This book explores the postmodernist aspects of
Puccini s operas and focuses on his female
protagonists Mimì, Musetta, Tosca, Butterfly,
Turandot and Liù. Combining a Schenkerian analysis
with dualism, I present their complementary dialogue
in my analysis. Mimì focuses on the subdominant to
present her futile attempts to escape from death. The
subdominant in Musetta displays her attractiveness.
Tosca concentrates on the submediant that presents
the boundary of her world. Floria Tosca can do no
harm to anyone. Yet, the diva will act out through
the device of deceptive motion killing Scarpia.
Butterfly is both an insider and outsider in her
life. The Japanese Ying and Yang system portrays that
she can never abandon her inherent Japanese identity.
Turandot explores Western tonality as it is
interwoven with the Chinese pentatonic system and
demonstrates how Turnadot is possessed by Lo-u-Ling.
Liù s sacrifice is prefigured through
pseudo-pentatonic writing. The book concludes with an
examination of Puccini's overall harmonic evolution,
showing how weakened hierarchic relationships in the
music of these six female characters allows exotic
borrowings to be subsumed in a tonal framework.
Puccini s operas and focuses on his female
protagonists Mimì, Musetta, Tosca, Butterfly,
Turandot and Liù. Combining a Schenkerian analysis
with dualism, I present their complementary dialogue
in my analysis. Mimì focuses on the subdominant to
present her futile attempts to escape from death. The
subdominant in Musetta displays her attractiveness.
Tosca concentrates on the submediant that presents
the boundary of her world. Floria Tosca can do no
harm to anyone. Yet, the diva will act out through
the device of deceptive motion killing Scarpia.
Butterfly is both an insider and outsider in her
life. The Japanese Ying and Yang system portrays that
she can never abandon her inherent Japanese identity.
Turandot explores Western tonality as it is
interwoven with the Chinese pentatonic system and
demonstrates how Turnadot is possessed by Lo-u-Ling.
Liù s sacrifice is prefigured through
pseudo-pentatonic writing. The book concludes with an
examination of Puccini's overall harmonic evolution,
showing how weakened hierarchic relationships in the
music of these six female characters allows exotic
borrowings to be subsumed in a tonal framework.