music > “Puccini, My Love”, a jazz concert improvisation

ABOUT THE MUSIC
A little more about each musical interpretation

O MIO BABBINO CARO (da Gianni Schicchi) – 1918
This piece reflects the innocence and youthful passion of Lauretta, who sings this aria to convince her father to help her marry the man she loves. Puccini’s works, very popular and admired, have contributed to shaping the public’s perception of the women’s role, offering examples of female figures more ready to self-determine their own condition.

GIÀ IL MANDORLO VICINO (Edgar) – 1889
This aria expresses love, nostalgia and hope. Edgar explores the conflict between desire and duty, passion and purity. The two female figures, Fidelia and Tigrana, embody these opposing themes. Fidelia with her aria “Già il mandorlo vicino”, represents a bright spot of hope within the opera’s darker narrative. In general, despite operating in a still strongly patriarchal context, Puccini distanced himself from the conventions of romantic opera, in which the heroines were often idealized and one-dimensional. His female characters had an emotional and psychological depth that broke with these stereotypes.

UN BEL DÌ VEDREMO (da Madama Butterfly) – 1904
“One fine day we will see a wisp of smoke rising on the far edge of the sea. And then the ship appears.” One of the most touching moments of the opera. Puccini’s interest in distant cultures, reflected the exotic fascination of the time. However, Puccini attempted to go beyond stereotypes, seeking authenticity in his representations.

O, DOLCI MANI (da “La Tosca”) – 1900
A song on tenderness and love. The story of Floria Tosca is set in Rome in 1800. Tosca is a strong and passionate opera singer, trapped in a web of love and politics, an example of female resistance against corruption and abuse of power.

VISSI D’ARTE, VISSI D’AMORE (da “La Tosca”) – 1900
An intense moment of internal reflection. The role of women in Giacomo Puccini’s works reflects an interesting cross-section of modernity and the social changes that were taking place between the 19th and 20th centuries. Puccini’s heroines, despite being placed in different historical and geographical contexts, constitute a step forward in the representation of women in opera, showing characteristics and nuances that reflect the female aspirations and struggles of the time.

FRENCH TOUCH (Manuela Pasqui)
France was a country loved and often visited by Puccini who, like other great artists and composers, was fascinated by it. French culture and literature are transposed into his works in a process so harmonious that he becomes the greatest representative of that literary and artistic current, born in France at the end of the nineteenth century, which in Italy took the name of VERISMO. This piece echoes the French style that inspired Puccini.

MI CHIAMANO MIMÌ (da La Bohème) – 1896
Set in Paris, this work presents the figure of Mimì. Her love story with Rodolfo is one of the most touching in the opera scene. Puccini’s heroines, are often tragic figures, but at the same time strong and independent.

RADICI (Manuela Pasqui)
At the turn of the 20th century, in an era without radios, telephones or even televisions, took place the success of Puccini’s music and also his influence. For the Generations preceding World War II, the place of music par excellence was the opera house, a stage on which the aspirations, emotions and ideals of an era were represented with a strong cathartic function. The plots and heroines performing the most famous arias, endowed with a unique expressive force, have begun to be part of the Italian musical heritage, becoming also part of our roots. Work with Puccinian melodies and harmonies is for us it’s like an archaeological job, that leads us to a better and deeper understanding of our musical origins.

CRISANTEMI – 1890
Crisantemi is an elegiac piece for string quartet, composed in 1890. This piece is a tribute in memory of Duke Amadeo of Savoy, a friend of the composer. Puccini, known mainly for his operas, expressed in “Chrysanthemums” intense lyricism and profound sensitivity, distinctive characteristics of his compositional style. Chrysanthemums, the flowers to which the piece is dedicated, are traditionally symbols of mourning and reflection in many cultures, including the Italian one.

IN QUELLE TRINE MORBIDE (da “Manon Lescaut”) – 1893
Manon Lescaut is Puccini’s first major successful opera. The protagonist, Manon, is one of the most complex and fascinating female figures in Puccini’s repertoire. A character who embodies a mixture of innocence, charm and fickleness. The figure of Manon is symbolic of the contradictions and challenges that women faced in Puccini’s era. It represents the desire for independence and the pursuit of happiness, but at the same time reflects the often tragic consequences that women faced because of their choices in a male-dominated society.

NESSUN DORMA (da “Turandot”) – 1924
“No one sleeps! You too, O Princess, in your cold room look at the stars that tremble with love and hope.” An aria that tells about the victory of love. Turandot is an enigmatic and complex character. Cold, impenetrable and cruel, she imposes deadly riddles on her suitors to avoid marriage. His harshness, however, hides a deep fear and vulnerability. This is the last opera composed by Giacomo Puccini, which remained unfinished at his death in 1924 and was subsequently completed by Franco Alfano.

PUCCINI MY LOVE (Manuela Pasqui)
This composition wants to tell and melancholy recall the Italian generation that lived before and after the Second World War; they, who instead of fairy tales told their children and grandchildren the plots of Puccini’s operas. We have a duty to pass on these memories.

RIDING (Manuela Pasqui)
Riding is a tale about the adventure of two musicians and their journey to discover new territories; a tale about their movement towards the unknown horizon, always with enthusiasm and curiosity.

E LUCEVAN LE STELLE (La Tosca) – 1900
An aria full of nostalgia and love. “And the stars shone, and the earth smelled, the door of the garden creaked and a step grazed the sand. She came in, fragrant, and fell into my arms.” Unlike the traditional female figures of opera, who are often passive, Puccini’s women are complex and active. Tosca shows a remarkable strength of character, acting with determination and courage. Tosca is often interpreted as an emblem of female strength in a world dominated by men.

FANTASMI DELL’OPERA (Manuela Pasqui)
This composition by Danielle and Manuela is a synthesis of the main characters of Puccini’s works, a dreamlike fusion of scenic images and memories, written in a contemporary language that we could ascribe to the late twentieth century. The heroines appear and dissolve like ghosts on the stage.