The Songs of Giacomo Puccini

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10-4-2007
Te Songs of Giacomo Puccini
Laurie Domingue Lester
Florida State University
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Lester, Laurie Domingue, "Te Songs of Giacomo Puccini" (2007). Electronic Teses, Treatises and Dissertations. Paper 3113.
THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF MUSIC

THE SONGS OF GIACOMO PUCCINI

By

LAURIE DOMINGUE LESTER

A Treatise submitted to the
College of Music
In partial fulfillment of the
Requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Music

Degree Awarded:
Fall Semester, 2007

ii

The members of the Committee approve the treatise of Laurie Domingue Lester on October 4,
2007.

______________________________
Stanford Olsen
Professor directing treatise

______________________________
Jane Piper Clendinning
Outside Committee Member

______________________________
Douglas Fisher
Committee Member

The office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members.

iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First, I would like to thank Professor Stanford Olsen for his guidance and support during
my time at Florida State University and beyond. I would also like to express my thanks to the
members of my committee, past and present, Dr. Jerrold Pope, Larry Gerber, Douglas Fisher,
and Dr. Jane Clendinning, for their time and help on this treatise.
My parents, Ed and Annette Domingue, have been a constant source of support and
encouragement throughout my education. Thank you for travelling to and attending the many
recitals and performances over the years, as well as always encouraging me to continue
developing my musical talents.
Finally, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my husband, Jason. Thank you for
your encouragement, patience, and continuous support during this time. You have been there for
everything and I have enjoyed sharing each step of this journey with you, and I look forward to
where the road leads us next.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Examples v
Abstract vii

1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. PUCCINIS EARLY SONGS 3
3. THE MILAN CONSERVATORY PERIOD 8
4. SONGS FROM 1888-1899 19
5. PUCCINIS SONGS FROM 1902-1919 30
6. PUCCINIS OPERATIC SELF-BORROWING 41
7. CONCLUSION 47
BIBLIOGRAPHY 52
APPENDICES:
A. SONG CHART 49
B. SCORE PERMISSION LETTERS 50
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 56

v

LIST OF EXAMPLES

2.1 Puccini A te (1875) 5
2.2 Puccini La Primavera (1880) 6
3.1 Puccini Salve Regina (1882) 11
3.2 Puccini Ad una morta! (1883) 13
3.3 Puccini Storiella damore (1883) 15
3.4 Puccini Mentia lavviso (1883) 17
3.5 Puccini Mentia lavviso (1883) 18
4.1 Puccini Sole e amore (1888) 21
4.2 Puccini Ave Maria Leopolda (1896) 22
4.3 Puccini Avanti, Urania! (1896) 25
4.4 Puccini Inno a Diana (1897) 26
4.5 Puccini E luccellino (1899) 28
5.1 Puccini Terra e mare (1902) 31
5.2 Puccini Canto danime (1904) 33
5.3 Puccini Casa mia, casa mia (1908) 35
vi

5.4 Puccini Sogno dor (1912) 36
5.5 Puccini Morire? (1917) 38
5.6 Puccini Inno a Roma (1919) 40
6.1 Puccini Angiol di Dio (1883) 42
6.2 Puccini Donna non vidi mai (1893) 43
6.3 Puccini Dunque proprio finita (1896) 45
6.4 Puccini Paris, ja das ist die Stadt (1920) 46

vii

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to examine the songs for solo voice with piano
accompaniment by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), observing the composers evolving
compositional style, as well as the songs place in the modern voice studio. Puccinis seventeen
songs can be divided into four periods in his life: the early years from 1875-1880, the Milan
Conservatory years of 1880-1884, songs from 1888-1899, and his final song period from 1902-
1919. Puccinis songs vary widely in their level of difficulty and ranges, and they can be used as
useful tools in the voice studio to address many issues a vocal student might face. Although
Puccini is known for the beautiful melodies from his twelve operas, many of which continue to
be part of the standard repertoire today, several of those melodies were first used in his songs
before he included them in his operas. This paper also examines Puccinis practice of
borrowing source material from his previously composed songs for use in his operas.

1

CHAPTER 1
Introduction

Giacomo Puccini (18581924), known worldwide as an accomplished composer of
operas and renowned for his beautiful melodies and great soprano heroines, also wrote lesser-
known songs of varying quality for solo voice throughout his life. While Puccini wrote twelve
operas, many of which continue to be performed today in the standard repertoire, his solo voice
compositions are virtually unknown. These compositions include songs, fragments of songs,
liturgical pieces, arias, and some early duets. Some of these songs are known and have been
recorded by various artists, while others are more obscure. Still others have become known only
since the beginning of the twenty-first century. In this paper, the author will examine the solo
songs written for voice with piano accompaniment, considering their artistic and technical merit
and whether or not they deserve a place in the modern vocal studio. In so doing, the author will
employ scores that have been available for many years and additional sources that have become
known as recently as 2004, including fragments of songs previously thought lost and the full
realizations by Puccini scholars of songs that previously had incomplete accompaniment.
In order to organize this material in a sensible fashion, the author has chosen to divide
Puccinis seventeen extant songs chronologically into four separate periods. These coincide,
respectively, with his childhood and youth in Lucca, his early years in Milan, the years that
correspond with the premieres of some of his successful operas, and his mature style period.
1

The first period includes works Puccini composed as a young man living in Lucca, Italy from
1875 to 1880. This period includes the one early extant song, a duet, and a recently discovered
song. In the second period, there are Puccinis compositions as a student in Milan before his first
opera, Le Villi, premiered on May 31, 1884. These compositions include more sophisticated and
extended songs for various voice types as well as incidental music written for a melodrama and a
liturgical piece. A third compositional period from 1888 to 1899, includes five songs, several of
which were composed for or dedicated to friends. The final period coincides with Puccinis
mature-style period, composed at his villa in Torre del Lago between 1902 and 1919. Songs

1
Michael Kaye, introduction to The Unknown Puccini (New York, Oxford University Press, 1987), p.xiii.
2

from this period were written while Puccini was recognized as an accomplished composer of
opera and include pieces he wrote to benefit a particular organization or city.
It is well-documented that Puccini borrowed from melodies he had previously written in
other works and re-used them later in his operas. In order to effectively compare Puccinis songs
with his operatic self-borrowing, I have chosen to print excerpts from piano/vocal scores instead
of full scores, as the piano reduction will display the similarities to the original song more
concisely and legibly. Chapter 6 will discuss those borrowings with references and examples,
including the use of the above mentioned excerpts.

3

CHAPTER 2
Puccinis Early Years (18751880)

Puccinis earliest songs date from 1875 to 1880, when he was still living in his hometown
of Lucca. In 1876, at the age of eighteen, Puccini and a friend walked from Lucca to Pisa,
approximately eleven miles away, to see a performance of Giuseppe Verdis Aida.
2
After that
performance, Puccini recognized the passion of his life and decided to break from the family
tradition of four generations of church musicians to pursue opera.
3

The first period includes two early solo songs, A te and La primavera, and two
duets: Vexilla a due voci, for tenor and bass voice, was written around 1878, and Beata
viscera for soprano and alto voice, was written around 1875.
4
As this paper will only be
discussing Puccinis songs for solo voice, these duets will not be examined in this document.
Based on an anonymous poem, A te (To you) is thought to have been Puccinis first
song, written in 1875 during his student days at the Istituto Musicale Pacini in Lucca.
5
Puccini
presented the manuscript of this song to the Istituto Musicale Pacini in 1901. A te is a song
for solo voice with piano accompaniment on the theme of love. The poetry describes a restless,
anxious lover who desires a kiss that would enable him to forget everything. Although Puccini
himself did not specify for which voice type this song was written, the Boccaccini and Spada
Edition of 1996 indicates the song should be performed by a soprano or tenor.
6
The range of this
song in the score is A3 to F#5, suggesting that it might be more appropriate for a mezzo-soprano
or baritone (singing an octave lower), as a low voiced singer could access the multiple pitches
written below C4 more easily than a tenor or soprano.
7
A te lies mainly between F4 to D5;

2
Gabriela Biagi Ravenni and Michele Girardi, Giacomo Puccini, in The New Grove Dictionary of Music
and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, vol. 15 (New York: Macmillan, 1994), p. 567.

3
Ibid.

4
Michael Kaye, The Unknown Puccini, p. 13.

5
Giacomo Puccini, introduction to Songs for Voice and Piano, ed. Michael Kaye (New York: Oxford
University Press, 1988), p. iv.

