La Rondine

La rondine (The Swallow) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe, based on a earlier libretto by Alfred Maria Wilner and Heinz Reichert. It was first performed at the Grand Theatre de Monte Carlo in Monte Carlo on 27 March 1917. The opera is the story Magda de Civry, a courtesan, who has always dreamed of romance. As a young girl, she was swept off her feet one evening by a man who promised her everything, and she ran away from a safe, respectable life in the name of love. After living for years in Paris, Magda still dreams of feeling like that young girl again. In the disguised character of the graceful and reserved Paulette, she finds true love with a young man and plans to elope with him. Ultimately, she finds the excitement of the romance cannot sustain her.

She tells the young man the truth about her. Like the swallow that leaves for a short time, she wants only to return to her home in Paris. The opera contains the famous aria “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta” (Doretta’s beautiful dream) which is a favorite recital and solo performance aria.

In autumn 1913, the directors of Vienna’s Carltheater commissioned Puccini to compose a Viennese style operetta. After confirming that it could take the form of a comic opera with no spoken dialogue in the style of Der Rosenkavailer, “only more entertaining and more organic”, he agreed. The work proceeded for two years, sometimes intensely, sometimes with great difficulty, and was finished in spring 1916. The originally intended Viennese première was impeded by the outbreak of World War 1 and the entrance of Italy in the Alliance against Austria-Hungrary, hence it premièred at the Grand Theater de Monte Carlo on 27 March 1917. Interestingly, Puccini’s long term music publisher, the firm of Giulio Ricordi, had declined the score of the opera – the son Tito was then in charge and he described the opera as “bad Lehar”. It was taken up by their rival, Lorenzo Sonzogno, who arranged the first performance in neutral Monaco.

La rondine was initially conceived as an operetta, but Puccini eliminated spoken dialogue, rendering the work closer in form to an opera. At the premiere, the initial reception by the public and press was warm. However, despite the artistic value of the score, La rondine has been one of Puccini’s less successful works; “In box office terms, [it] was the poor cousin to the other great hits.” Puccini reworked the opera focusing primarily on the final act . This second version premiered in 1920. He was working on a third revision, again focusing on the final act but it remained unfinished at his death. This third revision was finally completed in authentic Puccinian style by the Italian composer Lorenzo Ferrero at the request of Tearto Regional de Torino and subsequently performed there on 22 March dern

reviewer described La rondine as “a continuous fabric of lilting waltz tunes, catchy pop-styled melodies, and nostalgic love music,” while characterizing the plot as recycling characters and incidents from works like ‘La traviata‘ and ‘Die Fledermaus’.”

[On a personal note, I had the privilege to attend the USA premiere of the Third Revision of La rondine in 1998 at the Washington National Opera. Ainhoa Arteta sang the lead role under the direction of Placido Domingo. This was a Marta Domingo production increasing the tragedy by having Magda commit suicide by downing instead of returning to Paris. The performance was “electric” and the closing scene was the most spectacular performance/staging I have ever seen. It is a shame that La rondine is not performed more often.]

Background

Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 – 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his opera. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he was descended from a long line of composers, stemming from the late-Baroque era. Though his early work was firmly rooted in traditional late-19th-century Romatic Italian opera he later developed his work in the realistic verismo style, of which he became one of the leading exponents.

Puccini was born Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini in Lucca, Italy, in 1858. He was the sixth of nine children of Michele Puccini (1813–1864) and Albina Magi (1830–1884). The Puccini family was established in Lucca as a local musical dynasty by Puccini’s great-great- grandfather – also named Giacomo (1712–1781). This first Giacomo Puccini was maestro di cappella of the Cathedrale di San Martino in Lucca. He was succeeded in this position by his son, Antonio Puccini, and then by Antonio’s son Domenico, and Domenico’s son and Giacomo’s father, Michele. Each of these men studied music at Bologna, and some took additional musical studies elsewhere. Each composed music for the church. In addition, Domenico composed several operas, and Michele composed one opera. Puccini’s father Michele enjoyed a reputation throughout northern Italy, and his funeral was an occasion of public mourning.

With the Puccini family having occupied the position of maestro di cappella for 124 years (1740–1864) by the time of Michele’s death, it was anticipated that Michele’s son Giacomo would occupy that position as well when he was old enough. However, when Michele Puccini died in 1864, his son Giacomo was only six years old, and thus not capable of taking over his father’s job. As a child, he nevertheless participated in the musical life of the Cattedrale di San Martino, as a member of the boys’ choir and later as a substitute organist.

Puccini was given a general education at the seminary of San Michele in Lucca, and then at the seminary of the cathedral. One of Puccini’s uncles, Fortunato Magi, supervised his musical education. Puccini got a diploma from the Pacini School of Music in Lucca in 1880, having studied there with his uncle Fortunato, and later with Carlo Angeloni. A grant from Queen Margherita, and assistance from another uncle, Nicholas Cerù, provided the funds necessary for Puccini to continue his studies at the Milan Conservatory here he studied composition. Puccini studied at the conservatory for three years, sharing a room with Pietro Mascagni. In 1880, at the age of 21, Puccini composed his Mass, which marks the culmination of his family’s long association with church music in his native Lucca.

Puccini wrote an orchestral piece called the Capriccio sinfonico as a thesis composition for the Milan Conservatory. Puccini’s teachers Ponchielli and Bazzini were impressed by the work, and it was performed at a student concert at the conservatory on 14 July 1883. Puccini’s work was favorably reviewed in the Milanese publication La Perseverance and thus Puccini began to build a reputation as a young composer of promise in Milanese music circles. He wore an opera Le Villa sponsored by the Sozogno music publishing company. Although it did not win, Le Villi was later staged at the Teatro Dal Verme, premiering on 31 May 1884. G. Ricordi & Co. music publishers assisted with the premier by printing the libretto without charge. The performance was enough of a success that Ricordi purchased the opera. The work was rarely preformed.

After Puccini had eloped with his former piano student, the married Elvira Gemignani, and Ricordi’s associates were willing to turn a blind eye to his lifestyle as long as he was successful. When his second opera, Edgar, failed, they suggested to Giullo Ricordi (head of G. Ricordi & Co. music publishers) that he should drop Puccini, but Ricordi said that he would stay with him and continued his allowance until his next opera.

After two unsuccessful operas, for his third opera, Manon Lescaut, Puccini

announced that he would write his own libretto so that “no fool of a librettist” could spoil it. This opera was a success and is still preformed regularly today. This was followed in order by La Boheme (1896), Tosca (1900), and Madama Butterfly (1904) sealing his position as one of the greatest opera composers of all time.

Puccini, a chain smoker, began to complain of chronic sore throats towards the end of 1923. A diagnosis of throat cancer led his doctors to recommend a new and experimental radiation therapy treatment, which was being offered in Brussels.

Puccini died in Brussels on 29 November 1924, aged 65, from complications after the treatment; uncontrolled bleeding led to a heart attack the day after surgery. He was buried in Milan, in Toscanini’s family tomb, but that was always intended as a temporary measure. In 1926 his son arranged for the transfer of his father’s remains to a specially created chapel inside the Puccini villa at Torre del Lago.