Episodes
Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | 01 | A Star Is Born | 20071231 | 20081222 (R3) | Donald Macleod follows Puccini's path from small town church musician to fame and fortune on the operatic stage. Nessun Dorma (Turandot) Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) London Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta (conductor) Straniero ascolta... Figlio del Cielo (Turandot, Act 2) Birgit Nilsson (soprano) Franco Corelli (tenor) Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma Francesco Molinari-Pradelli (conductor) A te Placido Domingo (tenor) Julius Rudel (piano) Missa di Gloria (Kyrie) Jose Carreras (tenor) Hermann Prey (baritone) Ambrosian Singers Philharmonia Orchestra Claudio Scimone (conductor) Crisantemi Martfeld Quartett Ansia eternal, crude!... Presto! in fila! (Manon Lescaut, Act 3) Kiri te Kanawa (soprano) Jose Carreras, Carlo Gaifa (tenors) Natale de Carolis (baritone) Giorgio Tadeo (bass) Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna Riccardo Chailly (conductor). Donald Macleod follows Puccini's path to fame and fortune on the operatic stage. |
2008 | 02 | Elvira | 20080101 | 20081223 (R3) | Puccini's elopement with one of his pupils, Elvira Gemignani, had lasting consequences. A married woman with two children, Elvira took a brave leap when she ran off with him. Having survived the ensuing scandal, the couple conducted their relationship in a fashion which, for most of their friends and colleagues, defied comprehension. Yet despite Puccini's frequent infidelities and her obsessive jealousy, they remained together until his death in 1924. Capriccio sinfonico (excerpts) Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Jacek Kaspszyk (conductor) Sola, perduta, abbandonata (Manon Lescaut, Act 4) Julia Varady (soprano) Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra Marcello Viotti (conductor) La boheme (Act 1) Mirella Freni (soprano) Luciano Pavarotti, Michael Senechal (tenors) Nicolai Ghiaurov (bass) Gianni Maffeo, Rolando Panerai (baritones) Berlin Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra Herbert von Karajan (conductor) Senza mamma, o bimbo (Suor Angelica) Marcello Viotti (conductor). |
2008 | 03 | Torre Del Lago | 20080102 | 20081224 (R3) | Donald Macleod looks at the lifestyle Puccini enjoyed at his home in Torre del Lago. There, away from the glare of publicity, he could compose in peace, play cards, drink rough red wine with the locals and was able to shoot wildfowl on Lake Massaciuccoli. Casa mia, casa mia Placido Domingo (tenor) Julius Rudel (piano) L'uccellino Roberta Alexander (soprano) Tan Crone (piano) Recondite armonia (Tosca, Act 1) Angelo Veccia (baritone) Philharmonia Orchestra Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor) Mario! Mario! Mario!... Ah, quegli occhi! (Tosca, Act 1) Leontyne Price (soprano) Vienna Philharmonic Herbert von Karajan (conductor) Dov'e Angelotti... nel pozzo... nel giardino (Tosca, Act 2) Tito Gobbi (baritone) Giuseppe di Stefano, Franco Calabrese (tenors) Maria Callas (soprano) Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Victor de Sabata (conductor) Tosca (Act 3, excerpt) Angela Gheorghiu (soprano) Roberto Alagna, David Cangelosi (tenors) Sorin Coliban (bass) Chorus of the Royal Opera House Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Antonio Pappano (conductor). |
2008 | 04 | The Belasco Connection | 20080103 | 20081225 (R3) | With Donald Macleod. The two operas Puccini composed to plays by the American dramatist David Belasco showed him to be making real advances in orchestral techniques and the handling of characters. While these developments were largely ignored in the first of them, Madama Butterfly, the premiere of La fanciulla del West was a different story altogether. Un bel di vedremo (Madama Butterfly, Act 2) Mirella Freni (soprano) Vienna Philharmonic Herbert von Karajan (conductor) Viene le sera... Vogliatemi bene (Madama Butterfly, Act 1) Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) Datele voi qualche soccorso... Addio fiorito asil (Madama Butterfly, Act 2) Robert Kerns (baritone) Elke Schary, Christa Ludwig (mezzo-sopranos) La fanciulla del West (Act 1, excerpt) Mara Zampieri (soprano) Placido Domingo (tenor) Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Lorin Maazel (conductor) La fanciulla del West (Act 3, excerpt) Juan Pons (baritone) Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Lorin Maazel (conductor). The two operas Puccini wrote to David Belasco plays showed him to be making real advances. |
