Puccini and the Twilight of The Operatic Golden Age

Giacomo Puccini's operas showcase a brilliance that made him a worthy successor to Verdi. Born in Lucca, he grew up steeped in an Italian operatic tradition that had first flourished in the early baroque period. During this program, Professor Gil Harel will analyze the celebrated opera Madama Butterfly (1904), one of Puccini's most celebrated works. In the opera Puccini (Italian) tells the story of B.F. Pinkerton (American) who marries Cio-Cio-san (Japanese). The result is a sublime score filled with worldly influences, pentatonic music, and rich melodies that frame a heartbreaking story of love, betrayal, and hope smashed asunder. Though this work dates to the early 20th century, it has more in common with traditional romanticism than it does with the then-nascent modernist movement.

Gil Harel (PhD, Brandeis University) is an award-winning musicologist and composer whose interests include styles ranging from western art music to contemporary musical theater. He is Full Professor of Music at CT State Naugatuck Valley, where he conducts the college chorale, a cappella ensemble, teaches music history and theory, and serves as musical director of theater productions.