Puccini : a critical biography / Mosco Carner.
| Author/creator | Carner, Mosco |
| Format | Book |
| Edition | Third edition. |
| Publication Info | New York : Holmes & Meier Publishers, 1992. |
| Description | xv, 576 pages, 20 pages of plates : illustrations, portraits, music ; 26 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | Part I: The man. Preludio in Modo Antico -- Early years in Lucca -- Milan -- First steps in opera -- Predicaments -- The turn of the tide -- Torre del Lago: 'Turris Eburnea' -- Maturity -- 'Sardoodledom' -- Intermezzo strepitoso -- Lean years -- New York and after -- Giacomo and Elvira -- Tragic interlude -- Recovery -- Out of work again -- War years -- 'A sign of strength' -- Aftermath of war -- Swansong -- Part II: The artist. General features ; Verdi and Puccini ; Fundamental aesthetics of Italian opera ; Melodrama (Libretto) and opera ; Realism ; Zola's formula and verismo ; Puccini and Debussy ; Anti-operatic tendencies in Italy ; Puccini's 'French' sensibility ; Three aspects of atmosphere: documentary, poetic, psychological ; Atmosphere versus character -- Puccini and the fin de siècle ; Psychological mainspring of his art ; Love as tragic guilt and its compulsive pattern ; Latent symbolism of plot and characters ; The Puccinian heroine and her antagonist ; Puccini's limitations -- Dramaturgy and musical style -- Part III: The work. Youthful compositions: Mass, Capriccio sinfonico, chamber music, etc. -- Le Villi -- Edgar -- Manon Lescaut -- La Bohème -- Tosca -- Madama Butterfly -- La Fanciulla del West -- La Rondine -- Il Trittico. Il Tabarro ; Suor Angelica ; Gianni Schicchi -- Turandot -- Appendix A: Genealogical tree of the Puccini family ; Appendix B: Opera plots ; Appendix C: Catalogue of works. |
| Abstract | Divided into three parts, this book addresses all aspects of Puccini's life and work. Part I, The Man, gives the facts of the composer's somewhat stormy life, quoting extensively from his own letters. Part II, The Artist, calls on the resources of modern psychology in assessing his personality and its curious limitations, and the unconscious springs of his creative processes. Part III, The Work, is a detailed guide to each opera, both music and libretto, with a synopsis of opera plots. |
| Local note | Little-316223--305131016729 |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 558-559), "catalogue of works" (pages 555-557), and index. |
| ISBN | 0841913269 |