The American Center for Puccini
Studies specializes in the presentation of unusual performing
editions of composer, Giacomo Puccini's works and introduces many neglected or unknown Puccini pieces to the music loving
public. No other opera company in the world, let alone in the United States, is exploring Puccini's lesser-known scores with
such enthusiasm. The American Center for Puccini Studies approaches these works with passion and a welcome appreciation
of their historical context and is heroically fighting to preserve an authentic performing tradition of the Puccini operas
that may soon be irretrievably lost.
Founded in 2004
by one of the world’s leading Puccini artists and scholars, Dr. Harry N. Dunstan, the company has enjoyed a varied
and popular performance history, beginning with the Washington Metropolitan area premiere of the Italian edition of Le
villi and followed by The New World Premiere of the original edition of Suor Angelica, adding the mystical and
haunting “Aria of the Flowers”. This performance was hailed by famed Puccini scholar, Dr. William Ashbrook,
as “one of the greatest musical/dramatic events of my life”. Several World Premieres followed in 2005, including
the double bill of Didier Gold’s play, La Houppelande with Puccini’s opera, Il tabarro,
and The Battle of the Bohemes — the first time in history that Ruggero Leoncavallo’s La boheme
and Puccini's La boheme were presented on four consecutive evenings.
Shortly following was the Washington Metropolitan area premiere of the Italian edition of the 1905 Edgar, which led
one year later to the New World Premiere of Puccini's original four act edition of Edgar — a staggering accomplishment
for a young performing arts group. This was only the second time in history, and the first time since the La Scala premiere
of 1889, that the original, complete edition was performed. The performances featured about one hour of Puccini’s
music that had not been heard anywhere in the world since 1889! This edition, more than any other of his operas, reveals
Puccini’s strikingly original and bold genius. It is grand opera on the grandest scale! The Maryland premiere
of La rondine completed the season.
The ACPS’ third season began with
performances of Gianni Schicchi. The company then presented the World Premiere double bill of Victorien Sardou’s
play La Tosca, presented in a new translation and performing edition prepared by Dr. Dunstan, with Puccini’s
opera, Tosca. This was the first time in history that Sardou’s play and Puccini’s opera were performed
on consecutive evenings. The season closed on December 22 with the third annual Puccini Vigil, a special concert celebrating
Puccini’s birthday and featuring music from all twelve Puccini operas.
In 2007, the ACPS featured the American premiere of the tenor protagonist’s scena drammatica in Le villi
performances. This scene had not been heard anywhere in the world since the late nineteenth century and critics have described
the dramatic truths revealed in this scene as being “stupendously expressed in this touching, sometimes almost terrifying
passage” of “Wagnerian proportions.” Another World Premiere was realized during this season
in the form of a new conflated edition of La fanciulla del West coupled with David Belasco’s The Girl of
the Golden West. This was yet another rare instance where the public was able to hear the same play Puccini heard
and then experience the opera based upon the play. These performances also featured the restoration of original passages not
heard since 1910 and the thrilling sixteen bars added in the Act Two love duet that Puccini vehemently insisted must be kept
in the opera, but which have only been performed a few times and nowhere in America.
The 2007-08 season opened with Puccini’s ever-popular La boheme and concluded with the company’s orchestral
debut with The Piedmont Symphony Orchestra in performances of Le villi, which also marked the Washington area debut
of the Italian edition with orchestra.
The fifth season featured
performances of La rondine and the observance of Puccini’s !50th Birthday with a special Gala Celebration
featuring his greatest choruses and lesser known works. The ACPS also travelled to Dalton State College, GA for a series of
concerts and lectures, as part of its educational outreach.
The 2009-10 season was kicked off with A Portrait of Puccini, a multimedia presentation about the life and works
of the composer. Puccini’s most misunderstood and tragically neglected opera, Edgar:
The Lucca Edition followed. Puccini considered this to be the finest music he wrote and his
greatest composition. This music was last heard in Puccini’s hometown of Lucca in 1891 and the ACPS
is the first opera company in history to revive it. The APCS also commissioned a new translation of The Cup and the Lips
and presented a reading of this source material in conjunction with the opera performances. The season
closes with performances of a newly conflated edition of Madama Butterfly for the international East Meets West
conference at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA and returns to Montgomery County, MD for two additional performances.