6
Giacomo Puccini, A Te, ed. Pietro Spada (Rome: Boccaccini & Spada, 1996).

4

this tessitura is another indicator that it might be better suited for a low-voiced singer, one
generally more comfortable remaining on the bottom portion of the treble staff than a soprano or
tenor.
8
At three and a half minutes and one hundred measures, this is one of Puccinis longer
songs.
A te can be divided into four sections, beginning with a four part hymn-like
accompaniment that seems musically unrelated to the rest of the song. The second section
begins with the first vocal entrance, as the right hand of the accompaniment plays repeated
chords and the left hand plays an octave pedal. The third section of A te starts at the pi
mosso in measure sixty-five, where the time signature changes from 3/4 to 4/4 and the
accompaniment pattern changes to an ostinato rhythmic pattern in the left hand with syncopated
chords in the right hand. The final section begins in measure eighty-four with a tremolo in the
accompaniment for the final fifteen measures of the song, alluding to the texts Give me a kiss
that will make me forget the entire world! The tremolo helps to symbolize the poets fears and
worries of the world, which he knows will be forgotten after this magical kiss. Example 2.1
demonstrates the meter and accompaniment changes from the second section into the third
section.
With regard to the vocal studio, A te is appropriate for an undergraduate voice
student. Puccini often includes the pitch of the vocal melody in the chord on downbeats of
measures or in the right hand of the accompaniment. A te is quite long, but it doubles the
vocal line throughout most of the song, and the highest note is at the top of the staff. As
mentioned above, there are several instances when there are notes in this song below the staff as
well, and so A te might be a good exercise for students who are working to facilitate the
transition between vocal registers.

7
All of Puccinis songs are scored in the treble clef. The pitch names used in this treatise refer to his
scores, but it is entirely acceptable for a male voice to sing the songs an octave lower.

8
For the purposes of this paper, tessitura means the pitch range that most often occurs within a given
piece.
5

Example 2.1 Puccini A te, measures 61-70. Page 6.
Source: Giacomo Puccini: Songs for Voice and Piano. Published by Oxford University Press.
New York, New York, 1988.

There is very little information concerning the other song from this period La
Primavera (Spring). The first publication of La Primavera was not until 2004, when the
leading Puccini song expert Michael Kaye received the song from Maestro Herbert Handt of
Lucca.
9
Composition of this song most likely occurred in 1880 with a text that is probably by
Puccini.
10

9
Giacomo Puccini, Puccini Rediscovered: Six Songs for Voice and Piano, ed. Michael Kaye (Boca Raton:
Masters Music Publications, Inc., 2004) preface.

6

La Primavera is in the key of F major with a range of C4 to G5. In the bass line of the
accompaniment, a fragmented ostinato pattern occurs three times, while there are never more
than three pitches played at one time in the accompaniment, and a delicate melodic line that
repeats three times. La Primavera is forty-five measures long and has a text about a farmer
tending to his crop in the spring. Example 2.2 shows a repeating pattern in the left hand of the
accompaniment, repeated pitches in the voice part, as well as the limited range.

Example 2.2 Puccini La Primavera, measures 6-23. Page 4.
Source: Puccini Rediscovered: Six Songs for Voice and Piano. Published by Masters Music
Publications. Boca Raton, Florida, 2004.

10
Giacomo Puccini, Puccini Rediscovered: Six Songs for Voice and Piano, ed. Michael Kaye (Boca
Raton: Masters Music Publications, Inc., 2004) preface.
7

La Primavera is a simple, modified strophic song that is appropriate for a
beginning voice student. The repetitious melody in this song is helpful for a young voice
student, although the accompaniment does not double the voice part, thus making it somewhat
more challenging. Although the high note is G5, the majority of the pitches lie within the treble
staff, thus making it a suitable song to work a singers middle voice. There are several instances
where the text is set to repeated pitches, giving the teacher an opportunity to work on vowel
uniformity.

8

CHAPTER 3
The Milan Conservatory Period (18801884)

The second period of song composition for voice occurred from 1880 to 1884 during
Puccinis years at the Milan Conservatory. Puccini, bitten by the opera bug after he saw a
performance of Aida in 1876, waited anxiously for the next four years before he was able to
attend the Milan Conservatory.
11
When Puccini entered the conservatory at the age of twenty-
two, he was well over the age limit for admission, but he was allowed into the senior
composition class because of his strong performance on the entrance exams.
12
His education
there was made possible through a scholarship given by Queen Margherita and financial support
from an uncle, Dr. Nicolao Cer.
13
While at the Milan Conservatory, Puccini studied
composition with the well-known Conservatory professor and eventual director of the
Conservatory Antonio Bazzini, and the opera composer Amilcare Ponchielli.
14
A few of
Puccinis compositions from this period were assignments for his teachers or requirements to
graduate from the conservatory.
While Puccini was studying at the conservatory, the Teatro Illustrato of April 1, 1883
announced a competition for the best one-act opera, sponsored by the wealthy Milan
businessman, Edoardo Sonzogno.
15
There were nine months between the announcement of the
competition and the deadline for submission, December 31, 1883.
16
Puccini began working
intensely on his first opera, Le Willis, which was later Italianized to Le Villi.
17
Puccini did not
finish the composition until the deadline day and did not have time to make a legible copy for the

11
Gabrilella Biagi Ravenni and Mosco Carner, Giacomo Puccini, in The New Grove Dictionary of Music
and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie, vol. 20 (New York: Macmillan, 2001), p. 431.

12
Julian Budden, Giacomo Puccini, in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie, vol. 3
(New York: Macmillan, 1992), p. 1167.

13
Ravenni and Carner, p. 431.

14
Ibid.

15
Mosco Carner, Puccini: A Critical Biography (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992), p. 38.

16
Ibid.

17
Ibid., p. 40.
9

jury.
18
In early 1884, the results of the competition were announced: Guglielmo Zuelli and Luigi
Manzoni were named the winners and split the prize money.
19
Despite this setback, Puccini,
along with the librettist for Le Villi, Ferdinando Fontana, and Puccinis teacher, Ponchielli, began
to promote the opera to Milans salons and the societal elite. Through these efforts, Puccini was
invited to play excerpts from his opera in the home of Marco Sala, a wealthy member of Milan
society. Puccinis music was so well received that a collection was made that night to fund the
production of this young composers first opera.
20
On May 31, 1884, Puccinis first opera, Le
Villi, premiered at Teatro Dal Verme in Milan and was deemed an instant success.
21

Modern scholarship has documented four compositions for solo voice from this period.
They are Salve Regina, Ad una morta, Storiella damore, and Mentia lavviso, with
the first three to texts by Antonio Ghislanzoni (1824-1893), who was the librettist for Verdis
Aida and La forza del destino. The last song is to a text by Felice Romani (1788-1865), librettist
for Bellinis I capuleti e i montecchi, La sonnambula, Norma, and Anna Bolena, as well as
Donizettis Lelisir damore.
Salve Regina (Hail, Queen of Heaven), composed over a period of months in late
1882 and 1883, is a song written for soprano using a Ghislanzoni text of praise and adoration for
the virgin Mary. The text is not related to the traditional office hymn with the same title.
22
This
song for soprano and organ or harmonium is written in the key of F major. Consisting of thirty-
five measures, Salve Regina has a range from D4 to F5 and a tessitura from F4 to D5. While
the score specifies that this song is for soprano and organ (or harmonium), Puccini scholar
Michael Kaye states that it also can be performed successfully using piano accompaniment.
23

Puccini gave the manuscript for this song to the Isituto Musicale Luigi Boccherini in Lucca.
24

18
Mosco Carner, Puccini: A Critical Biography (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992), p. 38.

19
Ibid.

20
Carner, p. 41.

21
Ibid., p. 43.

22
Michael Kaye, The Nonoperatic Works of Giacomo Puccini, in The Puccini Companion, ed. William
Weaver (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1994), p. 286.

23
Kaye, The Nonoperatic Works of Giacomo Puccini, p. 28.

24
Ibid.
10

Salve Regina begins with an extended prelude, which conjures up images of a religious
procession. The opening vocal phrase, set to the word salve, is essentially an ascending
arpeggio representing a prayer as it ascends to Mary in Heaven. The strength and simplicity of
the phrase lends a sense of reverence and awe as the vocal melody is supported by a simple
accompaniment that doubles the melody. The following phrase contains some grace notes,
which might seem somewhat operatic and ostentatious for a religious work. Overall, the phrase
lengths in Salve Regina are rather short, with the typical duration lasting four to six beats.
There is not an interlude in this song, nor are there extended rests for the vocalist. Once the song
begins, it gives the impression of a prayer in progress. The final phrase is sung in a strict
pattern of quarter notes, rather than the varying eighth notes and sixteenth notes in the preceding
phrases, which often began as pick-up notes. The solidity of the final phrase gives an impression
of strength and power as it ascends with a crescendo. The song is then repeated in its entirety.
Example 3.1 displays the opening phrase with the aforementioned grace notes. One can also see
the interaction between the accompaniment and the voice. When the vocal line has sixteenth
notes, the accompaniment is static with sustained chords and vice versa when the
accompaniment moves in a sixteenth-note fashion.
Some text painting can be found throughout the song. For example, the highest note in
the vocal line, which occurs twice, is set to the word sventura, which means unfortunate,
possibly signifying the Biblical message that the low will be exalted. When Puccini sets the
word benedici, there is a descending vocal line representing the blessings coming down from
Mary. This imagery of position returns on the word sguardo where Mary glances down to
sanctify those on Earth.
Considering the range and tessitura of Salve Regina, as well as how the accompaniment
doubles the vocal line for half of the song, this song would be appropriate for an undergraduate
singer. The song does require the singer to sing notes at the top of or above the staff, F5 and G5,
but has a light accompaniment in those sections, allowing the vocalist to sing those phrases
without undue stress on the mechanism.
Puccini reused the melody from Salve Regina as the primary source material for the
prayer Angiol di Dio, che i vanno rivolgi al ciel stasera in Act I of Le Villi, as the author will
discuss in Chapter 6.