2008 | 05 LAST | Puccini's World | 20080104 | 20081226 (R3) | Donald Macleod explores how the beginning of the 20th century saw Puccini searching for a new dramatic direction. The world around him was changing and he was feeling distinctly out of step. On the one hand he was seen as the successor to Verdi, while on the other his detractors felt his music had no Italian character whatsoever. Aranci, ninnoli! Caldi i marroni e caramelle! (La boheme, Act 2) Chorus of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Coro di voci bianche della Scuola di Musica di Fiesole Israel Philharmonic Orchestra Zubin Mehta (conductor) Il tabarro (excerpt) Philharmonia Orchestra Antonio Pappano (conductor) Nulla!... Silenzio! (Il tabarro) Carlo Guelfi (baritone) Perche mai cercate di saper... Bevo al tuo fresco sorriso (La rondine, Act 2) Angela Gheorghiu (soprano) Roberto Alagna (tenor) Inva Mula (soprano) William Matteuzzi (baritone) London Voices London Symphony Orchestra Torture and death of Liu (Turandot, Act 3) Montserrrat Caballe (soprano) Tom Krause (baritone) Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) Joan Sutherland (soprano) Nicolai Ghiaurov (bass) John Alldis Choir London Philharmonic Orchestra Datemi il testamento!... Ecco la cappellina! (Gianni Schicchi) Tito Gobbi (baritone) Victoria de los Angeles (soprano) Carlo del Monte (tenor) Anna Maria Canali (mezzo-soprano) Paolo Montarsolo (bass) Orchestra of the Rome Opera Theatre Gabriele Santini (conductor) Oh saro la piu bella (Manon Lescaut, Act 2) Mirella Freni (soprano) Placido Domingo (tenor) Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor). |
2013 | 01 | An Italian Composer | 20130401 | 20150629 (R3) | When Italy became a unified country in 1861, a heated debate blew up as to how culture might represent this newly formed nation. Two musicians were to stand out as emblems of that ideology, Verdi and the successor to his crown as Italy's king of opera, Giacomo Puccini. Today, Donald Macleod considers how Puccini's music came to be linked with those ideas. Donald Macleod on how Puccini's music was linked with the ideas of the new unified Italy. |
2013 | 02 | The Bohemian | 20130402 | 20150630 (R3) | Donald Macleod explores Puccini's evocation of bohemian life, La boheme. |
2013 | 03 | Freedom Versus Tyranny | 20130403 | 20150701 (R3) | While on the one hand, a controversial subject matter and the musical merits of Puccini's 'Tosca' would continue to divide opinion for years after its premiere in 1900, on the other, the strength of its dramatic impact immediately struck a chord with audiences. Today Donald Macleod considers how Puccini's masterful adaptation turned Victorien Sardou's play, originally a vehicle for the actress Sarah Bernhardt, into an operatic tour de force. Donald Macleod explores the dark recesses of Puccini's political thriller, Tosca. |
2013 | 04 | A Sea Of Misery | 20130404 | 20150702 (R3) | Donald Macleod focuses on the exotic sounds Puccini created for Madam Butterfly. |
2013 | 05 LAST | New Directions | 20130405 | 20150703 (R3) | Donald Macleod explores some of Puccini's later collaborations with writer Giuseppe Adami. |
2017 | 01 | A Step Forward | 20171016 | 20191021 (R3) | Donald Macleod, in conversation with Sir Antonio Pappano, traces the developmental line of Puccini's meticulously crafted dramatic heroines. Today it's Manon Lescaut, a woman whose love of pleasure and the good life ultimately leads to her destruction. Manon Lescaut, Mim쀀, Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Suor Angelica are women who capture our hearts and connect directly with our emotions. Recorded at the Royal Opera House, seated beneath several striking portraits of the composer, Tony dips into the scores to show how Puccini created these unforgettable characters and how with each one, Puccini was seeking to perfect the synthesis between music and action, while constantly pushing the boundaries of his musical language. Born in 1858 in Lucca into a dynasty of musicians, Puccini was destined to be a church composer. That all changed when at age of 18, he walked to Pisa to see Verdi's Aida. It proved to be a formative experience. In that moment, he determined to become a man of the theatre, writing music exclusively for the stage. He went on to produce a dozen operas in fulfilment of that ambition - the last of them left incomplete at his death in 1924 - which include La Boh耀me, Tosca and Madama Butterfly, still the cornerstones of any opera house's repertory. It was his third opera, Manon Lescaut that marked a significant turning point for Puccini. After three years of hard graft, working with a succession of librettists on this adaptation of Abb退 Provost's novel, when