TRADITION AND INNOVATION IN WORKS DEDICATED TO THE STRING QUARTET BY GIACOMO PUCCINI

Abstract

Despite the fact that Italian music is most often associated with opera, and chamber music did not have such a strong tradition in Italy, nonetheless opera composers of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries have contributed to the repertoire of chamber ensembles with complex and unique compositions. The uniqueness and novelty of these works represents a genuine challenge for chamber ensembles, because these compositions were conceived in an orchestral manner (the orchestral apparatus, similar to the chorus, represents and active character within the unfolding of an opera, often calling for a full part of first violins, second violin, viola, or cello, not just a single instrument), or in a manner that resembles the vocal line. The desire of every instrument player is to imitate the human voice, especially within the works of those composers whose music is meant to emphasize the meaning of the words. The instrumental chamber compositions of Giacomo Puccini, Crisantemi, 3 Minuetti, and his String quartet mirror the particularities of his operatic works. The current study aims to present the distinctive elements of the 3 Minuetti and the instrumental prelude for string quartet Crisantemi, highlighting those aspects that endow the genres with novel features.