A major book on Puccini by the supremely authoritative Julian Budden arouses the highest expectations, wonderfully fulfilled by this new volume of over 500 pages. * Philip Borg-Wheeler, Classical Music * "He makes one hungry to hear the operas once again and reconsider one's own response--what can be higher praise for music criticism?"--Tim Page, Washington Post Book World "At the least, Budden's book will stand as the bellwether of studies of Puccini's music, the starting point for further scholarly work and for informed amateurs alike. At the most, he has given us the best survey we have of Italian opera around 1900.... He has made a minor art form of operatic description in prose, expanding the old format of plot-summary-plus-favoritie-themes to include music analysis, critical response, and secure judgments as to the echoes of other composers heard at any moment. He joins all this is a prose that will engage even those who cannot follow all the musical particulars. There is more: Budden contrives in the introductory sections of his chapters to give us a canny glimpse of Puccini's life at the time of each opera. And--this is one of the most impressive features of his study--he provides in each chapter vignettes that add up to a historical sketch of the musical culture Puccini lived and worked in."--Gary Tomlinson, The New York Times Book Review "Julian Budden's book fills a serious gap. Here is a single volume combining excellent biography with an often illuminating discussion of the work.... Budden's approach to the individual operas is often fresh and engaging. His investigation of the dramatic and musical problems that Puccini encountered while writing Manon Lescaut is fascinating.... Budden's is a book for the library shelf, a reliable reference work that the reader will want to consult when program notes fail or a fresh view of the operas."--Opera News "Budden is responsible for much of the new Puccini scholarship and his synthesis of this material is often elegant."--New York Review of Books "If you want in-depth insight into Puccini's operas, replete with many stanzas of music, Budden's bio and discussion should be on your shelf."--The San Diego Union Tribune "Essential reading, Budden's biography allies in-depth scholarship with narrative pace to offer us a masterly and intensely human portrait of the man and composer. Finely researched, surely the most thoughtful biography to date of Italy's last great opera composer."--Vivien A. Hewitt, Director, Festival Puccini of Torre del Lago "Bravo Budden!!!!!! His books on Verdi have been an invaluable aid to my study and role preparation over the years, and now the Puccini volume joins them in my library. Budden manages to synthesize the historical, academic, artistic, and human aspects of Puccini's operas in a way that is totally accessible, and most useful to any serious artist or music lover."--Elizabeth Blancke-Biggs, Soprano "An enormously impressive achievement. Certainly the best book on Puccini in English. As we would expect from the author of The Operas of Verdi, Budden's discussion of Puccini's alarmingly popular music is both sensitive and challenging in its insights."--Roger Parker, Professor of Music and Fellow of St John's College, Cambridge University "Informed lay readers will gain insight while theoreticians will appreciate Budden's deeper musical analysis. His elegant turns of phrase ("rhythmic scaffolding") and obvious expertise combine in an exceptional whole."--Library Journal