Subtle Text Painting in Puccini’s Il trittico

Tyler Clark

MUS 3585

April 10, 2019

 Introduction

Giacomo Puccini is undoubtedly considered to be one of the greatest Italian opera

composers of all time. Some of his most famous works include La bohème, Madama Butterfly,

and Tunradot. Additionally, Puccini wrote a series of three one-act operas that premiered at the

Metropolitan Opera on December 14, 1918 (Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi).

Puccini’s compositional style is unique to his work, and regularly utilizes text painting. Text

painting is a great source of emotion and movement that is found within Puccini’s Il trittico.

Biography

Puccini was born on December 22, 1858 in Lucca, Italy. He was born into a family of

well-known musicians who had provided the city for generations with composers and organists.

He was taught basic musical rudiments in the form of piano and voice lessons by Fortunato

Magi, his maternal uncle. He enrolled at the Istituto Pacini full-time at age sixteen where he

studied composition under Carlo Angeloni. Following his graduation in 1880, Puccini moved to

Milan and submitted Le villi—his first opera—for a competition. Even though he lost due to

illegibility, it gained him local attention and the interest of an influential music publisher, Giulio

Ricordi, who was his publisher until the day Puccini died. Many successful operatic works

followed such as La bohème and Madama Butterfly (second premiere). His second-to-last and

final completed opera work, Il Trittico, was made up of three one-act operas. He developed

throat cancer and died of surgical complications on November 29, 1924 in Brussels, Belgium.1

Background Information

Il trittico is Italian for “The Triptych.” According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a

triptych is “a picture (such as an altarpiece) or carving in three panels side by side” or

1
Budden, Julian. “Puccini, Giacomo.” Grove Music Online. 2002. Oxford University Press.
“something composed or presented in three parts or sections.”2 The three panels typically are

related in some manner—often sharing some sort of narrative. Puccini originally was unsure of

how suitable a title such as Trittico was for his set of three one-act operas because of their

independence from one another; they do not share any recurring characters and have no narrative

connection to one another. However, they are vaguely related in the context of their initial

inspirations. Puccini had originally intended for the three one-acts to be based around the three

parts of the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri —Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradisio. Il tabarro

relates to Inferno in the sense that it is a hopeless, oppressive tale; Suor Angelica relates to

Purgatorio in that mortal sin is met with Divine salvation; and Gianni Schicchi relates to

Paradiso in that it reflects an increase in liberation and quality of life (although this particular act

was actually derived from Inferno). In series, the three acts together form a transition, starting

from darkness gradually rising to light. This provides a common theme in order to create a

connection between the acts.3

Another possible link could have been inspired by the Grand Guignol—a component of

French theatre that was very common in Italy during the time. The Grand Guignol is a theatre

event that is characterized by short plays of contrasting genres and styles. They typically began

with a violent horror, followed by a sentimental piece, and concluded with a comedy; this

outlines the themes in Il trittico exactly.4

Il tabarro (The Cloak)

2
Triptych. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triptych
3
Carner, Mosco. Puccini: A Critical Biography. [1st American ed.]. New York: Knopf, 1959. 403.
4
Davis, Andrew C. Il Trittico, Turandot, and Puccini’s Late Style. Bloomington: Indiana
University Press, 2010. 67.
Origin and Brief Synopsis

Giorgetta, the wife of Michele, asks her husband, if she can bring wine to the stevedores

that are unloading his barge. Michele, the barge-owner, grants her permission, but since she

refuses his kiss does not join them. Luigi, a stevedore, and Gioretta engage in a dance when they

hear an organ grinder nearby, revealing a romantic interest between the two. Michele and

Gioretta discuss which stevedore to dismiss. Michele wants to dismiss Luigi, but Gioretta does

not. Luigi requests he be dismissed and makes plans with Gioretta to meet in secrecy later on,

and kill Michele as well. Later on, Luigi mistakes Michele lighting his pipe for the signal that he

and Gioretta agreed upon. The two begin to fight, and Michele kills Luigi, hides him under his

cloak, and reveals his corpse to Gioretta.5

Il tabarro is based off of La Houppelande (The Cloak), a one-act play written by Didier

Gold. Gold’s original story actually contains a main plotline and an additional sub-plot that runs

parallel to it. The wife of one of the other stevedores, Goujon, in unfaithful to him—and is also a

prostitute. Goujon stabs and kills her in a tavern. Puccini may have decided to omit this sub-plot

in order to keep focus on the main story.6

Musical Analysis and Text Painting

Michele has a musical figure during his duet with Giorgetta (appendix 1.0). The longing

sorrow he feels for the faded love from his wife is expressed through a thrice-repeated chromatic

tail-end. This seems to symbolize the ever-present jealousy that invades and torments his mind.