it was premiered in Turin in 1893, the critics were universal in their praise, citing in particular the quality of the vocal writing. In quelle trine morbide (Manon Lescaut, Act 2) Anna Netrebko, soprano, Manon Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Cortese damigella...Donna non vidi mai (Manon Lescaut, Act 1) Yusif Eyvazov, tenor, Des Grieux Munich Radio Orchestra Marco Armiliato, conductor Minuet (Manon Lescaut, Act 2) John Fryatt, tenor, Dancing Master Kurt Rydl, bass, Geronte Mirella Freni, soprano, Manon Chorus of Royal Opera House Philharmonia Orchestra Giuseppe Sinopoli, conductor Act 4 (Manon Lescaut) Antonio Pappano, conductor. Puccini's heroines with Sir Antonio Pappano, starting with Manon Lescaut. |
2017 | 02 | The Bohemians | 20171017 | 20191022 (R3) | Donald Macleod, in conversation with Sir Antonio Pappano, traces the developmental line of Puccini's meticulously crafted dramatic heroines. Today they discuss Puccini's vivid evocation of student life, La Boh耀me, and the characters of the fragile embroiderer, Mim쀀 and the flamboyant Musetta. Manon Lescaut, Mim쀀,Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Suor Angelica are women who capture our hearts and connect directly with our emotions. Recorded at the Royal Opera House, seated beneath several striking portraits of the composer, Tony dips into the scores to show how Puccini created these unforgettable characters and how with each one, Puccini was seeking to perfect the synthesis between music and action, while constantly looking to push the boundaries of his musical language. Born in 1858 in Lucca into a dynasty of musicians, Puccini was destined to be a church composer. That all changed when at age of 18, he walked to Pisa to see Verdi's Aida. It proved to be a formative experience. In that moment, he determined to become a man of the theatre, writing music exclusively for the stage. He went on to produce a dozen operas in fulfilment of that ambition - the last of them left incomplete at his death in 1924 - include La Boh耀me, Tosca and Madama Butterfly, still the cornerstones of any opera house's repertory. Set in the Latin Quarter of Paris, and premiered in 1896, La Boh耀me was the first of a series of highly successful collaborations with the writers Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica. Mi chiamano Mim쀀 (La Boh耀me, Act 1) Mirella Freni, soprano, Mim쀀 Berlin Philharmonic Herbert von Karajan, conductor Musetta's Waltz (La Boh耀me, Act 2) Michel S退nechal, tenor, Alcindoro Elizabeth Harwood, soprano, Musetta Nicolai Ghiaurov, bass, Colline Rolando Panerai, baritone, Marcello Gianni Maffei, actor, Schaunard Chorus of Deutsche Oper, Berlin Act 3 (La Boh耀me) Luciano Pavarotti, tenor, Rodolfo Herbert von Karajan, conductor. Donald Macleod turns his focus on Puccini's heroines to La Boheme's Mimi and Musetta. |
2017 | 03 | A Roman Truth | 20171018 | 20191023 (R3) | Donald Macleod, in conversation with Sir Antonio Pappano, traces the developmental line of Puccini's meticulously crafted dramatic heroines. Today they discuss one of the most passionate and complex of characters, Tosca. Manon Lescaut, Mim쀀, Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Suor Angelica are women who capture our hearts and connect directly with our emotions. Recorded at the Royal Opera House, seated beneath several striking portraits of the composer, Tony dips into the scores to show how Puccini created these unforgettable characters and how with each one, he was seeking to perfect the synthesis between music and action, while constantly looking to push the boundaries of his musical language. Born in 1858 in Lucca into a dynasty of musicians, Puccini was destined to be a church composer. That all changed when at age of 18, he walked to Pisa to see Verdi's Aida. It proved to be a formative experience. In that moment, he determined to become a man of the theatre, writing music exclusively for the stage. He went on to produce a dozen operas in fulfilment of that ambition - the last of them left incomplete at his death in 1924 - include La Boh耀me, Tosca and Madama Butterfly, still the cornerstones of any opera house's repertory. Now firmly established as an internationally acclaimed figure, there was a lot of hype surrounding a new opera by Puccini. But when Tosca was first heard in Rome on 14th January 1900, the audience simply didn't get what they were hearing. They were confused. Where, they asked was the melody? Vissi d'arte (Tosca, Act 2) Angela Gheorghiu, soprano, Tosca Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Antonio Pappano, director Tre sbirri, una carrozza (Tosca, Act 1) Ruggero Raimondi, baritone, Scarpia David Cangelosi, tenor, Spoletta Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Act 3 (Tosca) Gwynne Howell, bass, Carceriere Roberto Alagna, tenor, Cavaradossi Sorin Coliban, bass, Sciarrone Antonio Pappano, director. Puccini's heroines with Sir Antonio Pappano turns to a tale of passion and revenge, Tosca. |