11

Example 3.1 Puccini Salve Regina, measures 9-21. Page 20-21.

Ad una morta! (To a Dead Woman!) is a lament that was composed in the spring of
1883 to another text by Ghislanzoni, written for baritone and piano.
25
Puccini hoped the song

25
Puccini, Puccini Rediscovered: Six Songs for Voice and Piano, notes.
12

would be published during his lifetime, but it was not.
26
The entire manuscript of Puccinis song
was discovered only recently and is preserved at Harvard University, although some musical
fragments had previously been archived.
27
Michael Kaye, a scholar on Puccinis songs, as well
as publisher Pietro Spada, have both created performance versions of this song with their own
accompaniment in places where the original manuscript is lacking the piano part.
Ad una morta! begins in the key of E-flat minor and ends in the key of E-flat major. It
has a range from Eb3 to G4 and is forty-nine measures long. Although this song is indicated for
baritone and was originally written in bass clef, the high tessitura requires a baritone who is very
comfortable with his upper register or possibly a lyric tenor. In the Boccaccini & Spada edition,
the vocalist is required to sing either an F4 or G4 on nine occasions. The Kaye edition includes
additional fragments that require the singer to repeat phrases containing these high pitches,
resulting in a more challenging edition, which has been printed in treble clef and indicated for
baritone or mezzo-soprano.
In this song, Puccini uses a triplet figure in either the vocal line or the accompaniment on
the downbeat of almost every measure. One repeating melodic motive in this song is an
ascending minor scalar triplet that seems to be connected with the idea of how the performer
thinks of the dead woman often and wonders if she thinks of him. The highest pitch of most
phrases in Ad una morta! often occurs toward the end of the phrase, giving this song a
passionate quality. As the text refers to ones beloved ascending to heaven, the song portrays a
reflective, meditative disposition supported by its minor tonality. The abrupt change to E-flat
major immediately precedes the text stating his hope that his beloved thinks of him while in
heaven as much as he thinks of her. In this major section, the triplet figure changes to a
descending scalar pattern on the word ripensi, which refers to his beloved in heaven thinking of
him. This haunting melody seems more significant than the melodies Puccini composed for
many of his other songs. This is substantiated by Puccinis reusing part of the music in his
operas Le Villi and Manon Lescaut. Example 3.2 shows the high tessitura required for a
baritone, as well as the triplet motive occurring on the downbeat of each measure.

26

27
Ibid.
13

Example 3.2 Puccini Ad una morta!, measures 28-35. Page 8.

When one considers assigning this song to a student, the tessitura of Ad una morta!
would require either a tenor voice or a mature baritone voice with ease and facility in the upper
part of his range. In addition, the accompaniment does not double the vocal line, which would
not help a young singer to feel comfortable with the extended range. Because of these factors,
this song would be more appropriate for a graduate level male singer.
Composed on June 8, 1883, Puccinis Storiella damore (Little Story of Love) is set to
another text by Ghislanzoni.
28
This was Puccinis first published work, appearing in the musical
appendix to La Musica Popolare on October 4, 1883.
29
The text recounts the mutual amorous
feelings of the characters Paolo da Verrucchio and Francesca da Rimini as they read from

28
Budden, p. 32.

29
14

Lancelot of the Lake, a French romance.
30
The text is an adaptation by Ghislanzoni of an episode
from Dante Aligheris Divine Comedy. Although the text is gender specific from the mans
perspective, Puccini did not indicate a specific voice type; therefore, it would be appropriate for
both genders and has been recorded by both.
Storiella damore has a large pitch range of C#4 to A5, spanning an octave and a sixth,
and a tessitura of F4 to D5. This D major, strophic song, consisting of two verses, also contains
a postlude that hints of a third verse. The piano accompaniment occasionally features the
melody played in the left hand in unison with the vocal line, while the right hand plays chords in
a syncopated rhythm. Within this song, Puccini uses performance instructions, tempo
indications, and dynamic markings more frequently than he had in his previous songs. Some of
these instructions and indications include rolled chords, staccati, asymmetrical phrasing,
extensive crescendos and decrescendos, tenuto markings, and specific tempo indications not only
within phrases, but also between sections.
Following a lengthy prelude, the vocal melody enters and contains several scale-like
passages with a few large leaps up or down the staff. Beginning with noi leggevamo insieme
in measure thirty-three, the vocal line begins a chromatic ascent from A4 to D5, which is
followed by a leap of a fifth up to A5, accompanied by a quick crescendo as the text describes
her wavy hair touching his face. In the phrases preceding this section, the accompaniment
features constant eighth-note motion in the left hand while the pianists right hand doubles the
vocal melody. This piano parts texture suddenly changes to syncopated quarter notes in the
right hand of the piano part and a more melodic left hand part constructed of quarter and eighth
notes, representing the stifled passion that is released in the next phrase, which culminates in the
highest note of the song, as seen in example 3.3.

30
15

Example 3.3 Puccini Storiella damore, measures 28-37. Page 33.

Storiella damore has a wide pitch range and requires ease in accessing notes above the
staff, although most of the high notes are sung on eighth-note durations. This song is strophic,
which would make learning it less challenging, and has a scale-like melody. Considering these
attributes, this song would be appropriate for an upper-level undergraduate singer or a graduate-
16

level singer. Puccini borrows eleven measures of Storiella damore for the Act III trio Bella
Signora from his second opera Edgar, which will be discussed in Chapter 6.
Mentia lavviso (The Warning Was False) was composed on June 10, 1883 to text
from the libretto of Felice Romanis melodrama La solitaria delle Asturie, ossia La Spagna
ricuperata.
31
Romanis popular libretto was first set to music by Carlo Coccia and premiered at
La Scala in 1838; it was set by several composers after Coccia.
32
The excerpt Puccini chose to
set comes from the melodramas Act IV, scene ii. Mentia lavviso calls for tenor voice and
piano, and is more than a song; it is a recitative and aria for a character that Puccini designates as
Gusmano. In Romanis play, Gusmano is a captain in the Moorish army, who is later
discovered to be the traitor, Count Giuliano. Act IV, scene ii occurs in a large cave in the valley
of Ausena. The Moorish soldiers enter the cave with torches led by Gusmano and Manuza,
another captain. After they sing a short chorus, the soldiers and Manuza exit the cave, leaving
Gusmano alone for a meeting with the ghost of his supposedly dead daughter.
33
It is at this point
in the melodrama that Puccinis recitative and aria, Mentia lavviso, begins. The connection
between the libretto and the aria is evident by Gusmanos reference to Ausena and the ghostly
sounds. The aria exists in two versions; both are preserved at the Milan Conservatory.
In the version published by Michael Kaye, the wide range of Mentia lavviso is from
Eb4 to Bb5 with a tessitura from A4 to F5. Puccinis scena in F minor is divided into two
distinct sections. These sections are identified by their unusual treatments of the accompaniment
and vocal melody. The recitative includes repeated pitches, often in dotted rhythms, which
usually end in a descending interval, thus resulting in a declamatory style of singing. The first
section includes a Verdian approach to the vocal line, including a tremolo accompaniment,
repeated pitches, and declamatory singing, which may have been inspired by the performance of
Aida a few years earlier. This tremolo section is one of only two times Puccini used the
compositional device in his song repertoire. Example 3.4 shows the beginning of the recitative
section with its dotted rhythms and tremolos.

31

32
Budden, p. 33.

33
Ibid.
17

Example 3.4 Puccini Mentia lavviso, measures 21-47. Page 24-25.

The second section, beginning at the second lento marking at measure eighty-two, is
more bel canto in its approach, as the expansive vocal line receives greater prominence over a
18

simple accompaniment. Music example 3.5 shows the second lento section, which demonstrates
the more extensive vocal line in Mentia lavviso.

Example 3.5 Puccini Mentia lavviso, measures 80-89. Page 28.

The recitative and aria Mentia lavviso is a challenging composition that includes
passages of unaccompanied recitative and a Bb5 sustained for eight beats and sung fff.
Considering the demanding range and dynamic level required for this piece, this aria would be
appropriate for a graduate level tenor voice that is comfortable with the demands of the Italian
Romantic opera style.
In Chapter 6, the author will discuss Puccinis self-borrowing from the aria Mentia
lavviso for use in the tenor aria Donna non vidi mai from Manon Lescaut.

