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Show PUCCINI LOOKING 1 TO WEST FOB THEME Famous Composer i "Girl of the Gulden West" Wants New Story. The,' .. ch&jice for some American writer to furnish the libretto for the next grand opera of the world, tn fact, .n American will in ail probability gtn the preference. Glacomo I'ucoinj, the for moat opera 1 omposer of the present day, who furnished fur-nished ,;fa Koheme," "T,a ''.v. a.': ''Matint ''Mat-int Butterfly" and finally "The Girl of ihe Golden We 1.' which will be heard he,-.-- at the Colonial on February 2 and is soon to begin work on a new opera, rp io the present writing he has nol the fain test idea what Che atory will be. lis Is looking for a. theino. "The Qlrl of the Golden r--qulrcd aboul three years of work on the part of the famous Italian composer He n rli h and does not have to hurry In his timsi.-.il writings The plots of his last t'M operas were hoc tired from America b Puoolnl. So great has been tl ii.'. ci -s of these two tiit hi naturally natur-ally favors Vmerlca In selecting a story for the lo-vt one. The news thai Puccini foots in the in. io.) to soon begin work on another opera was conveyed In a. recent letter 10 Mme. Polaono, wife of the noted conductor con-ductor of tho oij-. orchestra of fifty musicians that Henry v. Savage aenos win, his remarkable production on tour. The Polaccot and Pucolnl are rr-H.: Vlends. They spend much time together a' either PUCCUli's or PolaCCO'B Villa, both of which are situated on Iseo lake, near Milan it was really at the sncr-gcatlon sncr-gcatlon of Pucolnl that Polaoco consented to come to this country and direct Mr Savage'i orchestral corps During the engagement of "The Girl of the Golden West" in Son Francisco last week. Mttioi Polaoco received a letter let-ter from T'neelni. who wrote In part. "t am writing LO you BO as lo icacti yon in the land where the soenea or my las! opera are placed. How I would like ti bo there with you. I think 1 inlcht find Inspiration and material for another an-other work. "You know- that the stories, allegories and various forms of life in this old world have been thoroughly tlveshed ovor by composers of opera In the past We must look to new fields and now peoples for our future work of interest I w a B thinking thai you might come upon 01,1c Intereating Btorj or play while in thai wonderful country; and that 1 could use the same for mj nriv work that T would Ilk,' to begin tills summer "Keep sharp watch for such material during your wonderful tour of that wonderful won-derful land, anil either send II to me or oriii- ii hack with you when you return to itaK- this summer." ah critics and musical authorities agree thai "The Girl of Ihe Golden West" la bj far the greatest work that Puccini has y,-i attempted. Therefore, all hands look forward eagerly to the next op.-ra that this wonderful composer shall pen. It is possible for gome one ii-;ht hero In Salt lak City to have a story or a.11 idea that will sway this I genius of must.- to Immortalise It, and to give his melodic soul free rein In working OUl perhaps a greater work even llia.11 la "The Oirl of the Golden West." The or-, of Belasoo's groat drama fairly Intoxicated In-toxicated Puccini. He has paid that the story gave him a chance to write a ls- orous opera of a vigorous people He was also attracted by reason of tho f ax t that the play gave opportunity for a happy ending, sv, many of our operas of the past nave been constructed along lines tnat necessitated a tragic ending Of Ihe herp or heroine. Puccini likes happy opera, and lie is yet overjoyed with hts work In pitting to music the great Belasco drama. |