2017 | 04 | A Sea Of Misery | 20171019 | 20191024 (R3) | Donald Macleod, in conversation with Sir Antonio Pappano, traces the developmental line of Puccini's meticulously crafted dramatic heroines. Today they discuss Puccini's personal favourite, the tragic geisha, Madama Butterfly. Manon Lescaut, Mim쀀,Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Suor Angelica are women who capture our hearts and connect directly with our emotions. Recorded at the Royal Opera House, seated beneath several striking portraits of the composer, Tony dips into the scores to show how Puccini created these unforgettable characters and how with each one, he was seeking to perfect the synthesis between music and action, while constantly looking to push the boundaries of his musical language. Born in 1858 in Lucca into a dynasty of musicians, Puccini was destined to be a church composer. That all changed when at age of 18, he walked to Pisa to see Verdi's Aida. It proved to be a formative experience. In that moment, he determined to become a man of the theatre, writing music exclusively for the stage. He went on to produce a dozen operas in fulfilment of that ambition - the last of them left incomplete at his death in 1924 - include La Boh耀me, Tosca and Madama Butterfly, still the cornerstones of any opera house's repertory. Based on a play he'd seen in London by David Belasco, Madama Butterfly ended up causing Puccini more heartache than either Tosca or La boh耀me. At the opening night at La Scala Milan on 17th February 1904 the action on stage was drowned out by the catcalls from the audience. Worse was to come. When the curtain came down at the end there was total silence. Out of all this anguish, what really stands out is Puccini's creation of surely the most heart-breaking and delicate of heroines, Cio-cio San, Madama Butterly. Viene la sera (Madama Butterfly, Act 1) Angela Gheorghiu, soprano, Butterfly Jonas Kaufman, tenor, B.F. Pinkerton Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Antonio Pappano, conductor Un bel d쀀 vedremo (Madama Butterfly, Act 2) Finale (Madam Butterfly, Act 2, Part 2) Enkelejda Shkosa, mezzo soprano, Suzuki Fabio Capitanucci, baritone, Sharpless Cristina Reale, mezzo soprano, Kate Pinkerton Antonio Pappano, conductor. Donald Macleod's focus on Puccini's heroines turns to the tragic geisha, Madama Butterfly. |
2017 | 05 LAST | Three For One | 20171020 | 20191025 (R3) | Donald Macleod, in conversation with Sir Antonio Pappano concludes this series exploring Puccini's heroines with Il trittico, three one-act operas and three contrasting female leads, Il tabarro's Giorgetta, Suor Angelica and Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, for whom he wrote one of the most beautiful, soaring melodies in opera, O mio babbino caro. Manon Lescaut, Mim쀀,Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Suor Angelica are women who capture our hearts and connect directly with our emotions. Recorded at the Royal Opera House, seated beneath several striking portraits of the composer, Tony dips into the scores to show how Puccini created these unforgettable characters and how with each one, he was seeking a perfect synthesis between music and action, constantly looking to push the boundaries of his musical language. Born in 1858 in Lucca into a dynasty of musicians, Puccini was destined to be a church composer. That all changed when at age of 18, he walked to Pisa to see Verdi's Aida. It proved to be a formative experience. In that moment, he determined to become a man of the theatre, writing music exclusively for the stage. He went on to produce a dozen operas in fulfilment of that ambition - the last of them left incomplete at his death in 1924 - include La Boh耀me, Tosca and Madama Butterfly, still the cornerstones of any opera house's repertory. The success of Puccini's trilogy of one-act operas, Il trittico at its New York premiere in 1918 ended a difficult decade for the composer. He'd started and abandoned several theatrical projects but now, finally, his hunger to embrace a new and modern musical language found expression in these three carefully balanced narratives: the darkly impressionistic Il tabarro follows Giorgetta and Luigi's illicit affair to a shocking conclusion, Puccini's own personal