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The American Center for Puccini Studies specializes
in the presentation of unusual performing editions of the works of composer Giacomo Puccini 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 opera 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 bohème and Puccini's La bohème 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 bohème 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 150th 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 closed with performances of a newly conflated edition of Madama
Butterfly: The Maestro’s Edition for the international East Meets West conference at James Madison University
in Harrisonburg, VA and returned to Montgomery County, MD for two additional performances. The seventh season marked a double celebration - Puccini’s Birthday and the 100th Anniversary
of La fanciulla del West - and the annual Puccini Vigil featured a full performance of Fanciulla, complete
with western-themed food, costumes, and silent auction. The company again travelled to JMU to present Tosca
as the capstone event for Pride, Envy, and Greed, the year’s international conference hosted by the College of Arts
and Letters. The season also featured the inaugural concert of the Rosina Maciejko Developing Artist Program, which
presented many young performers debuting their roles in Tosca. Also appearing under the auspices of the Developing Artist
Program was Kristina Goodwin, mezzo-soprano, in her debut solo recital, and, as part of the ACPS Educational Program, the
newly formed Opera Club, featuring local high school singers interested in pursing opera as a career or avocation.
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