Pietro Mascagni and His Operas

Pietro Mascagni and His Operas by Mallach, Alan. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9781555535247.

This biography of Mascagni charts the course of his intriguing life and career. With privileged access to Mascagnis 4,200 letters to Anna Lolli, his mistress for more than three decades, Alan Mallach provides a compelling portrait of a flamboyant, combative and emotional man who was passionately devoted to the Italian opera tradition and committed to innovation in musical language and dramatic form. Combining serious biography with critical commentary, Mallach begins with the captivating story of Mascagnis rags-to-riches adventure, from his birth in Livorno in Tuscany, to his years as a vagabond musician, to the worldwide success of his breakthrough opera. He then traces Mascagnis private and professional life after Cavalleria, examining a prolific yet controversial career that was forever overshadowed by the work that had unexpectedly thrust him into the limelight. Mallach provides a full analysis of Mascagnis oeuvre and discusses his complex relationships with such Italian cultural and political figures as Edoardo Sonzogno, Giacomo Puccini, Gabriele DAnnunzio, Luigi Illica, and Benito Mussolini. He also thoroughly chronicles Mascagnis bouts with manic depression, his marriage to Lina and devotion to their three children, his grueling schedule of concert and operatic tours, his patriotism and bitter opposition to Italys involvement in both world wars, and his passionate love affair with Anna Lolli.