The Puccini Problem

Reviews / Votes

Review of the hardback: 'As accessible as Puccini's music itself ... a book that can engage both scholars and the opera-going public.' Musical Times Review of the hardback: 'Extensively researched and intelligently argued ... a fine addition to the Puccini bibliography.' Opera Magazine 'It's a rare occasion when a scholar taps into the mother lode, but Alexandra Wilson has done just that with The Puccini Problem: Opera, Nationalism, and Modernity. And she has done it exceptionally well. ... The book is packed with interesting and important information, observations that moved me to take out a pencil and underline nearly every sentence.' Music & Letters 'There is no better time ... for a historical reflection on what Alexandra Wilson describes in her excellent new book as The Puccini Problem ... Wilson's book on the cultural context of Puccini's music and the response to it presents a very welcome contribution to the field.' The Opera Quarterly 'A very enjoyable read ... Wilson's The Puccini Problem is a rich investigation of how a major cultural figure's impact cannot be divorced from a complex and dynamic understanding of his time. As such, it is a compelling book not only for musicologists and music critics, but for anyone interested in the history and culture of modern Italy in its European context.' Cambridge Opera Journal