favourite, recounts a moment of truth and its tragic consequences for Suor Angelica and to round the evening off, greedy relatives are outwitted in the fast paced comic opera Gianni Schicchi. ? ben altro il mio sogno (Il tabarro) Maria Guleghina, soprano, Giorgetta Neil Shicoff, tenor, Luigi Carlo Guelfi, baritone, Michele Elena Zilio, mezzo soprano, la Frugola Enrico Fissore, bass, Il Talpa London Symphony Orchestra Antonio Pappano, conductor Il principe Gualtiero vostro padre.....Senza mamma, o bimbo, tu sei morte (Suor Angelica) Cristina Gallardo-Domas, soprano, Suor Angelica Bernadette Manca di Nissa, contralto, La zia principessa Philharmonia Orchestra C'耀 una persona sola chi ci pu consigliare.....O mio babbino caro (Gianni Schicchi) Roberto Alagna, tenor, Rinuccio Angela Gheorghiu, soprano, Lauretta Jos退 van Dam, baritone, Gianni Schicchi Felicity Palmer, soprano, Zita Antonio Pappano, conductor. Donald Macleod concludes his look at Puccini 's heroines with Il trittico. |
2021 | 01 | Success At Last | 20211227 | Donald Macleod recounts how Puccini's struggles to write Manon Lescaut paid off, the only one of his operas applauded by audiences and critics alike. Giacomo Puccini was a man of the theatre to his fingertips. Born in Lucca in 1858, into a distinguished family of church musicians, Puccini was never destined to follow in his forebears' footsteps. His fate was sealed when as a teenager he walked 30 miles to hear Verdi's Aida. He knew immediately that theatre was his calling and from that point on he wrote almost exclusively for the stage. A perfectionist and often unreasonable taskmaster, Puccini agonised over each of his operas. Beginning with Manon Lescaut, the opera that launched Puccini internationally, this week Donald Macleod follows the off and the on-stage dramas of La boh耀me, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La fanciulla del West, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Il tabarro and the opera he left incomplete at his death in 1924, his final masterpiece, Turandot. The stories on stage are interleaved with events in his personal life, from an early scandal over his affair with a married woman and some very dodgy skulduggery in his business dealings, to the suicide of one of his servants, a tragedy of such proportion, he was plunged in to a deep depression, haunted by the events for the rest of his life. In a week celebrating a composer whose music expresses every human emotion, there's a host of landmark recordings, including the voices of Jonas Kaufmann, Angela Gheorghiu, Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna. We'll hear Mim쀀's touching calling card from La boh耀me, in the classic Victoria de los Angeles version, while Renato Scotto pours all Madam Butterfly's hopes into the heart-breaking Un bel d쀀. There's the raw pain of Sister Angelica mourning her dead son, and the dark desperation of a jealous husband in Il tabarro. On Wednesday Callas and Gobbi's anguished, sadistic torture scene in Tosca still has the power to shock us as much as it did on its first night in 1900. It's high stakes and nail-biting tension in La fanciulla del West as Minnie trades the life of her outlaw lover on the outcome of a card game. Joan Sutherland's icy Princess Turandot, a magnificent pairing with Luciano Pavarotti's Prince Calaf comes on Friday along with a certain aria made famous by the 1990 world cup, heard here in the hands of another Puccini specialist, Jussi Bj怀rling. After critics called Puccini's second opera 'Edgar' a sin against art, the young composer really needed a hit. To the consternation of his publisher, Giulio Ricordi, what must his prot退g退e do but pick a subject that had already been used for an opera by Massenet most successfully. Could Puccini pull off a winner too? Manon Lescaut, Act 1 Donna non vidi mai Jonas Kaufmann, tenor Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia Antonio Pappano, director Le Villi, Act 1 Preghiera: Angiol di dio Brian Mulligan, baritone, Guglielmo (Anna's father) Ermonela Jaho, soprano, Anna Arsen Soghomonyan, tenor Roberto Opera Rara Chorus London Philharmonic Orchestra Sir Mark Elder, conductor Messa di Gloria Credo Roberto Alagna, tenor London Symphony Chorus Antonio Pappano, conductor Crisantemi Navarra String Quartet Manon Lescaut, Act 2 Dispettosetto questo Riccio! In quelle trine morbide Mirella Freni, Manon, soprano Renato Bruson, Lescaut, baritone Philharmonia Orchestra Giuseppe Sinopoli, conductor Manon Lescaut, Act 4 Sola, perduta, abbandonata Fra le tue bracce amore Placido Domingo, Des Grieux, tenor Donald Macleod recounts how Puccini made his name and his fortune with Manon Lescaut. | |