The way that the motive skips up three semitones, drops two semitones, and then skips up again

three semitones makes it seem as though the idea could go on endlessly, much like the lingering

pain and suspicion Michele holds. The second aria shared by Luigi and Gioretta is one that
5
Freeman, John W. The Metropolitan Opera Stories of the Great Operas. New York: Metropolitan Opera Guild :
W.W. Norton, 1984. 347-348.
6
Carner, Mosco. Puccini: A Critical Biography. [1st American ed.]. New York: Knopf, 1959. 404.
focuses on the feelings of guilt, yet their longing for happiness. This situation is characterized

suitably by an ostinato in the bass, muted strings, a minor key, and a repeated vocal phrase

(appendix 1.1).

Suor Angelica (Sister Angelica)

Origin and Brief Synopsis

The plot is one that seems to an original from Giovacchino Forzano (librettist for Suor

Angelica and Gianni Schicchi).7 The opera takes place in a convent in Italy. As a group of nuns

pour water into the tomb of a deceased sister, they begin to discuss their desires. They all profess

their desires except for Sister Angelica, who tells the others that she has no desires. The other

sisters begin to gossip at the sound of this. Sister Angelica truly does have a desire to be

contacted by her rich family that she has not heard from in years. Her aunt, the princess, informs

Sister Angelica that her sister will be married, and that she must renounce her inheritance. Sister

Angelica refuses because she remembers her illegitimate son that was taken from her years ago.

The Princess informs Sister Angelica that her son passed away two years earlier of fever. Sister

Angelica then signs off her inheritance, and poisons herself at the vision of her son calling out to

her. She is then met by her son and the Virgin Mary.8

Musical Analysis and Text Painting

The Aunt assumes the role of the villain in this story, and so Puccini reflects this in the

music with harsh chromaticism, shifting from C# to C and to D minor (appendix 1.2a). The leap

up of a fourth as seen in 1.2a becomes a fifth the next time it is played as Sister Angelica is

informed of her approach, making a more prominent change in pitch which reflects the

heightened sense of fear. This theme is moved to the bass in the following duet, but given a
7
Carner, Mosco. Puccini: A Critical Biography. [1st American ed.]. New York: Knopf, 1959. 187-188.
8
Freeman, John W. The Metropolitan Opera Stories of the Great Operas. New York: Metropolitan Opera Guild :
W.W. Norton, 1984. 349-350.
march feel in the form of a creeping ostinato appendix (appendix 1.2b). When this bassline is

paired with the chromatic, creeping melody above it, a truly unmistakable musical aesthetic

appears. Puccini uses these intense motives and harmonies to extract as much emotion out of the

Aunt’s brief singular stage appearance as possible.

Gianni Schicchi

Origin and Brief Synopsis

Canto XXX of Dante’s Inferno serves as the inspiration for the third and final act, Gianni

Schicchi, in which Virgil guides Dante to the Eighth Circle of Hell, which is inhabited by the

“Falsifiers of Words, Persons, and Coins.” There they find two shades, one of whom being

Gianni Schicchi, who was condemned for impersonating Buoso de’ Donati while forging a will

in his name. Gianni Schicchi was an actual person, and actually committed the aforementioned

crime.9

The wealthy Buoso Donati has passed away, but his family is more interested in the

contents of his will than mourning his death. After searching for the will, they finally find it only

to discover that he has left all of his possessions to a monastery. Rinuccio sends a younger

member of the family to fetch Gianni Schicchi, a crafty peasant, for assistance, but is met with

scorn from the rest of the family who want nothing to do with such a person. Meanwhile, a

romantic subplot takes place between Rinuccio and Schicchi’s daughter, Lauretta. 10 Juxtaposed

by the greed harbored by the other relatives, this subplot serves as Rinuccio’s motivation for

forging the will—despite Zita’s harsh disapproval of the union due to Lauretta’s impoverished

upbringings. When Schicchi arrives, he assesses the situation and begins a plan to pretend as

