What are some reasons you like or dislike Puccini?

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1. suhwahaksaeng says:

   June 30, 2010 at 7:45 am

   I check the first box. I have been a Pucciniphile since I was 15.

   Reason number one: Because he managed to solve an age-old dilemma. The audience likes melodies, but a steady stream of melodies could get tiresome. Some opera composers alternated melodies with dry recitatives. Other opera composers gave the audience a steady stream of melodies anyway.

   Puccini had creative ways of resolving this dilemma. He might write an orchestral motif, such as the well-known Scarpia motif. Or he might make a motif out of one of the vocal lines ("Mi chiamano Mimi," "Manon Lescaut mi chiamo.") Or he might write an orchestral melody, as in the card scene in La Fanciulla.

   Reason number two: Because he is creative in writing accompaniments for his melodies. There is very little of Verdi’s rink-chink-chink’s or Bellini’s arpeggio’s.

   Reason number three: Because he shows immunity to hexadecaphilia (addiction to 16-measure melodies). One would expect nice, neat, square melodies in La Rondine, since Puccini is imitating Lehar in this opera. But the melody beginning "Fanciulla, e sbocciato l’amore!" (p. 45 in the vocal score) begins on a 12-measure antecedent and a 12-measure consequent.

   Reason number four: Because he has creative ways of inducing a mood. How does an opera composer induce fear? A lesser composer would immediately resort to writing minor chords played tremolo by the strings. That’s not what Puccini does in the execution scene in Tosca.

   Reason number five: Because he is ingenious in moving from one mood to another.
   In five places in La Boheme, Puccini effects a startling mood by jumping from a flat key to a sharp key. He probably borrowed this idea from Verdi, who does the same thing in Aida. However, in Act I of La Boheme, he does a clever twist on the idea. When the Bohemians drink the landlord under the table, Puccini has to make it easy for the landlord to make a slip of the tongue. However, he also has to make it easy for the Bohemians to feign alarm at this slip of the tongue. He resolves this dilemma by making a flat-to-sharp key change, but at the same time making a half-step-wise descent in one of the contrapuntal voices.

   In Act II, Musetta’s Waltz is in E major and the Christmas parade is in Bb major–two unrelated keys. Instead of finishing one and starting the other, as a lesser composer would do, Puccini makes the last three measures of the waltz polytonal. (This was in 1896.) For the benefit of those wishing for conventional harmony, he stops the waltz on an A major chord and begins the march on a Bb major chord, thereby effecting a deceptive cadence.

   Reason number six: Because he can create a good setting. Act III of La Boheme takes place on a cold winter morning. Puccini sets the mood with a high treble, low bass and open fifths. Act III of La Rondine takes place on the seashore. Puccini simulates the ebb and flow of the waves with crescendo’s and diminuendo’s. Puccini also sets an exotic mood in Butterfly and Turandot.

   Reason number seven: Because he is ingenious in creating a climax. Act II of Le Villi–Puccini’s very first opera–begins with an orchestral prelude. This prelude begins with a tonic chord in root position. Throughout the prelude, he teases us with inversions, modulations, deceptive cadences and whatnot, and never gives us the tonic chord in root position again until the funeral procession appears on stage.

   Reason number eight: I like to analyze and Puccini’s operas are fun to analyze. I identify the prelude to Manon Lescaut as a rondo and the prelude to Butterfly as a sonatina.

   Someone wrote to the Metropolitan Opera Quiz, asking why Puccini is so widely criticized. One of the panelists said that it was because of the notion that "if it tastes good, it can’t be good for you." Puccini’s operas, however, taste good and are good for you.
2. teterboro says:

   June 30, 2010 at 7:45 am

   I’m not particularly fond of opera, but Puccini is one of the best, if not the best opera composer. There are arias in his work which are beautifully melodic and Madame Butterfly in particular is sheer delight.
3. justinscott_04 says:

   June 30, 2010 at 7:45 am

   Puccini’s music is quite beautiful, and exquisite. Like eating a fine dinner. His melodies are just simply amazing. If you are new to opera Puccini is always a safe to begin with.

   The depth of character he brings to both the music, story line, and characters themselves is remarkable enough. Puccini’s operas are without a question performed more than any other operas.

   My Favorites so far are Tosca and Turandot, but I love each of them.

   Here are a few of my choice clips

   Pavarotti performing Nessun Dorma From Turandot(Once you hear him, you’ll never want to hear anyone else LOL!)

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONUCPKdGcrk

   Sherrill Milnes as Scarpia, Tre Sbirri from Tosca (man he was wicked!!!)

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeEbVnsY4MQ

   Kiri Te Kanawa performing Vissi de Arte from Tosca

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuNSsr4sOPw

   Placido Domingo performing Ch’Ella Mi Creda, some of the most moving music I’ve ever heard in my life.

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM9dF4WodDY

   I could absolutely go on for days but here’s the last one, the Humming Chorus from Madam Butterfly

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpqpvGSR3Bg&feature=PlayList&p=3DAE3EF63013A045&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=17

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