19

CHAPTER 4
Songs from 18881899

From 1888 through 1899, Puccini composed five songs, three of which he wrote
especially for friends. During this period, three of his operas premiered: Edgar, Manon Lescaut,
and La Bohme. Edgar, his second opera, was unsuccessful, but his next opera, Manon Lescaut,
was hailed as a success, even after three laborious years of work on the libretto. His next opera,
La Bohme was well received by the audience, but generally dismissed by critics. The five songs
from this 11-year period are Sole e amore, which can be described as the seed for La
Bohme,; Ave Maria Leopolda!, a letter set to music; the boat song, Avanti, Urania!,; the
hunters song, Inno a Diana; and the lullaby, E luccellino.
Sole e amore (Sun and Love) was composed in 1888, probably on March 1.
34
The
author of the text is unknown, although Kaye believes Puccini may have written it himself.
35

Kaye also believes that the well-known sonnet Mattinata (Morning) of the Rime Nuove by
Giosue Carducci inspired the text because Puccini subtitled this song Mattinata.
36
Sole e
amore was published in Genoa in the musical supplement to Paganini magazine in 1888.
Camilo Sivori, a friend of Giuseppe Verdi, published Paganini magazine, which was issued from
1887 to 1892.
37
Sivori was a violinist who had studied with the famous violinist and teacher,
Niccol Paganini, and Sivori modeled his playing style after Paganini. In the original
manuscript, the last line of the text was Il primo di Marzo dell ottanotto, which means the
first of March 88.
38
This has led scholars to believe it was composed on March 1, 1888.
39

However, when Sole e amore was published for the first time, the last line was changed to al
Paganini, G. Puccini. This means To Paganini, from G. Puccini, both a literal dedication to

34

35
Ibid.

36
Kaye, The Unknown Puccini, p. 55.

37
Ibid.

38
Kaye, The Unknown Puccini, p. 55

39
Ibid.
20

the magazine and a nod to the great violinist. This song is the basis for the Act III quartet in La
Bohme. Ten years after La Bohme premiered, Puccini gave the original manuscript of Sole e
amore to his friend, the composer Francesco Paolo Tosti on April 1, 1906.
40
It is believed that
Puccini did this in honor of Tostis 60
th
birthday on April 9.
41
He inscribed the manuscript with
the phrase questo germe primo di Bohme, which means this first germ of Bohme.
42

Sole e amore is written for soprano and piano in the key of G-flat major. It has a range
from Db4 to Ab5 and is thirty-eight measures long. The tessitura of this well-known tune is
from Gb4 to F5. The text of Sole e amore describes the sun tapping on your window and love
tapping on your heart. The accompaniment of Sole e amore is mostly a fragile partner to the
singer. Except for four measures, the accompaniment is marked pianissimo or piano. Puccini
deploys a triplet figure in his melody, which breaks up the strong duple feeling of the
accompaniment, giving the song a heartfelt, passionate mood.
Puccini employs different musical characteristics in his accompaniment for the texts
descriptions of the sun and love, respectively. The first six measures talk about the sun with a
delicate, thin accompaniment, which includes staccati and grace notes. The first five measures
of the accompaniment are a repeat of the first measure four times. The text then mentions love
in measure seven, where the accompaniment becomes thicker, passionate, and more lyrical,
using rolled chords and syncopation. This seems to hint at what is to come later in the song at
the height of its passion. In measure seven, the singer says amor before the accompaniment
changes to the passionate, more lyrical texture, which seems to show that the singer is moving
the text and the music forward, as if pulling the accompaniment along with them. Puccini then
ends as he begins, reusing these same five measures at the end of Sole e amore, when the first
line of the melody is repeated in measures thirty-two through thirty-five to the words al
Paganini, G. Puccini. Example 4.1 shows the familiar melodic line from Sole e amore, which
is reused in the Act III quartet of La Bohme.
Sole e amore would be an appropriate song choice for an undergraduate voice
student who is comfortable singing an Ab5 with a crescendo to a forte dynamic level. While
Sole e amore is the same melody used in the La Bohme quartet, the piano accompaniment is

40
Budden, p. 64.

41
Ibid.

42
21

mostly light and delicate; therefore, the singer would not require as large a voice as the opera
roles demand.

Example 4.1 Puccini Sole e amore, measures 1-16. Page 36.

Puccini borrows from the song Sole e amore as the source for the Act III quartet in La
Bohme. This will be discussed further in Chapter 6.
Ave Maria Leopolda! (Hail Maria Leopolda!) is a letter that Puccini set to music on
May 20, 1896, the manuscript of which is preserved in the Centro Studi Verdi-Toscanini in
Parma .
43
It is a salutation to the wife of Leopoldo Mugnone, the conductor of the April 1896

43
22

performances of Manon Lescaut and La Bohme in Palermo.
44
In the first publication of this
song in 2004 by Kaye, he constructed the piano accompaniment from the original melody so that
the song would be performable, as Puccini only composed the melody. Ave Maria Leopolda
is in C major and has a melody that ranges from E4 to G5, which Kaye states would probably be
more suited to tenors or baritones.
45
It is nineteen measures long and probably was not intended
to be performed. The tempo marking is andante, and it is in 2/4 time, with many sixteenth notes
in the vocal melody and the accompaniment to give the song a majestic, jubilant feeling.
Example 4.2 shows vocal doubling in the accompaniment along with the agility required by the
singer.

Example 4.2 Puccini Ave Maria Leopolda, measures 6-19. Page 10.

44
Ibid.

45
Ibid.

23

The vocal demands of Ave Maria Leopolda! are few, and it would be suitable for a
beginning voice student. It requires some agility in the voice and accuracy in the rhythm, but the
piano accompaniment doubles the vocal part throughout, and the melody remains on the staff
with only one note above the staff, a G5.
With a text by Puccinis hunting friend, Renato Fucini, Avanti, Urania! (Forward
Urania!) is an energetic, joyful song. This song in D major was composed to commemorate the
purchase of a Scottish-built 179-ton iron screw steamer named Queen Mary by Marchese
Carlo Benedetto Ginori-Lisci.
46
When the boat was purchased by Ginori-Lisci, a friend of
Puccini and an affluent businessman, he renamed it Urania. Urania is a Greek mythological
figure whose name means heavenly; she is the muse of astronomy and is capable of telling the
future by the position of the stars.
47
Ginori-Lisci allowed Puccini to hunt on his private hunting
estates and gave him the land for Puccinis villa in Torre del Lago. In return for Ginori-Liscis
generosity, Puccini dedicated Avanti, Urania! to Ginori- Liscis wife, Anna, and dedicated La
Bohme to Ginori-Lisci himself.
48
The manuscript to this song was sent to the Ginori-Liscis on
October 4, 1896.
49
The Premiato Stabilimento Musicale Genesio Venturini in Florence and
Rome published the song for voice and piano in 1899.
50

Avanti, Urania! is a lively thirty-six measure song with a range of D4 to A5. This
song is written in D major, a key that is often associated with victory, joy, and triumph.
51
The
joyful quality of the song quickly changes when the text describes the boat being mild-mannered
like its owner. The music modulates to a very short A minor section, a musical key sometimes
associated with tenderness or plaintiveness.
52
The song then returns to its enthusiastic sound as

46

47
Wikipedia [Web site], Urania, Site address: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urania; date accessed:
September 25, 2007.

48

49
Budden, p. 184.

50

51
Rita Steblin, A History of Key Characteristics in the 18th and Early 19th Centuries. UMI Research Press
(1983). Site address: http://www.wmich.edu/mus-theo/courses/keys.html; date accessed: September 25,
2007.

52
Ibid.

24

the text describes the fearless boat and how it craves glory. The piano prelude, acting as
bookends to this piece, is repeated and serves as the postlude.
The vocal melody of Avanti, Urania! is doubled in the accompaniment throughout the
song and there is only one note, an A5, in the vocal line above the staff. This high note is
approached by an arpeggio, which would help a young singer to reach above the staff, as
arpeggio exercises are a common technique-building vocal exercise. Example 4.3 shows the end
of Avanti, Urania! with the ascending arpeggio ending with a sustained A5. Julian Buddens
opinion of Avanti, Urania! is clarified in his book Puccini:

It is not a particularly attractive piece. Fucinis words are draped casually over a tune
which seems to have occurred to the composer independently of them; and despite an
effective final strain, its upward climb balancing the downward trend of the opening, it is
commonplace Puccini. The Marchese was better recompensed with the dedication of La
Bohme.
53

Nonetheless, Avanti, Urania! is a straightforward song that would certainly be
appropriate for an upper classman, possibly as the final song in an Italian song set with its
energetic tempo and encore-like finish. The piano accompaniment doubles the vocal part
throughout, giving a less experienced singer ease with the scale-like melody.

53
Budden, p. 184.
25

Example 4.3 Puccini Avanti, Urania!, measures 25-36. Page 40.

