Giacomo Puccini 1858-1924. Wikimedia Image.
This morning, I attended a symposium sponsored by the College of Fine Arts and the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center on the centenary of the world premiere of Puccini’s opera, La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West). CFA Professor Deborah Burton joined scholars from other institutions in speaking on the composer and the opera.
Walfredo Toscanini, grandson of Arturo Toscanini, was in attendance. Toscanini and Puccini were collaborators and sometime rivals.
The Gotlieb Center will place original manuscripts, photographs, and scores on exhibit beginning today.
I look forward to seeing La Fanciulla del West later this week in New York at The Metropolitan Opera.
