James Tobin wrote:

>it is a regrettable historical fact that Puccini was made an honorary
>member of the Fascist Party, which came to power in 1922 and, in 1924,
>the year he died, he was made Senatore del Regno.

Toscanini also flirted w/ fascism in the early 20s before its horrors were
fully appreciated.  Puccini may have died too soon to realize that or to be
faulted for not realizing it.

>for anyone interested, the author's argument was based on Puccini's
>harmony, particularly in Tosca, Act II.

I probably don't know enough about Puccini's harmony to understand the
article if I did read it, but Tosca, fascist? Come onnn!  If the opera is
anything politically, it's an attack on the authoritarian police state.

Walter Meyer