Henry Purcell.
Henry Purcell (1659–1695)
Editions
1511.The Works of Henry Purcell. Ed. Margaret Laurie et al. London: Novello,
1959–1979. 32v. M3 .P98 1959.286 Opera