Podcast Monday

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I blame Nic for my fascination with Puccini's La Rondine, which has become one of my favorite operas of all time. See, it was Nic who caught me walking by his office one afternoon a few years back and made me sit as he played some of his favorite pieces from Puccini's lesser known work. And it was then I fell in love with this piece. So I was very happy to listen to this week's podcast which is about La Rondine and why it is so good.

You can download it here.

Comments

Steven Fucile said…
Great podcast as always. I think La Rondine is an unfortunately neglected work.

Speaking of La Rondine, I just got through reading a book by Iris Arnesen that reveals some of the hidden meaning behind a lot of Puccini's opera. For example, Puccini was obsessed with Wagner's "Parsifal" and "Tristan" -- he would often play the scores when he felt blocked with his own composing. Anyway, according to Arnesen, La Rondine is a re-working not of "Traviata" but of "Parsifal" where the Magda/Ruggero dynamic mirrors the Parsifal/Kundry relationship. Truly a fascinating read, and if you're interested in learning some of the hidden clues of Rondine, "The Romantic World of Puccini" by Iris Arnesen is well worth the time. (Check it out on Amazon if you're interested.)

Anyway, love the Aria Serious blog and love the podcast!
November 28, 2009 at 11:51 PM
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