As Puccini acquired substantial wealth, he took on the persona which accompanied him throughout the rest of his life as the "grand seigneur." He built a reputation as a dedicated game hunter, collector of cars and motor boats, and a great romantic figure. "I am almost always in love!, " he declared, and defined himself as "a mighty hunter of wild fowl, operatic librettos and attractive women." His appreciation and compassion for women abounds in the substance of his operatic heroines, their valiant struggles and, most often, melancholy demise. He created these elegant, three-dimensional characters with the material of sweet and haunting melody. The innocent Mimi, embattled Tosca, abandoned Butterfly, embittered Turandot - each one a fascinating study in feminine psychology, each the perfect counterpart to an equally interesting tenor role. Puccini's own stormy relationship with Elvira Gemignani evoked a certain horror in fans and attracted something of a lurid interest from the general public. A married woman, she eloped with the composer and they were not married until some time after her husband's death. Seemingly an uninteresting and strangely unchallenging partner, she is said to have limited Puccini intellectually and emotionally, inexplicably cutting him off from most personal relationships with friends and other artists. Eventually, she embroiled the household in scandal, hounding a young maid unmercifully with accusations of a liaison with her husband. The girl committed suicide and Elvira was jailed for five months. The Puccinis separated, then reconciled, but their relationship was forever damaged. Puccini fought hard to keep his difficult private life private, against impossible odds. "What a subject for an opera!," one social columnist exclaimed. During this tragic episode, despite his obvious emotional turmoil, the composer completed the opera La Fanciulla del West , which met with immediate acclaim. |
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