Music in the making; Puccini's contribution to opera

Music in the making produced by Milliken university under a grant from the Educational Television and Radio Center in cooperation with the National Association of educational broadcasters. American School of Music presents concert vocalist. And Chairman of the voice Department Hubert Norval in a recorded consideration of Puccini's contribution to opera musical illustrations will include Omeo Bobby NoCanDo girl of the Golden West and Elodie before commenting upon the subject at hand Professor Norbu would like you to listen to Omeo Bubby NoCanDo. Her.

Nerve. Her. In the simple melodic area you have just heard. You have a good example of

Puccini's gift as a composer of opera. Puccini is important as a successor of verity in capturing the imagination of the opera going public and stirring the emotions of a satiated and sophisticated age through song thus perpetuating Italy's rich tradition. Look for example was an Austrian influenced by the Italian school in early life but he was quite at home in Paris and his maturity. He was a man of the world in art as and life whose works refused to be confined within any national style Puccini on the other hand was first last and foremost essential and fundamentally Italian. Any influence he got from other lands and schools became Italian through his use of them. Despite is strongly a talent traits an artistic quality Puccini was

also a product of his age. The poor boy of Luca who actually lived through the poverty pictured in his opera lab a way name emerges after fortune smiled upon him as a typical prosperous gentleman. The significance of Puccini's life is that in his apparently effortless acceptance of life conditions as he found them we can perceive a clue to the quality of his music which denotes a deep understanding of the age in which he lived and worked. Puccini wrote for the public of the Gay Nineties and for that first decade of the 20th century when those disposed to be carefree and so easily be diverted by prosperity from seeing that terrible writing on the wall. It is interesting to note here that Richard Strauss the German composer who was six years younger than put Cheney responded so differently to his

age. Salomé was produced one year before petunias butterfly and Electra one year before petunias girl of the Golden West. The difference is explained by the fact that Strauss leapt ahead of his age while Puccini was of his age. Strauss was a musical iconoclast Puccini wrote with an existing taste expressing himself in terms of his age and another curious thing is that while the iconic clash Strauss is considered old fashioned by those who are preoccupied by fashion Puccini's music stamped as it undoubtedly is by the style of a bygone age is accepted as such without much question even though it is probably that no dyed in the world modernist of today could be induced to sit through the performance of a Puccini opera if he could help it. Put Cheney and Richard Strauss

these contemporaries who are worlds apart artistically speaking have two things in common. One artistic integrity to creative vitality. Music inspired by these qualities you usually survive fashions in art no matter how many prejudiced noses may be turned up during the air is when strong counter tendencies create the modern currents of the day. The secret of Puccini's hold on a wide public today despite the indisputable dating of his operas is probably one that had to do all along with his ability to win instantaneous success. He more than any other important up operatic composer managed to cloth tragic plots with music that was expressive without being tragic. Puccini was himself so constituted that he could feel with the audiences of his day and the matter of wanting tragedy disturb their

sensibilities. Without ringing their hearts the nearest approach to grim tragedy in Puccini's opera as is in the death of a butterfly. And yet even there there is more pathos than grimness. Puccini wrote 12 operas in all nine long operas and three short. We shall now hear two arias from Muse operettas. First we should hear the soprano aria Bette from Madame Butterfly. This next gen is from the good of the Golden West.

I was loath to offer. Oh I was was was was was. It was.

Oh I was loath goal for. It is certain that no one can be an opera composer seems so likely to form a link between Verdi and the future composer who will carry the torch of Italian opera until this Italian composer appears in our midst Puccini remains the

sturdy younger man of Italian opera. Professor Hubert Norval has brought you a record of consideration of Puccini's contribution to opera. Music in the making was produced by Milliken university under a grant from the Educational Television Radio Center. This program is distributed by the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is the end. A B tape network.