LE DONNE DI GIACOMO PUCCINI (GIACOMO PUCCINI’S WOMEN)
Giacomo Puccini, whose death’s centenary is commemorated this year, places women at the centre of his operas. Indeed, of the twelve he wrote, seven take their titles from the heroines starring in them: ‘Manon Lescaut’, ‘La Bohème’, ‘Tosca’, ‘Madama Butterfly’, ‘Suor Angelica’, ‘Turandot’, and ‘The Girl of the Golden West’. The remainder contain similarly important roles for women.
Are there any overriding features that characterise Puccini’s operatic women?
Yes. They are all vulnerable… to love and the lasciviousness of men. But these heroines are also strong in a way that women in earlier operas were not. An independence comes through them which makes previous operatic women seem a little pallid. Behind Mimi’s apparent sweetness is the strength to lead a self-sufficient, independent life in a tough Parisian world dominated by males. Men and power clash with Tosca who fights to free herself from their political machinations and live for her art. Cio Cio San is a victim not only of colonial-style abuse from western male attitudes but also of her own culture’s hierarchical religious strictures. Sadly these women’s resistance to patriarchal oppression end in their death, often by their own hand. In two operas, however, Puccini’s heroines survive. Minnie in ‘The Girl of the Golden West’ leaves for a new life with her ex-bandit lover Dick Johnson who she saves from being lynched. Icy Princess Turandot, filled with hatred towards men because of the violent rape of a royal ancestor, melts before Calaf’s love for her – a love sadly unfulfilled musically through the composer’s death which left his masterpiece incomplete.
Puccini said that he hunted after good opera libretti, lake Massaciuccoli’s coots and attractive women. His possessive wife Elvira, recently the subject of a fine play at Bagni di Lucca’s Teatro Academico, created problematic situations with her skirt-chasing husband which spilled over into his artistic creations and portrayal of the eternal feminine. Who can deny that Tosca’s jealousy was a reflection of the maestro’s own domestic travails? Or that Liu’s fate reflected the suicide of his own servant girl?
How then can these highly complex women be properly portrayed in art?
The exhibition, ‘Le Donne di Giacomo Puccini’ inaugurated on November 29th 6.30 pm in Bagni di Lucca’s Sala Rosa at the Circolo Forestieri aims at displaying the enigmatic paradoxes of Puccini’s women and presenting them all in their infinite variety. The exhibition is organized by Morena Guarnaschelli, who is not only a highly esteemed artist but also the driving force behind the resurgence of the town’s cultural association ‘Il Borgo degli Artisti’ earlier this year.
More than fifty art works will be shown by artists from Italy, Netherlands, Britain and the United States. They range from paintings to bas-reliefs and sculptures. They also include works by students at the San Giuseppe art school and the ARTISTICisBETTER cultural association of Grottaferrata, Rome.
After the exhibition, at 8 pm you are invited (prior booking please, phone 320 1107330) to an evening dinner with a menu consisting of Puccini’s favourite dishes accompanied by arias from his operas performed by Maria Fontanini (soprano), Stefano Calcidese (piano) and Elia Barsellotti (violin).
In this year, Puccini’s death anniversary, the Maestro lives anew! We look forwards to greeting you at the inaugural of the exhibition which will remain open every day from 5 pm to 7 pm and, additionally, on Wednesdays, Saturdays Sundays from 10 am to 12 am.
