Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-13
PUCCINI TELLS
Of 8 OPERASH He
ISNOW WRITING
Long Search for Libretto Yields
Three 0ne-ACt PIays-To Be
Given Together.
BY CAMILLE CIANFARRA,
special Cable to The American.

ROME, July 12.-After the three
years OF continual search for a libretto
which would awaken his musical in
spiration, Composer Puccini an
nounces that out of a whole library o.
plays sent to him by famous play
Wr1ghts. as well as by obscure
authors, he has at last selected three
hbrettos, each consisting of a one-act
play. and will soon begin to set them
to music.
Puccini adds that his quest for
three-act play failed completely. The
plays chosen, however will afford him
a unique opportunity to present thres
different kinds of music, namely, dra-
matte, sentimental or idyllic and bur
lesque.
The three operas" said Puccini
will be given in the same evening,
and the public will judge them all at
the same time. As for me, after a
long vacation, during which / have
abstained from work of all kinds,
am glad to go back to work. My vein
of music needs only to be tapped to
let out a deluEe of notes"
Three Authors Chosen.
The librettos are by three separate
authors, two Of whom are already ia
mons-D'Annunzio and Tritan Ber-
nard, the French playwright. The
d
writer whose powerful drama of the
Partisan underworld caught the com
poser's fancy as soon as he read the
first few scenes.
Il owe the discovery OF this drama
TO a woman" said Puccini, who,
knowing / was seeking a libretto, in
vited me one afternoon to a fashion
able Paris hotel. Before l left she
thrust into my hands a small book.
exacting first the promise that l would
read it.
Returning home. threw the book
on the table, and it was not until a
month or two later that picked it up
again to scan 1t.
1T was a revelation. The drama,
which is full of passion. takes place
on a Seine River scow, whose cap
tain and proprietor lives on board
with his wife. Georgette. There are
three other persons-Louis, a deck
hand and Georgett's admirer' a sec
ond deck hand and his wife
The Action Is Rapid.
The action proceeds with lightning
rapidity 1t is Saturday nioht and
on quitting work Georgette tells Louis
she will signal when it is time to call,
by placing a small lamp on deck. MI
chael suspects, and that evening he
reminds his wife Of bygOne days when
their only child was alive and life
was the happiest He concludes BY
entreating her to love him still, but
the woman retires. apparently IN
moved leaving Michael alone.
The scow is moored opposite a
long row of cheap pleasure resorts.
Michael lights his pipe and Louis,
installing the glare of the match for a
match, energies from his hiding place
and is promptly caught by Michael,
who chokes him to death. On hear
ing his wife's footsteps, Michael hides
Louis body under his long cape and
when GeOrgette gently invites Louis
to clasp her to his breast, her hus-
band arises and Louis body falls at
the feet of the terrified woman"
Poetic Legend Promised.
The poet who furnished the libretto
for Mascagnis "Parisina" has prom
Used to send Puccini a poetic legend
of the Middle Ages, which will give
the composer an opportunity to write
some light idyIlic music of the class
in which he is, perhaps at his best.
Tristan Bernard's one-act bur
lesque has a decidedly new plot. The
action takes place in an African jun
gle where party of European ladies
and gentlemen fall into the hands Of
a native tribe. Three Of the natives
are thoroughly acquainted with Euro
pean ideas and customs, as they once
composed the african Village" at the
Paris Exhibition. They decide they
will show the other natives a full
European Village" in working order,
and the prisoners are made to act all
kinds of scenes until finally they are
rescued