Puccini: A Biography [Hardcover]

The life of Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) has been frequently rehearsed in biographies and sketches, but seldom with the thoroughness that Phillips-Matz, who authored Verdi, the esteemed biography of the other Italian opera master, brings to it. With an intimate knowledge of the Italian scene, a lifetime's experience in writing about opera and interviewing its practitioners, she has unearthed many new documents and letters that help fill out the picture of a composer highly successful in his lifetime but remarkably lacking in self-assurance. Puccini developed early, aided in great measure by his publisher, Ricordi, who invested heavily in him from the start; seldom has an artist owed so much to a helpful businessman. There are those who feel Puccini never matured beyond those perpetual audience-pleasers, La Boheme, Madama Butterfly and Tosca, but it was not for lack of trying, and both La Fanciulla del West and Turandot were attempts at larger statements. Puccini's relations with his ever-shifting cast of librettists were always in a state of crisis, and he often seemed unable to convey to them quite what he wanted. His domestic relations were even more chaotic. Married early to a woman who cast an eagle eye on his constant flirtations, Puccini seems often to have been a prisoner in his own home; his wife even drove one imagined paramour to suicide. Infatuated all his life with the glamour of speed, Puccini reveled in fast cars and motorboats, though one car crash nearly killed him; otherwise he loved nothing better than to hunt with country friends in the lonely Florentine marshes. This is an exemplary portrait, casting much new light on a generally shadowy figure. Illus. not seen by PW.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The literature on Puccini continues to grow with these two books. Italian-born Budden (The Operas of Verdi) here synthesizes Puccini's musical endeavors with his life. Using a straightforward, chronological approach, giving exact dates when possible, he treats each opera in a separate chapter, devoting much space to character and plot and citing contemporary reviews and subsequent reception. He also mentions Puccini's other instrumental and vocal compositions. Informed lay readers will gain insight while theoreticians will appreciate Budden's deeper musical analysis. His elegant turns of phrase ("rhythmic scaffolding") and obvious expertise combine in an exceptional whole, though a few Britishisms may confuse American readers. A list of works, useful biographical information on personalities mentioned in the text, and a strong bibliography round out the volume. Michele Girardi's recently translated Puccini: His International Art is similar, with even more specific treatment of musical passages. Highly recommended for academic and music collections, as well as sophisticated clients at public libraries. Phillips-Matz (Verdi: A Biography) discusses Puccini as if she were telling the life story of a valued friend. She remarks on premieres, casts, and critical reception of the works but says little about the music itself. However, she does expand upon the personal issues touched on by Budden (e.g., the Doria Manfredi incident). She also sets a cultural context with historical descriptions of the Tuscan region and extensive information on Puccini's forebears. Her style is stimulating and, for the most part, more entertaining than merely informative. In a rather old-fashioned way, she talks about her own meetings with characters like Puccini's granddaughter, Biki, and singer Gilda Dalla Rizza. Her method of including "footnotes" within the text and abbreviations is helpful; however, one wishes that she had indicated in the introduction the groupings of relevant materials rather than repeating them each time they occurred. She also includes a works list, six major contemporary opera composers and their works, and an up-to-date bibliography. Conrad Wilson's Giacomo Puccini in Phaidon Press's "20th-Century Composers" series makes a good complement, although Phillips-Matz's approach is more genteel and positive. Recommended for all collections. (Indexes and illustrations not seen in either.) Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.