Inno a Diana (Hymn to Diana) was composed on December 12, 1897 to a poem by
Carlo Abeniacar, a hunting friend of Puccinis, at Torre del Lago.
54
The text praises Diana, the
Roman goddess of hunting. An avid hunter himself, Puccini dedicated Inno a Diana to all
Italian hunters. Puccini enjoyed hunting at his villa in Torre del Lago and described himself as a
hunter of waterfowl, good libretti, and beautiful women.
55
Puccini authorized the songs

54
Kaye, The Nonoperatic Works of Giacomo Puccini, p. 294

26

publication in 1898 in a magazine titled Sant Uberto, which means Saint Uberto, referring to
the patron saint of hunting.
56

Inno a Diana is in D major with a range of D4 to A5, similar to that of Avanti,
Urania!. It begins in a march-like tempo, signifying the hunters marching off to participate in
the sport. The vocal part is doubled by the piano accompaniment and repeats the opening phrase
several times throughout the song. Puccini uses terrace dynamics in this song, as he only
indicates a piano dynamic marking or a forte, fortissimo, or fff marking. In example 4.4,
Puccinis use of terrace dynamics is evident, as well as the doubling of the vocal melody in the
accompaniment.

Example 4.4 Puccini Inno a Diana, measures 24-35. Page 42.

55

56
Ibid., p. 71.
27

Inno a Diana is in a modified rondo form of ABACA with the A section sounding
hymn-like with its chordal accompaniment and octave doubling in the left hand of the piano.
The B section contrasts this by being prayer-like, asking Diana to watch over, guide, and sustain
her followers. This section also sits lower in the voice, signifying a reverent mood. The C
section describes where they hunt: the Alps, the shores of the sea, the woods, and the fields. This
section has a higher tessitura than the B section and more lyrical phrasing, alluding to the
excitement and thrills the hunters feel.
Inno a Diana would be suitable for an upper classman, as it requires the singer to
access the upper part of the range easily on several occasions. Another challenge is that it
culminates with an A5 at a fff dynamic marking that is sustained for three measures.
The last song from this period is E luccellino, (And the little bird) which was
composed in 1899 again to a text by Renato Fucini.
57
This lullaby in D major was written in
memory of Dr. Guglielmo Lippi, a friend from Lucca who died from a typhus infection just a
few days after his marriage.
58
E luccellino was dedicated to Lippis son, Memmo, who was
born after the death of his father.
59

The range of this strophic song spans the octave from D4 to D5, while the tessitura of this
touching lullaby is F#4 to B4. As in the previous song Inno a Diana, where the vocal melody
is doubled in the right hand of the accompaniment, the vocal melody of E luccellino is also
doubled, but in the bass line or left hand of the accompaniment.
In the piano accompaniment, there are three instances in each of the three verses where a
short appoggiatura is played, creating the image of a chirping bird. This descriptive device also
occurs in the first two measures of the piano introduction, and helps to set the mood of the text,
which describes a little bird singing in a tree. The first verse depicts the little birds mother
telling the baby bird to sleep peacefully on his mothers heart. The second verse describes the
mother bird telling the baby bird that no one could ever tell him how much she loves him. The
abbreviated third and final verse again shows the mother bird telling the baby bird to rest on her

57

58
Ibid.

59
Ibid.

28

breast. The chirping bird appoggiatura in the accompaniment and limited vocal range can be
seen in example 4.5.

Example 4.5 Puccini E luccellino, measures 20-34. Page 46.

E luccellino is the song of Puccini that has received the most exposure and has been
recorded on several occasions. Mezzo-soprano Armida Parsi Pettinella was the first to record the
29

song in 1908.
60
Following her recording, such singers as Licia Albanese, Marcella Reale, and
Renata Tebaldi recorded E luccellino. More recently, Roberta Alexander, Nuccia Focile, and
Placido Domingo have done so as well.
E luccellino is a simple, strophic song that is suitable for a young, inexperienced
singer. The short, gentle melody makes it easier for the beginning singer and the range of the
song only spans one octave, perfect for ones first attempt at Italian song.

60
30

CHAPTER 5
Puccinis Songs from 19021919

Puccinis final six songs were written in the period from 1902 to 1919. During these
seventeen years, Puccini also composed the operas Madama Butterfly, La fanciulla del West, La
rondine, Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi, and travelled across Europe and to New
York City, overseeing many productions of his earlier operas.
Six songs are documented from this final compositional period. They are Terra e
mare; the song for the Gramophone, Canto danime; a simple song, Casa mia, casa mia;
the lullaby Sogno dor; Morire?; and his final song, Inno a Roma.
Terra e mare (Earth and sun) was composed on October 3, 1902 in Torre del Lago.
61

The poet, Enrico Panzanacchi, was an esteemed music critic from Bologna and a Wagner
enthusiast.
62
Puccini offered this song to Edoardo de Fonsecas Albo Annuale dArti e Lettere
(Annual Album of Arts and Letters) called Novissima. Novissima was a magazine that sought to
publish the works of Italys finest writers and composers, and Terra e mare was published in
Novissima in 1902.
63
There are two existing versions of Terra e mare; the version that was
published in Novissima in 1902, and the manuscript version, a miniature facsimile of which was
also published in the same Novissima edition.
64

The published version of Terra e mare has a range of one octave, from F4 to F5, and a
tessitura from G4 to Eb5. This song in F minor has a vocal melody that is doubled in the
accompaniment throughout, the doubling alternating between the left and right hand of the piano
part, and demonstrates Puccinis use of symmetrical phrasing. This twenty-nine measure song
has nine different indications in the music for ritardando, rallentando, calando, and a tempo.
The form of Terra e mare can be loosely described as ABA with subtle adjustments to the
melody in the da capo section. Although Puccini does not identify the form of this song as da

61

62

63
Ibid.

64
Ibid.
31

capo, it follows the common practice of modulating to the relative major in the B section as a da
capo aria would, in this case from F-minor to D-flat major.

Example 5.1 Puccini Terra e mare, measures 18-29. Page 51.

Terra e mare is suitable for an undergraduate vocal student. With a melody
that remains on the staff and the left hand of the accompaniment doubling the vocal part, it
would be an acceptable choice for an Italian art song at the undergraduate level. With its limited
range, explicit performing instructions, and symmetrical two measure phrases, Terra e mare
32

would be an accessible song for many different levels of singers, from beginner to more
advanced. Example 5.1 shows the symmetrical phrasing of the final four phrases of Terra e
mare, as well as several tempo indications.
Canto danime (Song of the souls) was composed in 1904 to a text by Luigi Illica, one
of Puccinis librettist for La Bohme, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly.
65
On April 15, 1903,
Puccini signed a contract with Gramophone to write a song for solo voice, which would be
produced exclusively for the Gramophone machine.
66
Alfred Michaelis, the head of the Milan
office of Gramophone, paid Puccini with one thousand records of his choice in exchange for the
song.
67
The song was due June of 1903, but Puccini was involved in a serious car accident on
February 25, 1903, which ultimately left him with a limp for the rest of his life.
68
This accident
also caused Puccinis composing to fall behind schedule. Canto danime was finally
completed in late 1904.
69

This thirty measure song is in B-flat major and includes a range that spans an octave and
a fourth, from F4 to Bb5. The accompaniment features a march-like introduction with a chordal
accompaniment and octave doubling in the left hand against a repeated rhythmic figure of a
dotted eighth note followed by a sixteenth note in the vocal part. This rhythmic feature helps to
give the song its martial feeling. In measure twenty-four of Canto danime, the voice, in a
dotted eighth/sixteenth note rhythmic pattern, ascends over an octave by diatonic steps,
culminating in a Bb5.
Canto danime is a challenging piece that would be suitable for an advanced vocal
student. It requires great ease and comfort with the extended height of the voice, as there are
both A5 and Bb5 pitches written in the melody, and the accompaniment is not doubled in the
vocal part. These requirements would necessitate an independent, mature singer. The final

65

66

67
Ibid.

68
Giacomo Puccini, The Unknown Puccini, program notes by Michael Kaye, CBS Records Masterworks
MK44981, 1989, Compact Disc, 60.

69
Giacomo Puccini, The Unknown Puccini, CBS Records Masterworks, 60.

33

phrases of Canto danime are shown in example 5.2, including the ascending scale ending on
a Bb5.

Example 5.2 Puccini Canto danime, measures 24-30. Page 54.

