Giacomo Puccini (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906. Excerpt: ... VIII "TOSCA" With his next opera--for Tosca is the only one of his works so entitled by the composer--Puccini made a rather curious reversal of the proceedings as compared with La Bohdme, taking it from an Italian story treated from the French point of view. From the old world story of Murger, Puccini turned to a notable example of modern French stagecraft, in Sardou's drama of La Tosca. His librettists again were Giocosa and Illica, and they provided the composer with a strikingly apt presentation of the grim story; not one, perhaps, that lends itself altogether to musical expression, but one which certainly grips the attention and carries the hearer along. By Tosca, Puccini certainly sustained his now universal popularity made manifest by the preceding La Boheme. It was given first at the Costanzi Theatre, Rome, on January 14, 1900, conducted by Mugnone, and cast as follows: Tosca Darclee. Cavaradossi De Marchi. Scarpia Giraldoin. Angelolti Galli. The Sacristan Borelli. London saw it in the summer of the same year at Covent Garden, where it was given on July 12 with the following cast, Mancinelli being the conductor. Tosca Ternina. Cavaradossi De Lucia. Scarpia Scotti. Angelotti Dufriche. The Sacristan Gilibert. In America, Tosca was first given in Italian on February 4, 1901, at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York, by Maurice Grau's company, the cast and conductor being the same as that for the first Covent Garden performance, with the substitution of Cremonini for De Lucia as Cavaradossi. Its first American production in English was by Henry W. Savage's company, at the Teck Theatre, Buffalo, and cast as follows, Emanuel being the conductor: Tosca Cavaradossi Scarpia. Angelotti. The Sacristan Adelaide Norwood. Joseph Sheehan. W. Goff. F. J. Boyle. F...