2021 | 02 | Rivalries And Reputation | 20211228 | Donald Macleod sees how the characters Puccini created in La boh耀me, illustrate the penury of the composer's own student years in Milan. Giacomo Puccini was a man of the theatre to his fingertips. Born in Lucca in 1858, into a distinguished family of church musicians, Puccini was never destined to follow in his forebears' footsteps. His fate was sealed when as a teenager he walked 30 miles to hear Verdi's Aida. He knew immediately that theatre was his calling and from that point on he wrote almost exclusively for the stage. A perfectionist and often unreasonable taskmaster, Puccini agonised over each of his operas. Beginning with Manon Lescaut, the opera that launched Puccini internationally, this week Donald Macleod follows the off and the on-stage dramas of La boh耀me, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La fanciulla del West, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Il tabarro and the opera he left incomplete at his death in 1924, his final masterpiece, Turandot. The stories on stage are interleaved with events in his personal life, from an early scandal over his affair with a married woman and some very dodgy skulduggery in his business dealings, to the suicide of one of his servants, a tragedy of such proportion, he was plunged in to a deep depression, haunted by the events for the rest of his life. In a week celebrating a composer whose music expresses every human emotion, there's a host of landmark recordings, including the voices of Jonas Kaufmann, Angela Gheorghiu, Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna, We'll hear Mim쀀's touching calling card from La boh耀me, in the classic Victoria de los Angeles version while Renato Scotto pours all of Madama Butterfly's hopes into the heartbreaking Un bel d쀀. There's the raw pain of Sister Angelica mourning her dead son, and the dark desperation of a jealous husband in Il tabarro. On Wednesday Callas and Gobbi's anguished, sadistic torture scene in Tosca still has the power to shock us as much as it did on its first night in 1900. It's high stakes and nail-biting tension in La fanciulla del West as Minnie trades the life of her outlaw lover on the outcome of a card game. Joan Sutherland's icy Princess Turandot, a magnificent pairing with Luciano Pavarotti's Prince Calaf comes on Friday along with a certain aria made famous by the 1990 world cup, heard here in the hands of another Puccini specialist, Jussi Bj怀rling. The project of finding a new operatic subject to follow the success of 'Manon Lescaut' turned in to a scandal when Puccini fell into an argument with another composer over the rights to a book. Was this all a bit of hype engineered by the publishers, or was it a situation of Puccini's own making? La boh耀me, Act 1 Mi chiamano Mim쀀 Victoria de los Angeles, soprano RCA Victor Orchestra Thomas Beecham, conductor Pensier profondo! Legna! Si pu Nicolai Ghiaurov, bass, Colline Rolando Panerai, baritone, Marcello Luciano Pavarotti, tenor, Rodolfo Gianni Maffei, actor, Schaunard Michel S退n退chal, tenor, Benoit Berlin Philharmonic Herbert von Karajan, conductor Capriccio sinfonico Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra Riccardo Chailly, conductor La boh耀me, Act 3 Donde lieta usc쀀 Dunque 耀 proprio finit | |
2021 | 03 | Confusion And Mayhem | 20211229 | Donald Macleod follows the dramas surrounding Tosca and Madama Butterfly, the opera that Puccini believed was his finest creation yet suffered the most negative reception. Giacomo Puccini was man of the theatre to his fingertips. Born in Lucca in 1858, into a distinguished family of church musicians, Puccini was never destined to follow in his forebears' footsteps. His fate was sealed when as a teenager he walked 30 miles to hear Verdi's Aida. He knew immediately that theatre was his calling and from that point on he wrote almost exclusively for the stage. A perfectionist and an often unreasonable taskmaster, Puccini agonised over each of his operas. Beginning with Manon Lescaut, the opera that launched Puccini internationally, this week Donald Macleod follows the off and the on-stage dramas of La boh耀me, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La fanciulla del West, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Il tabarro and the opera he left incomplete at his death in 1924, his final masterpiece, Turandot. The stories on stage are interleaved with events in his personal life, from an early scandal over his affair with a married woman and some very dodgy skulduggery in his business dealings, to the suicide of one of his