Casa mia, casa mia (My home, my home) was composed on November 29, 1908.
70

The text is based on the Italian phrase Casa mia, casa mia, bench piccolo tu sia, tu mi pari una
badia. The English equivalent of this is Home sweet home and Be it ever so humble,
theres no place like home.
71
Composed at the request of Edoardo de Fonseca, the publisher of
La Casa magazine, Fonseca agreed to find a buyer for Puccinis house in Abetone in exchange
for the song and an interview.
72
Puccini filled out a four-page questionnaire about his residences

70

71

72

34

in Torre del Lago, Chiatri, and Abetone.
73
In it, he discussed how he acquired each home, the
dcor, and what was special about each one. On December 16, 1908, the article ran in La Casa
magazine along with the musical manuscript for the song Casa mia, casa mia.
74
In a letter to
Edoardo de Fonseca, Puccini suggested that he should throw this song in the trash, as he was not
inspired while writing it, saying Fonseca made him do it.
75
In Kayes 2004 corrected and revised
edition of the score, Puccini Rediscovered, there is one new measure, which repeats the phrase
Casa mia instead of only stating it once, as in the original song.
This forty-five second song is Puccinis shortest, with just fourteen measures. Casa
mia, casa mia is in the key of G major with a limited range from D4 to D5. The melodic line of
Casa mia, casa mia centers mostly on a G major triad, although there is a key change in the
middle of the song. This modulation from G major to D major occurs in measure six and lasts
four measures. In these four measures, Puccini uses a C-sharp accidental twice, as well as a D
major triad to end the phrase strongly in the alternate D major key with the refrain casa mia.
In the last three measures of the song, Puccini reestablishes the G major key with the same two
measures that start the song: the words casa mia on a melodic leap from G4 to D5. There is a
repetitive half-note followed by a quarter-note pattern in the accompaniment that is consistent
throughout the song. While Casa mia, casa mia may seem like an insignificant part of
Puccinis output, it is interesting that he used his skills as a composer even when selling a house.
This simple song is the easiest of Puccinis songs, and therefore it would be a good
selection for a beginning singer. The range is very limited, although the piano accompaniment
does not double the vocal part. This song might be a good selection for a singer attempting a
song in a foreign language for the first time. Example 5.3 demonstrates Puccinis simplistic
approach to this song, with its sparse texture and repeated pitch vocal melody.

73

74

75

35

Example 5.3 Puccini Casa mia, casa mia, measures 1-6. Page 55.

Sogno dor (Golden Dream) is a lullaby written in November 1912 to a text by
Puccinis nephew, Carlo Marsili.
76
Marsili was the son of Puccinis sister Nitteti. The song was
composed for the Christmas edition of the popular magazine Noi e il Mondo, an addition to
the Italian newspaper La Tribuna.
77
Puccini biographer Julian Budden discovered Sogno dor
shortly after Kaye wrote The Unknown Puccini in 1987.
78
It was thought that upon finding the
song Sogno dor, the collection of existing Puccini songs was complete, although Kaye has
since discovered and published three more unknown Puccini songs.
Sogno dor is in B-flat major with minimal piano accompaniment that does not double
the voice part. The left hand plays arpeggios, which lack the third scale degree, while the right
hand has sustained chords that always include the second scale degree. This helps to give the
song its dreamy atmosphere. The range is from C4 to F5, which would make it appropriate for

76
Budden, p. 340.

77
Giacomo Puccini, Puccini Rediscovered: Six Songs for Voice and Piano, notes.

78
Ibid.

36

most voice types, but probably best for mezzo-soprano. Like Puccinis other lullaby E
luccellino, the text of this song is told from a parents point of view to the child. It states that
an angel will join the baby on his pillow and tell him about treasures and fairies while he dreams.
The vocal line is set in predominantly step-wise descending motion within a narrow
range, however challenges for the singer arise with lengthy phrases and a sustained F5 at the end
of the song. Although the piano accompaniment is very sparse and does not double the vocal
line, Sogno dor would be a good selection to assign to a young singer. Some vocal issues
that could be addressed through this song include breath management, independence in the vocal
line, and sustaining a pitch on the top of the staff with a decrescendo. Example 5.4 shows the
descending step-wise vocal melody, as well as the left hand arpeggiation lacking the third scale
degree.

Example 5.4 Puccini Sogno dor, measures 6-23. Page 4.

37

Set to a poem by one of Puccinis librettists, Giuseppe Adami, the song Morire? (To
Die?) is thought to have been written in 1917.
79
Dedicated to Queen Elena di Savoia, it was
issued by Ricordi in 1917 in the Album Per la Croce Rossa, along with other unpublished works
by Pietro Mascagni, Alberto Franchetti, Umberto Giordano, Ruggero Leoncavallo, Arrigo Boito,
and Riccardo Zandonai.
80
Proceeds from these works went to benefit the Italian Red Cross and
its wartime relief efforts.
81

Morire? is in the key of G major with a range from F4 to B5 and a text questioning the
meaning and purpose of life, which states that only those who have passed on can know the
answer. The accompaniment of Morire? has repeated eighth notes in both hands with the
right hand also playing in unison with the vocalists broad, sustained melody. In measure
twenty-one, Puccini uses a quintuplet to set accurately the inflection of the words semplicit.
Beginning with measure thirty-six, there are five changes in the time signature in six measures.
The uncertainty of the time signature might reflect the uncertainty of the afterlife, which the text
describes as his peace being swept. The final section of this song, from measures forty-six to
fifty, is unaccompanied and sung in a recitative-like style culminating with a B5, the highest note
Puccini writes in a song. Example 5.5 shows the recitative-like ending to Morire?.
Morire?, a song that is most suitable for an advanced singer, includes some rhythmic
challenges, as well as a high, extended range. Although Puccini does not indicate a particular
voice type for Morire?, when he later used the song as the basis for Ruggeros Act I aria in La
rondine, he indicated it as a romanza for tenor, thus the song Morire? would also be most
appropriate for tenor voice.

79

80

81
Ibid.
38

Example 5.5 Puccini Morire?, measures 42-52. Page 59.

Puccini again reused melodic material here, with the song Morire? being used as the
source for Act I of Puccinis second version of La rondine in the tenor aria Parigi e la citt,
which will be discussed in Chapter 6.
Inno a Roma (Hymn to Rome), the final song that Puccini composed, was written in
four days in 1919 to a text by Fausto Salvatori.
82
In April 1918, the municipal authorities of
Rome commissioned Salvatori to write a text honoring Italys victories in the final months of

82
39

World War I.
83
Prince Prospero Colonna suggested that Puccini set the text to music because he
felt that Rome needed a national hymn. Eventually published by Sonzogno in 1923, Inno a
Roma had the undesired distinction of being one of the official Fascist hymns under Mussolini.
Puccini was not fond of it and once wrote that it was una bella porcheria (a real piece of
trash).
84
The first performance of Inno a Roma was scheduled for April 21, 1919 with 4,000
performers gathered at Villa Umberto to celebrate Romes birthday.
85
A storm swept in at the
beginning of the concert, and the performance had to be cancelled and rescheduled for June 1,
1919, at the National Stadium during the Royal Gymnastic Competition.
86

Inno a Roma, also designated as Inno di Roma, is a majestic song in A-flat major.
The vocal range of Inno a Roma is Eb4 to Ab5 with a tessitura from G4 to Eb5. The piano
accompaniment doubles the voice part throughout the eighty-six measures.
This song can be divided into three distinct sections. The first section, in A-flat major,
begins with a forte military call in the piano part and sounds march-like, with dotted rhythms in
the vocal part. The second section changes to a minor key and a piano dynamic marking, but
keeps the dotted rhythms in the vocal part. The final section uses a quarter-note accompaniment
and changes keys to E-flat major, with a constant Bb in the right hand of the accompaniment, all
contributing to its anthem-like sound. The finale refrain, which returns to the key of A-flat
major, is indicated with the melody written out in octaves, possibly to accommodate the varying
octaves in which an audience might sing a national hymn.
With a march-like accompaniment and an emphatic and declamatory vocal line, evident
in example 5.6, Inno a Roma is a demanding song that would be appropriate for an advanced
undergraduate singer. Although the range of this song is manageable for most singers, the
manner in which the primarily quarter note vocal line coincides with the chordal accompaniment
produces a song that can be fatiguing for the singer. The final verse remains in the top of the
staff and requires singers that can pace themselves, without pushing their voices. Example 5.6
also shows the tempo indication marziale, meaning martial or warlike.

83

84
Ibid., p. 129.

85

86
Ibid., p. 301.
40

Example 5.6 Puccini Inno a Roma, measures 1-13. Page 60.

41

CHAPTER 6
Puccinis Operatic Self-Borrowing

It is well documented that Puccini showed a tendency to borrow melodies from himself,
even though some have called the composer lazy for this self-borrowing. Puccini was aware of
his self-borrowing and, although he never discussed the practice, he did describe it as a labor-
saving device.
87
He repeated this practice throughout his life, often borrowing one of the
melodies of his songs and re-using that melody in one of his operas.
The first instance of Puccinis self-borrowing that will be discussed is No. 5 in the Le
Villi score, also known as the prayer Angiol di Dio. The introduction to the prayer, played by
the orchestra, as well as the actual prayer, Angiol di Dio, is taken from the thirty-five
measures of Puccinis song Salve Regina. Unlike Salve Regina, which is in the key of F
major, Puccini uses the key of E-flat major in this scene. The key of E-flat major is often
associated with sacred music and the Trinity, which may have influenced Puccinis change of
key from the song. At the beginning of the prayer, the theme is sung by Guglielmo, a baritone,
which may be another reason why the key was lowered a whole step. Another significant
difference between the two selections is the tempo indications. Salve Regina is marked largo
religioso, whereas the introduction to Angiol di Dio is indicated allegro. The tempo then
slows down once the solo voice enters to andante mosso. The vocal entrances of Anna, a
soprano, Roberto, a tenor, and the chorus, follow Guglielmos vocal entrance as the melody
develops into a full ensemble scene. There are a few instances where the rhythm has been
altered in order to adjust to the different text, but the rhythm and melody remain mostly intact,
with the original melody from Salve Regina remaining the prominent upper melody, Annas
vocal line. Example 6.1 is an excerpt of Angiol di Dio from Le Villi and shows the
corresponding self-borrowing from Salve Regina. The vocal entrances of Anna and Roberto
are seen as well, as Annas vocal line continues with the original melody. To compare this
musical example to the song Salve Regina, refer to music example 3.1.

