Puccini: His Life and Works (Master Musicians (Paperback Oxford))
The literature on Puccini continues to grow with these two  books. Italian-born Budden (The Operas of Verdi) here  synthesizes Puccini's musical endeavors with his life. Using a  straightforward, chronological approach, giving exact dates when  possible, he treats each opera in a separate chapter, devoting  much space to character and plot and citing contemporary reviews  and subsequent reception. He also mentions Puccini's other  instrumental and vocal compositions. Informed lay readers will  gain insight while theoreticians will appreciate Budden's deeper  musical analysis. His elegant turns of phrase ("rhythmic  scaffolding") and obvious expertise combine in an exceptional  whole, though a few Britishisms may confuse American readers. A  list of works, useful biographical information on personalities  mentioned in the text, and a strong bibliography round out the  volume. Michele Girardi's recently translated Puccini: His  International Art is similar, with even more specific treatment  of musical passages. Highly recommended for academic and music  collections, as well as sophisticated clients at public  libraries. Phillips-Matz (Verdi: A Biography) discusses Puccini as if she  were telling the life story of a valued friend. She remarks on  premieres, casts, and critical reception of the works but says  little about the music itself. However, she does expand upon the  personal issues touched on by Budden (e.g., the Doria Manfredi  incident). She also sets a cultural context with historical  descriptions of the Tuscan region and extensive information on  Puccini's forebears. Her style is stimulating and, for the most  part, more entertaining than merely informative. In a rather  old-fashioned way, she talks about her own meetings with  characters like Puccini's granddaughter, Biki, and singer Gilda  Dalla Rizza. Her method of including "footnotes" within the text  and abbreviations is helpful; however, one wishes that she had  indicated in the introduction the groupings of relevant  materials rather than repeating them each time they occurred.  She also includes a works list, six major contemporary opera  composers and their works, and an up-to-date bibliography.  Conrad Wilson's Giacomo Puccini in Phaidon Press's "20th-Century  Composers" series makes a good complement, although  Phillips-Matz's approach is more genteel and positive.  Recommended for all collections. (Indexes and illustrations not  seen in either.) Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OHCopyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.