PUCCINI'S LAST OPERA

Evening Star, Issue 19328, 14 August 1926, Page 15

PUCCINI'S LAST OPERA

Great excitement reigned in Italy over the production at La Scala, Milan, of Puccini’s last opera, The theatre was packed to its utmost, and there were artists and journalists present from all parts of the world. Italy honors its dead.

As is known, Puccini was ent off before he had quite finished the work. In a note to his librettists—G. Adami and R. Simoni—lie wrote: “ I have finished the instrumentation of the third act, and can assure you it will bo a success. I am at the last duet. . . .

This sore throat torments me, more by moral than physical pain. I will go to Brussels. I cannot go on with it . . , and ‘ Turandot ’ is here ... on my return I will go on with it at once.”

The unfinished duet was taken in hand by Signor Franco Alfano, and from fragments left by Puccini ho was enabled to complete it in a manner that would doubtless have pleased the maestro. Alfano is himself a composer of distinction, whoso fourth opera, ‘ The Legend of Sakuntala,’ was performed at La Scala about two years ago.

The denouement of the opera is of extreme importance, since up to this point the character of Princess Turandot is an enigma, and it is only in the love duet at the dose that she reveals her true feelings toward Prince Kalaff. Puccini aspired to music of exalted poetic beauty and psychological significance for this duct. Unfortunately his fatal illness overtook him before he conld write it; but )the recital of these facts is sufficient to show the difficulty of the task with which Alfano was confronted.

On the opening night the opera was given just as Puccini wrote it—that is. up to th. 3 concluding part of the third act. At that point Toscanini, the famous Italian conductor, turned and said to the audience: “ Here the opera terminates through the death of poor Puccini.”

On the second night and thereafter the added duet was sung. Rosa Raisa, who was the original prima donna in ‘ Nerome ’ (Boitol over a year ago, was Princess Turandot to the life.

The critics have hailed ‘Turandot’ as a great work. It has alrendy' - boen translated into German, and it is nnferstood that .Teritza is to appear in it at the Metropolitan in Now York.