87
Michael Elphinstone, Le Villi, Edgar, and the Symphonic Element, in The Puccini Companion, ed.
William Weaver (New York: W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1994), p. 86.
42

Example 6.1 Puccini from Act I, scene v of Le Villi 1883, page 42.
Source: Le Villi. Published by Ricordi. Milan, 1986.

Another instance of self-borrowing occurs when Puccini used eleven measures of
Storiella damore in the Act III trio Bella Signora from his second opera, Edgar.
88
The
lento theme in Storiella damore, found in measures forty-four through forty-eight, is used as
thematic material for the Edgar trio at Edgars line Io vi chieggo pieta per quei ginocchi at
rehearsal number thirty-six in the Ricordi edition. Also working in the key of D major, Puccini
uses the exact melody from his song Storiella damore at Tigranas phrase Silenzio, frate,
lasciatemi pregar!, which immediately follows the Edgar line mentioned above.
89
Puccinis

88
Elphinstone, p. 106.

89
43

self-borrowing occurs again at square forty with Edgars phrase Un detto della tua bocca
vermiglia and repeats again immediately with Tigranas Vallontanate Lasciatemi Pregar!
Puccini used the second lento theme from Mentia lavviso as his source for Des
Grieuxs Act I aria Donna non vidi mai from Manon Lescaut.
90
After Puccini had written the
song Mentia lavviso as his final assignment in order to graduate from the Milan
Conservatory, Puccini returned to the melody of Mentia lavviso when he was composing
Manon Lescaut. Beginning in measure eighty-two through the end of Mentia lavviso, the
basis for this well-known tenor aria is apparent. The key for the opera aria is a whole step higher
than Mentia lavviso, and includes phrases not included in the early Puccini aria from seven
years earlier. The lento theme of Mentia lavviso has a time signature of 3/4 time, while the
aria from Manon Lescaut is in 4/4 time. There are several subtle variations between the two
selections, including the addition or subtraction of pick-up notes and the use of dotted rhythms
rather than triplets. Example 6.2 shows the melody of the aria from Manon Lescaut, which is
borrowed from Mentia lavviso.

Example 6.2 Puccini from Act I of Manon Lescaut 1893. Page 47.
Source: Manon Lescaut. Published by Ricordi. Milan, Italy, 1944.

90
44

Puccinis again utilizes self-borrowing in the quartet of Act III in La Bohme, where
Puccini recycles the song Sole e amore, discussed in Chapter Three as the exact source for the
beginning of the famous quartet. Both the song and the quartet are in the same key, but with
different texts. The tempo for the quartet is marked Andante con moto, whereas the songs
tempo is Allegretto (mosso). The quartet, Dunque proprio finita!, begins after Mimi sings
the aria Donde lieta. Rodolfo begins the quartet that closes Act III by realizing that Mimi is
leaving him for good and he must say goodbye to his dreams of love. Mimi responds to
Rodolfos statement by saying her own goodbye to the sweet times they awoke together. Mimi
sings her first phrase of the quartet, which matches the melody of Sole e amore, and then
Rodolfo picks up the second phrase from the song, which continues the melody of Sole e
amore. The third phrase of the quartet is similar to the song harmonically but not melodically.
Rodolfo then resumes the songs melody at chio da vero poeta. He again passes the songs
melody on to Mimi and she sings the passionate phrase soli dinverno, which means alone in
winter. Puccini then changes one pitch at this point in the phrase, giving the operatic duet a
higher note rather than the lower note he had written in the song. Instead of F5-Eb5-F5, he
writes F5-Gb5-F5. This raised pitch in the quartet adds more emotion to their phrase, as if to
express the sadness Rodolfo and Mimi feel about their separation. Puccini finishes his song
Sole e amore with a reprise of the delicate melody that began the song, but in the quartet, he
builds on the ensemble with a passionate unison phrase before adding in the other two characters
of the quartet, Marcello and Musetta. The same piano introduction to the song, played by the
piano, can be heard in the scene from La Bohme, played by the orchestra.
45

Example 6.3 Puccini from Act III of La Bohme 1896, pages 221-222.
Source: La Bohme. Published by G. Schirmer. New York, New York, 1954.

Puccinis late song Morire? reappears in Act I of Puccinis second version of La
rondine in Ruggeros romanza, Parigi la citt, but it is lowered by a half step and has new
46

text and a different ending.
91
Puccini began composing the second version of La rondine in the
summer of 1918. This version, basically a revision of the first version, was an attempt by
Puccini to fix problems with the libretto for upcoming productions. The aria Parigi la citt
clearly uses the same melody as Morire?, but with the rhythmic values changed to fit the
inflection of the arias different text. In measure twenty-eight of Parigi la citt, Puccini
excludes two measures that he used in the song Morire? and repeats the phrase that follows
twice. While the aria Parigi la citt is clearly a duplicate of the song Morire?, these
subtle changes help Puccini to set the text efficiently.

Example 6.4 Puccini from Act I of La rondine 1920, pages 197.
Source: The Unknown Puccini. Published by Oxford University Press. New York, New York,
1987.

91
47

CHAPTER 7
Conclusion
While Giacomo Puccini is well-known as a composer of beautiful, dramatic operas, his solo
compositions for voice and piano accompaniment represent a small but interesting part of his
output. These seventeen extant songs have remained virtually unknown, but they provide an
insightful look into the composer and his talents. The songs of Puccini vary widely in quality,
yet as a group they offer a variety of challenges for vocalists of all levels and voice types. There
are songs with both narrow and wide ranges, and the songs feature a variety of compositional
techniques (diatonic scalar patterns as well as large leaps in the vocal line, recitative-like
passages, symmetrical and asymmetrical phrasing, and others) that can provide the student singer
with valuable training is progressively more challenging vocal techniques. The accompaniments
are also varied, including march-like themes, sparse textures, thick chordal patterns, syncopated
rhythms with ostinato patterns, doubling of the vocal line, and passages in which the voice in
independent of the accompaniment. Although Puccinis compositional gifts are not always on
full display in these songs, the diversity of these compositions merit attention by both amateur
and professional vocalists, and are particularly valuable as tools for a voice teacher.
Puccinis songs can be separated into four periods; his early years, the Milan
Conservatory years, songs from 1888-1899, and his mature style period. Songs from each of
these periods possess distinctive qualities and motivations for composing the selection. The
early years only include two solo songs, both of which show Puccini as a young, inexperienced
composer. The Conservatory years consist of four songs and begin to display a more distinctive
quality similar to his later compositions, including his well-known operas. All four of the songs
composed during this period were later used in Le Villi, Manon Lescaut, and Edgar. The five
songs composed during the period that spans the eleven years from 1888 to 1899 are
characterized by the impetus to compose them. These songs were composed for magazine
supplements, the wife of the conductor who conducted performances of Manon Lescaut and La
Bohme, the commemoration of a friends boat, all Italian hunters, and the son of a deceased
friend. Finally, the last period, totaling six songs, demonstrate his maturity as a composer,
utilizing the most extreme ranges for the voice and interpretive indications.
48

Given the popularity of Puccinis established operatic compositions, his songs have been
overlooked by many, but deserve an opportunity for exploration by teachers and students.
These songs provide singers a vast range of programming possibilities, including songs from
specific periods, songs used in Puccinis operatic borrowing, and songs composed for his friends.
While Puccinis contribution to art song will never overshadow his importance to the operatic
repertoire, these songs are appropriate for singers from the undergraduate level to professional
level offering teachers an opportunity to work through various vocal technique issues.

