L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 20 L'Italo-Americano (1904), which made him the richest and most celebrated c o m p o s e r o f h i s t i m e . Between 1910 and 1918, he completed La Fanciulla del West, La Rondine, a n d I l T r i t t i c o , w h i c h included Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schic- chi. His work on Turandot, begun in 1920, proved chal- l e n g i n g , a n d P u c c i n i f r e - quently contemplated aban- d o n i n g t h e p r o j e c t . Diagnosed with cancer of the larynx after years of battling a persistent sore throat, he traveled to a specialized clin- ic in Brussels for pioneering radiotherapy treatment. He succumbed to his illness just days after the procedure, passing away on November 2 9 , 1 9 2 4 . T u r a n d o t remained incomplete at his death and was premiered in 1926, quickly becoming one ture death in 1864. As the family had held the position of maestro di cappella for 124 years, it was anticipated that Giacomo would eventu- a l l y s u c c e e d i n t h i s r o l e . However, at the age of six, following his father's death, he was too young to lead an o r c h e s t r a . H i s m u s i c a l c a r e e r b e g a n i n e a r n e s t w h e n h e j o i n e d t h e b o y s ' choir and later served as a substitute organist at the Cattedrale di San Martino. His earliest compositions emerged in Lucca, including a Mass for four voices, which w a s h i s g r a d u a t i o n p i e c e c o m p o s e d i n 1 8 8 0 . F r o m 1 8 8 0 t o 1 8 8 3 , P u c c i n i attended the Milan Conser- vatory. H i s M u s i c . P u c c i n i achieved acclaim with his operas Tosca (1900) and M a d a m e B u t t e r f l y o f h i s m o s t p e r f o r m e d operas. "Puccini was a true inter- nationalist; he was abreast of everything happening in the music world. His compo- s i t i o n s r e f l e c t i n f l u e n c e s from Ravel, Debussy, and Stravinsky. He assimilated t h e s e i n f l u e n c e s i n t o h i s work, making them uniquely his own," commented Con- lon on Puccini's music. "In my view, Turandot does not r e p r e s e n t h i s f i n a l w o r k ; rather, it is a continuation of a lifetime of significant artis- tic contributions. Puccini's genius lay not only in his compositions but also in his profound understanding of theater. He had even said h i m s e l f , h e c o u l d b a r e l y write music, until he had conceived what the scene would look like in all of its details. So he is eminently theatrical in his writings, a n d t h e p r o o f i s t h a t h e wrote very little music that was not for the Opera The- a t r e , a n d t o o k h i m y e a r s sometimes in between all of those operas." His legacy. "He is one of the two greatest last expo- nents of the Italian melodra- matic opera with Giuseppe Verdi. With them, this art f o r m r e a c h e d i t s z e n i t h , what they achieved could not be surpassed," James Con- lon remarked. "While signifi- cant and remarkable compo- sitions have emerged from Italian composers over the last century, none have con- tinued the tradition in quite the same way as Puccini. The world has changed drastical- l y s i n c e t h e 1 9 2 0 s . T h e blending and influence of G e r m a n , A u s t r i a n , a n d French music, along with Stravinsky's contributions to modernism, have so altered the cultural landscape that w e w i l l l i k e l y n e v e r s e e a n o t h e r o p e r a q u i t e l i k e those of Puccini," he added. " P u c c i n i ' s c o m p o s i t i o n s , spanning from the late 19th century to the early 20th century, remain central to t h e r e p e r t o i r e s o f o p e r a h o u s e s w o r l d w i d e . T o d e s c r i b e h i s f i n a l w o r k , Turandot, I am reminded of Winston Churchill's famous 1 9 3 9 c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n o f Russia as 'a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enig- ma.'" The pinnacle of the Pucci- ni centenary celebrations will be a grand gala in the early summer at the Arena di Verona , featuring an orchestra of 154 musicians and about 300 chorus mem- bers from across all the Ital- ian Opera Foundations. The orchestra will be conducted b y M a e s t r o R i c c a r d o Muti. This event will inau- g u r a t e a c o m p r e h e n s i v e lineup of performances that will continue through Sep- tember 7 (more details can be found at www.arena.it). His Life. Giacomo Pucci- n i w a s b o r n i n L u c c a o n D e c e m b e r 2 2 , 1 8 5 8 , t h e scion of a dynasty of com- posers who had monopo- lized the city's musical life f o r o v e r a c e n t u r y . H e received his initial musical education from his father, Michele, before his prema- I n 2 0 2 4 , t h e w o r l d marks the centennial of Giacomo Pucci- n i ' s d e a t h , a m i l e - stone commemorat- ed globally through events celebrating the legacy of one of the foremost composers of Italian opera. One such event took place at the Italian Institute of Culture, featuring a concert dedicated to Puccini's legacy. T h i s e v e n i n g h i g h l i g h t e d Puccini's most beloved arias and other opera classics, per- formed by soprano Yeajin Jeon and Sara Cortelezzis, and tenor Ivan Magrì. The event also hosted notable fig- ures such as James Conlon, M u s i c D i r e c t o r o f t h e L A Opera; Cecilia Gasdia, Artis- tic Director and Superinten- d e n t o f t h e F o n d a z i o n e A r e n a d i V e r o n a ; a n d Fabrizio Lanzafame, Trade Specialist from The Italian National Tourist Board. "We are honored to host a celebration of Italian opera singing, recently recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e , " s a i d E m a n u e l e A m e n d o l a , Director of the Italian Cul- tural Institute in Los Ange- les. "Commemorating the centenary of the passing of Giacomo Puccini, in collabo- ration with esteemed part- n e r s s u c h a s F o n d a z i o n e A r e n a d i V e r o n a a n d L A Opera, reflects our commit- ment to promoting Italian culture and fostering cultural exchange. This partnership not only fulfills our mission t o b r i d g e c o m m u n i t i e s through the universal lan- guage of art but also high- lights the continuous signifi- c a n c e o f o p e r a . F r o m t h e subtleties of the Italian lan- guage to the rich traditions of stage direction, and from the artistry of set design to the vocal prowess displayed by our singers, opera serves as a powerful medium for promoting Italy's cultural heritage. More profoundly, opera transcends geographi- cal boundaries, as it looks into the depths of human experience, arousing emo- t i o n s , a n d s t i m u l a t i n g thought," explained Amen- dola. SILVIA NITTOLI Giacomo Puccini: his life, his music, his legacy Opera singers Yeajin Jeon (soprano), Ivan Magrì (tenor), and Sara Cortelezzis (soprano) were protagonists on stage, singing Puccini's most famous arias. Bottom left, James Conlon, Music Director of LA Opera; Cecilia Gasdia, Artistic Director and Superintendent of the Arena di Verona Foundation; and Emanuele Amendola, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles, participated in the event (Photos: Veronica Maffei) LIFE PEOPLE PLACES EVENTS

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