Puccini's unlocked globe: Puccini's heroines from far east to wild west

• Main Author: Stojadinović Milica
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Akademija umetnosti Univerziteta u Novom Sadu 2015-01-01
• Series: Zbornik Radova Akademije Umetnosti
• Subjects: Puccini; heroines; fin-de siècle; European novel; Wild West; Far East
• Online Access: http://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/2334-8666/2015/2334-86661503131S.pdf

Although in the letters he sent from his numerous journeys, he emphasised how difficult he was finding his separation from home and his birthplace, it was precisely for these frequent visits to world theatres that Puccini had an opportunity to see popular pieces of the time and keep pace with the trends of the most important stages in Europe and America. This is the reason Puccini, like many a contemporary, was captivated by Exoticism and Orientalism, the movements that became popular in European art with lightning speed. As an artist with an exquisite sense of theatre, he immediately realised how attractive to the audiences these 'differences' would be, both in visual and music sense, and created his 'exotic' operas Madama Butterfly, La fanciulla del West and Turandot.