servants, a tragedy of such proportion, he was plunged in to a deep depression, haunted by the events for the rest of his life. In a week celebrating a composer whose music expresses every human emotion, there's a host of landmark recordings, including the voices of Jonas Kaufmann, Angela Gheorghiu, Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna, We'll hear Mim쀀's touching calling card from La boh耀me, in the classic Victoria de los Angeles version while Renato Scotto pours all Madama Butterfly's hopes into the heartbreaking Un bel d쀀. The raw pain of Sister Angelica mourning her dead son, and the dark desperation of a jealous husband in Il tabarro. On Wednesday Callas and Gobbi's anguished, sadistic torture scene in Tosca still has the power to shock us as much as it did on its first night in 1900. It's high stakes and nail-biting tension in La fanciulla del West as Minnie trades the life of her outlaw lover on the outcome of a card game. Joan Sutherland's icy Princess Turandot, a magnificent pairing with Luciano Pavarotti's Prince Calaf comes on Friday along with a certain aria made famous by the 1990 world cup, heard here in the hands of another Puccini specialist, Jussi Bj怀rling. When it came to Tosca, Puccini met with resistance from all sides, including his crack team of librettists and also his publisher. None of them seemed to understand his vision. Worse was to follow with the birth of his beloved Madama Butterfly. What was behind its failure? Tosca, Act 1 (excerpt) Ah! Finalment | |
2021 | 04 | Troubles At Home | 20211230 | Donald Macleod details the tragic event that created the biggest scandal of Puccini's life, throwing him into despair as he struggled to work on La fanciulla del West. Giacomo Puccini was a man of the theatre to his fingertips. Born in Lucca in 1858, into a distinguished family of church musicians, Puccini was never destined to follow in his forebears' footsteps. His fate was sealed when as a teenager he walked 30 miles to hear Verdi's Aida. He knew immediately that theatre was his calling and from that point on he wrote almost exclusively for the stage. A perfectionist and often unreasonable taskmaster, Puccini agonised over each of his operas. Beginning with Manon Lescaut, the opera that launched Puccini internationally, this week Donald Macleod follows the off and the on-stage dramas of La boh耀me, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La fanciulla del West, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Il tabarro and the opera he left incomplete at his death in 1924, his final masterpiece, Turandot. The stories on stage are interleaved with events in his personal life, from an early scandal over his affair with a married woman and some very dodgy skulduggery in his business dealings, to the suicide of one of his servants, a tragedy of such proportion, he was plunged in to a deep depression, haunted by the events for the rest of his life. In a week celebrating a composer whose music expresses every human emotion, there's a host of landmark recordings, including the voices of Jonas Kaufmann, Angela Gheorghiu, Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna, We'll hear Mim쀀's touching calling card from La boh耀me, in the classic Victoria de los Angeles version while Renato Scotto pours all Madama Butterfly's hopes into the heartbreaking Un bel d쀀. The raw pain of Sister Angelica mourning her dead son, and the dark desperation of a jealous husband in Il tabarro. On Wednesday Callas and Gobbi's anguished, sadistic torture scene in Tosca still has the power to shock us as much as it did on its first night in 1900. It's high stakes and nail-biting tension in La fanciulla del West as Minnie trades the life of her outlaw lover on the outcome of a card game. Joan Sutherland's icy Princess Turandot, a magnificent pairing with Luciano Pavarotti's Prince Calaf comes on Friday along with a certain aria made famous by the 1990 world cup, heard here in the hands of another Puccini specialist, Jussi Bj怀rling. After years of enduring her husband's infidelities, Puccini's wife Elvira accused one of the servants of having an affair with him. O mio babbino caro Montserrat Caball退, soprano, Lauretta London Symphony Orchestra Charles Mackerras, conductor Gianni Schicchi, excerpt Zitte, Obbedite! Datemi I panni per verstirmi presto! Tito Gobbi, baritone, Gianni Schicchi Leo Pudis, bass, Maestro Spinellocchio Anna di Stasio, Zita, mezzo soprano Giancarlo Luccardi, bass, Simone Alfredo Marriotti, bass-baritone, Betto di Signa Carlo del Bosco, bass, Marco Ileana Cotrubas, soprano, Lauretta Lorin Maazel, conductor Nulla silenzio! Carlo