Maria Antonietta ovvero L'Austriaca. Un soggetto abbandonato da Puccini

Abstract

The chronicle of Marie Antoinette, a subject that Puccini studied for a long time but in the end gave up, seems to have lasted about ten years, from November 1897 to Summer 1907. The composer was truly interested in it only during the years 1905-1907, that is immediately after Madama Butterfly. The subject, proposed by the impresario Schürmann in November 1897, was not disregarded by Puccini; in fact, although at the time he was composing Tosca, he informed Illica of the subject. Illica at first conceived it as a great historical fresco - from Marie Antoinette's engagement until her death - but it was quite difficult to arrange for an opera. Puccini put aside the subject, but did not drop it completely. (In the meantime, Giulio Ricordi proposed the same to Mascagni, who dropped it after waiting uselessly for an outline of the libretto from Illica). After Madama Butterfly, Puccini again considered the subject, transforming it into a drama of a 'lonely woman'. As in his previous operas, Puccini took for granted the cooperation of Giuseppe Giacosa. The sudden death of the Piedmontese writer in 1906, however, did not discourage the composer: in 1907 Puccini made drastic changes to the subject, reducing the great historical fresco planned by Illica to the last tragic period of Marie Antoinette's life. The opera, L'Austriaca, was meant to have had only three parts or acts:La prigione, Il giudizio, Il supplizio (imprisonment, the trial, conviction) in which the unhappy queen was the sole protagonist. During Summer 1907, unhappy with Illica's work (he had written only the first act and just begun to arrange the scenes of the second and third acts) but enthusiastic about The Girl of the Golden West, a drama by Belasco, Puccini gave up the subject and terminated his long collaboration with Illica (begun with Manon Lescaut). The Appendix offers a transcription of the first act of Maria Antonietta, interesting because of the many notes made in the margins, most of them reflections of Puccini's suggestions.