49

APPENDIX A: SONG CHART
Solo Songs for Voice by Giacomo Puccini
Song Title Year Key Range Intended
Voice Type
Student Level Borrowed?
A te 1875 [?] D major A3 to F#5 Not specified Undergraduate student No
La Primavera 1880 [?] F major C4 to G5 Not specified Beginner student No
Salve Regina 1882-1883 F major D4 to F5 Soprano Undergraduate student Yes, used in Act I of Le Villi for the prayer
Angiol di Dio che I vanni rivolgi al ciel
stasera
Ad una morta! 1883 Eb minor/ Eb major Eb3 to G4 Baritone Graduate student Yes, portions are used in Le Villi, Edgar, and
Manon Lescaut
Storiella damore 1883 D major C#4 to A5 Not specified Undergraduate student Yes, eleven measures are used in the Act III
trio, Bella Signora from Edgar
Mentia lavviso 1883 F minor Eb4 to Bb5 Tenor Graduate student Yes, used in the Act I aria Donna non vidi
mai from Manon Lescaut
Sole e amore 1888 Gb major Db4 to
Ab5
Soprano Undergraduate student Yes, used in the Act III quartet Dunque
proprio finita from La Bohme
Ave Maria Leopolda! 1896 C major E4 to G5 Not specified Beginner student No
Avanti, Urania! 1896 D major D4 to A5 Not specified Undergraduate student No
Inno a Diana 1897 D major D4 to A5 Not specified Undergraduate student No
E luccellino 1899 D major D4 to D5 Not specified Beginner student No
Terra e mare 1902 F minor F4 to F5 Not specified Undergraduate student No
Canto danime 1904 Bb major F4 to Bb5 Not specified Graduate student No
Casa mia, casa mia 1908 G major D4 to D5 Not specified Beginner student No
Sogno dor 1912 Bb major C4 to F5 Not specified Undergraduate student No
Morire? 1917 [?] G major F4 to B5 Not specified Graduate student Yes, used in the Act I tenor aria Parigi e la
citt in the second version of La rondine
Inno a Roma 1919 Ab major Eb4 to Ab5 Not specified Undergraduate student No
50

APPENDIX B: SCORE PERMISSION LETTERS

51

52

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books:
Ashbrook, William. The Operas of Puccini. New York: Oxford University Press, 1968.

________, and Harold Powers. Turandot: The End of the Great Tradition. Princeton:
Princeton University Press, 1991.

Berger, William. Puccini Without Excuses: A Refreshing Reassessment of the Worlds Most
Popular Composer. New York: Vintage Books, 2005.

Budden, Julian. Puccini: His Life & Works. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Carner, Mosco. Puccini: A Critical Biography. 3
rd
edition. New York: Holmes & Meier
Publishers, 1992.

Del Fiorentino, Dante. Immortal Bohemian; An Intimate Memoir of Giacomo Puccini.
New York: Prentice-Hall, 1952.

DiGaetani, John L. Puccini the Thinker: The Composers Intellectual and Dramatic
Development. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 1987

Edwards, Geoffrey and Ryan Edwards. Verdi and Puccini Heroines: Dramatic
Characterization in Great Soprano Roles. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2001.

Fairtile, Linda B. Giacomo Puccini: A Guide to Research. New York: Garland
Publishers, 1999.

Girardi, Michele. Puccini: His International Art. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2000.

Greenfeld, Howard. Puccini: A Biography. New York: Putnam, 1980.

Grout, Donald. A Short History of Opera. 3
rd
edition. New York: Columbia University
Press, 1988.

Hopkinson, Cecil. A Bibliography of the Works of Giacomo Puccini, 1858-1924. New
York: Broude Bros., 1968.

Hughes, Spike. Famous Puccini Operas; An Analytical Guide for the Opera-Goer and The
Armchair Listener. 2
nd
edition. New York: Dover Publications, 1972.

Jackson, Stanley. Monsieur Butterfly; The Story of Giacomo Puccini. New York: Stein
and Day, 1974.
53

Kaye, Michael. The Unknown Puccini. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.

LaRue, C. Steven, ed., International Dictionary of Opera, vol. 2, Giacomo Puccini, by William
Ashbrook. Detroit: St. James Press, 1993.

Marek, George R. Puccini, A Biography. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1951.

Osborne, Charles. The Complete Operas of Puccini. New York: Da Capo Press, 1983.

Phillips- Matz, Mary-Jane. Puccini: A Biography. Boston: Northeastern University Press,
2002.

Ramsden, Timothy. Puccini. London: Omnibus, 1996.

Sadie, Stanley, ed., The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, vol. 3, Giacomo Puccini, by Julian
Budden. New York: Macmillan Press, 1992.

Sadie, Stanley, ed., The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, vol. 15, Giacomo
Puccini, by Gabriella Biagi Ravenni and Mosco Carner. New York: Macmillan Press,
1994.

Sadie, Stanley, ed., The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, vol.20, Giacomo
Puccini, by Gabriella Biagi Ravenni and Michele Girardi. New York: Macmillan
Publishers Limited, 2001.

Southwell-Sander, Peter. Puccini. London: Omnibus Press, 1996.

Stanley Sadie, ed. Puccini and His Operas. London: Macmillan, 1999.

Wilson, Conrad. Giacomo Puccini. London: Phaidon, 1997.

Weaver, William. Puccini: The Man and His Music. 1
st
edition. New York: E.P. Dutton,
1997.

________. The Golden Century of Italian Operas from Rossini to Puccini. London:
Thames and Hudson, 1980.

________, and Simonetta Puccini, ed. The Puccini Companion. New York: W.W. Norton,
1994.

Articles:
Carman, Judith. Italian and Sacred Songs. Journal of Singing 54 (March/April 1998): 65-74.

Fairtile, Linda Beard. Puccini Songs and Piano Compositions. Notes 63/1 (September 2006):
196-200.
54

Heath, Mary Joanne Renner. Exoticism in Puccini: The Japanese Melodies in Madama
Butterfly. The Opera Journal 13:N4 (1980): 21-28.

Hughes, Spike. Drawn from Life: In La Boheme Puccini Relied on a Colorful, Realistic
Novel and his Own Experience. Opera News 42 (December 24, 1977): 12-14.

Kaye, Michael. The Songs of Puccini. The Opera Quarterly, ii/3 (Autumn 1984): 89
-101.
Mourby, A. Roughing it: Opera Critics Have a Tough Life (Puccini Festival in Torre del
Lago) Only Opera Festival Held Adjacent to Campground. Opera Now (July/August
2001): 38-39.

Dissertations:
Fairtile, Linda Beard. Giacomo Puccinis Operatic Revisions As Manifestations of His
Compositional Priorities. Ph.D. diss., New York University, 1996.

Greenwald, Helen. Dramatic Exposition and Musical Structure in Puccinis Operas. Ph.D.
diss., City University of New York, 1991.
Ho, Min. The Leitmotif Technique in Puccinis La Boheme, Tosca, and Madama
Butterfly: A Critical Examination of Transformation Procedures. Ph.D. diss., The
University of Saskatchewan, 1994.

Howe, Teresa Metzger. Rodolfo and Mimi: A Study of the Powerful Blend of Lyrics and
Music in Puccinis La Boheme. D.M.A. diss., University of Washington, 2001.

Kim, Soo Hong. The Songs of Giacomo Puccini: An Analytical Study of his Style and
Self- Borrowing. D.M.A. diss., University of North Texas, 1997.

Compact Discs:
Puccini, Giacomo. The Unknown Puccini. CBS Records Masterworks MK44981, 1989.
Compact Disc.

________. Sole e amore. Unicorn Records Ltd DKP (CD) 9161, 1996. Compact Disc.

________. Sole e amore. Erato Disques S.A. 0630-17071-2, 1997. Compact Disc.

Musical scores:
Puccini, Giacomo. Edgar. Milan: Ricordi, 1982.

________. Gianni Schicchi. Milan: Ricordi, 1990.
________. La Boheme. New York: G. Schirmer, 1954.

________. Le Villi. Milan: Ricordi, 1983.
55

________. Madame Butterfly. Milan: Ricordi, 1999.

________. Manon Lescaut. Milan: Ricordi, 1944.

________. Turandot. Milan: Ricordi, 2000.

________. Two arias from La Rondine: for Soprano. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard, 1992.

________. Songs for Voice and Piano. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.

________. Puccini Rediscovered: Six Songs for Voice and Piano. Masters Music Publications,
Inc., 2004.

56

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Soprano Laurie Domingue Lester received a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Baylor University, a
Master of Music in vocal performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a Doctor
of Music in vocal performance from Florida State University. Dr. Lester was most recently seen with the Houston
Grand Opera in the role of Pepik in Cunning Little Vixen, the Bridesmaid in Le Nozze di Figaro, as well as with
Berkshire Opera performing the role of Miss Pinkerton in The Old Maid and the Thief. Some of her awards include
First Place and the Audience Choice award in the International Meistersinger Competition in Graz, Austria, Texoma
Singer of the Year, Second Place in the Orpheus Vocal Competition, Second Place in the Mobile Opera Vocal
Competition, and she was named a Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.
Laurie Domingue Lester has proven herself to be effective on the opera stage, where she has performed the
leading roles of Giulietta in I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Anne Trulove in The Rakes Progress, Pamina in Die Zauberflte,
Morgana in Alcina, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Miss Wordsworth in Albert Herring, and Charleston Singer in the world
premiere of Loss of Eden.
Dr. Lester currently lives in Houston with her husband, where she continues to perform in operas and recitals,
and teaches at Houston Baptist University, Cy-Fair College, and Wharton County Junior College.

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