Donati in order to fool a lawyer into changing the recipients of the inheritance. When the lawyer
9
Carner, Mosco. Puccini: A Critical Biography. [1st American ed.]. New York: Knopf, 1959. 419-420, 425.
10
Freeman, John W. The Metropolitan Opera Stories of the Great Operas. New York: Metropolitan Opera Guild :
W.W. Norton, 1984. 350-352.
shows, Schicchi then proceeds to leave many of the possessions to himself, knowing that the

family cannot do anything about it in fear of the law, which outlines the consequence as

banishment from Florence and amputation of the hand. The act concludes with the relatives

looting the house, Rinuccio and Lauretta relishing in their newly-favored love, and Gianni

Schicchi’s self-condemnation of his own soul (which serves as a tribute to Dante’s Divine

Comedy).11

Musical Analysis and Text Painting

There are three distinct motives that are associated with the titular character (appendix

1.3a-c). 1.3a is used the most liberally, for it is heard during the march while Schicchi is reading

the will and pacing the floor as well as when he raises his trembling hand in the presence of the

notary. 1.3b is introduced by Rinuccio at the first mention of Schicchi, and then a few measures

later by Gheradino. The motive acts as an onomatopoeia, mimicking a high-pitched chuckle on

the word “Schicchi.” 1.3c, which is first sang by Rinuccio, represents Schicchi’s superiority in a

fanfare-like manner. The motive is repeated again in the final scene of the opera in which

Schicchi is sitting triumphantly in his newly-acquired home. Another notable motive that appears

more than once during the act is the “Warning” (appendix 1.4) motive. 12 The “Warning” motive

makes its first appearance in Schicchi’s second aria, “Primo un avertimento” (also known as the

“Stump Aria” since Schicchi is warning the relatives of the penalty for forgery). It is

characterized by a melisma (x), which is distinctive of Tuscan folk-songs, and is partly modal

over the course of the words “Addio, Firenze” (goodbye, Florence). The motive returns later

with an extended melismatic figure, which he uses when the relatives begin to turn against him

while he is in character to remind them of the punishment at stake.

11
Freeman, John W. The Metropolitan Opera Stories of the Great Operas. New York: Metropolitan Opera Guild :
W.W. Norton, 1984. 350-352.
12
Carner, Mosco. Puccini: A Critical Biography. [1st American ed.]. New York: Knopf, 1959. 432-433.
 A motive also exists for the death of Buoso Donati (appendix 1.5). It is an ostinato made

up of a descending melody initiated by an appoggiature over fifths in the bass. The overall effect

is one that seems very gloomy. What makes this motive particularly interesting is that the

appoggiature is placed on the weak beat, deceiving listeners into thinking that the up-beat is the

strong beat. Another effective technique is the interchange between major and minor used in this

motive. The displaced appoggiature accentuates the difference in the harmonic quality since it

contains the changing third. The two lovers—Rinuccio and Lauretta—have their own musical

motive (appendix 1.6), and receive more individual musical attention than the rest of the

relatives. Unlike the rest of the opera which is dominated by woodwind accompaniment, the

lovers are accompanied by music heavy with strings. In addition, every bar contains a suspension

on the first beat, creating a sweet, sentimental effect by forming brief moments of tension that

are consistently resolved in a satisfactory manner.13

Conclusion

Text painting is not always evident at first glance or listen, but with careful observation

and active listening, one can appreciate the artistry and understand of true beauty that is required

in order to utilize text painting. Puccini was a master of this skill, and consistently used it both

subtly and in more obvious manners. A skill such as text painting is what helps to connect music

to words, using our preconceived ideas of musical patterns and characteristics. While much can

be learned about text painting from the analysis of Puccini, there are countless other composers

who use it in their own unique way. The study of a wide variety of composers and music will

result in a deeper appreciation for music in general.

13
Carner, Mosco. Puccini: A Critical Biography. [1st American ed.]. New York: Knopf, 1959. 433, 435.
 Bibliography

Budden, Julian. “Puccini, Giacomo.” Grove Music Online. 2002. Oxford University Press.

Carner, Mosco. Puccini: A Critical Biography. [1st American ed.]. New York: Knopf, 1959.

Davis, Andrew C. Il Trittico, Turandot, and Puccini’s Late Style. Bloomington: Indiana

University Press, 2010.

Freeman, John W. The Metropolitan Opera Stories of the Great Operas. New York: Metropolitan

Opera Guild : W.W. Norton, 1984.

Triptych. (n.d.). Retrieved from

Appendix 1.0

Appendix 1.1
Appendix 1.2 A-B

Appendix 1.3 A-C

Appendix 1.4
Appendix 1.5

Appendix 1.6