Evening star., 1951-04-22

1 lPuccini's had been deposited by
'ISorne unidentified soldier.
! Heard Boheme as q Child.
4 Marek's special fitness for this
undertaking stems from his first,
lnever-forgotten hearing as a child
in Vienna Of Puccini's la Bo-
lheme." It may account also for
the space dedicated to this opera
land the detailed description of
Its composition. The authors
enthusiasm has not held him
back from presenting the COM
poser in the clearest light, not
minimizing his failings or his
virtues, but evolving an all
around picture that is the most
complete to date. In the book,
lPuccini stands out as q vivid in
ldividual with both his personal
and artistic nature made under
lstandable.
The biography will stand as a
revelation OF all the hard work
land l1eartbreaks connected with
the writing of an opera. The
endless, difficulties with librettists
l-"Manon" had five--the agony
suffered by both composer and
the compilers of the text. the
wedding out of situations, the
changes in music, all consumed
months and even years. In addl-
ton there waS-and is-the Ital-
ian public to be considered, which
could ruin a premiere, as it did
lof Butterfly" or make it a sue
cess in spite of critics opinion.
That SO much passionate feeling,
debate and action. could be asso-
ciated with the production of
one opera is hard for Anglo
Saxons to grasp.
Lifelike pictures of other famous
people emerge in the story from
Puccini's early teachers, Ponchiel-
Il and Bazzini, to the composers,
Verdi Mascagni Leoncavallo, Boz
to, Alfano and Massenet, besides
other notables as D,Annunzio, Bel
asco and Daudet. to the great ar
lists Of the day beginning with
Toscanini. In all this series no
name stands out with greater eff
fulgence than that of Giulio Ri
cordi. the publisher and music
patron. He takes first rank among
the few in history who recognized
genius and knew how to encour-
age it. His letters to Puccini
make some Of the most interest
ing reading in the book, showing
not only his erudition and vision,
but his diplomacy. His Judgment.
his faith and his urging-"For-
ward, forward and quickly; per
NIT me to be a bore for q mo-
ment and counsel you to work."
Proceed Imperator, with patience
and constancy";; There is much
work to be done with much cour-
age. In the career of a composer
the months lost count as years.
kept Puccini alert and inspired.
Details of Private Life.
In a delightfully."- fluent style,
Marek tells the intimate life of
the composer from the beginning
and the successes and disappoint-
ments connected with his public
career. He shows his despon-
dency when doubts assailed him
as to his creative ability, the sure
ness of his theatrical sense and
his insistence on melody and
rhythmic exactness. The other
side of his life. his Bohemianism.
love affairs. friendships niggard-
illness in money matters and shad-
ows on his character are also stat
led. He aims to show Puccini "in
Ia reasonable illumination-neither
too gray or too pink" and to
that end goes deeply into the
scandal aroused by the persecu-
ton Of a servant girl by his
jealous wife and the girls subse-
Iquent suicide.
Many of these points have been
Iglossed over or not mentioned in
other biographies. The authors
laccess to unpublished letters re-
veal more than do those letters
lin Vincent Seligman's "Puccini
Among Friends" The analysis of
the operas and the relating of all
circumstances about the produc-
ton are excellently done. The final
chapter is given over to q sum-
ming up of Puccini's character
which the author does from a
psychoanalytical angle. This is
"a new approach and perhaps not
one to be thoroughly recommend
led. Mr.. Marek is director Of Artists
and Repertoire for RCA Victor
and frequently appeared on the
Metropolitan Operas Saturday
afternoon broadcast-the Opera