Guelfi, baritone, Michele Anthony Pappano, conductor La fanciulla del West, Act 1 Signor Johnson, siete rimasto indietro Io non son che una povera fanciulla Quello che tacete Come voi, Leggermi in cor non so Oh, non temete, nessuno ardira Mara Zampieri, soprano, Minnie Placido Domingo, tenor, Dick Johnson Sergio Bertocchi, tenor, Nick Chorus & Orchestra of La Scala Milan La fanciulla del West, Act 2 Una partita a poker! Sherrill Milnes, baritone, Jack Rance Carol Neblett, soprano, Minnie Royal Opera House Orchestra, Covent Garden Zubin Mehta, conductor Nel silenzio di quei raccoglimenti Tutto offerto alla Vergine, si, tutto Senza mamma, o bimbo, tu sei morto! Cristina Gallardo-Domas, soprano, Sister Angelica Bernadette Manca di Nissa, soprano, the Aunt Princess Donald Macleod details the tragic event that plunged Puccini into depression. | |
2021 | 05 LAST | Unfinished Business | 20211231 | Donald Macleod explores Puccini's genius for creating different sound worlds in Madama Butterfly and Turandot. Giacomo Puccini was a man of the theatre to his fingertips. Born in Lucca in 1858, into a distinguished family of church musicians, Puccini was never destined to follow in his forebears' footsteps. His fate was sealed when as a teenager he walked 30 miles to hear Verdi's Aida. He knew immediately that theatre was his calling and from that point on he wrote almost exclusively for the stage. A perfectionist and often unreasonable taskmaster, Puccini agonised over each of his operas. Beginning with Manon Lescaut, the opera that launched Puccini internationally, this week Donald Macleod follows the off and the on-stage dramas of La boh耀me, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La fanciulla del West, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi, Il tabarro and the opera he left incomplete at his death in 1924, his final masterpiece, Turandot. The stories on stage are interleaved with events in his personal life, from an early scandal over his affair with a married woman and some very dodgy skulduggery in his business dealings, to the suicide of one of his servants, a tragedy of such proportion, he was plunged in to a deep depression, haunted by the events for the rest of his life. In a week celebrating a composer whose music expresses every human emotion, there's a host of landmark recordings, including the voices of Jonas Kaufmann, Angela Gheorghiu, Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna, We'll hear Mim쀀's touching calling card from La boh耀me, in the classic Victoria de los Angeles version while Renato Scotto pours all Madama Butterfly's hopes into the heartbreaking Un bel d쀀. There's the raw pain of Sister Angelica mourning her dead son, and the dark desperation of a jealous husband in Il tabarro. On Wednesday Callas and Gobbi's anguished, sadistic torture scene in Tosca still has the power to shock us as much as it did on its first night in 1900. It's high stakes and nail-biting tension in La fanciulla del West as Minnie trades the life of her outlaw lover on the outcome of a card game. Joan Sutherland's icy Princess Turandot, a magnificent pairing with Luciano Pavarotti's Prince Calaf comes on Friday along with a certain aria made famous by the 1990 world cup, heard here in the hands of another Puccini specialist, Jussi Bj怀rling. As soon as the ink was dry on one project, Puccini would start looking ahead to the next. However, from 1900 onwards he was beset by doubts and anxieties, unable to decide on the subject for his next opera. In the end it was the instruments and melodies of the far east that provided new inspiration. Nessun Dorma Jussi Bj怀rling, tenor Rome Opera Orchestra Erich Leinsdorf, conductor Album: Very best of Jussi Bjorling Madama Butterfly, Act 2 Un bel d쀀 vedremo Anna di Stasio, mezzo-soprano, Suzuki Renata Scotto, soprano, Cio-cio San Rome Opera House Orchestra John Barbirolli, conductor Una nave da guerra Scuoti quella fronda di ciliegio Or vieni ad adornar Turandot, Act 1 In Questa Reggia Ascolta straniera Gloria o vincitore! Joan Sutherland, soprano, Princess Turandot Luciano Pavarotti, tenor, Calaf Peter Pears, tenor, Emperor Montserrat Caballe, soprano, Liu London Philharmonic Orchestra John Alldis choir Zubin Mehta, conductor La boh耀me, Act 4 Fingevo dormire Angela Gheorghiu, soprano, Mimi Roberto Alagna, tenor, Rodolfo Roberto de Candia, baritone, Schaunard Elizabetta Scano, mezzo-soprano, Musetta, Simon Keenlyside, baritone, Marcello Ildebrando d'Arcangelo, bass, Colline Orchestra of La Scala, Milan Riccardo Chailly, conductor Donald Macleod explores the sound worlds of Puccini's Madama Butterfly and Turandot. |