Celebrating Puccini

Celebrating Puccini
The Morgan Library & Museum
September 15, 2009-January 10, 2010

This charming small exhibition marks the 150th anniversary of composer Giacomo Puccini’s birth in Lucca, Italy.

On view are personal letters, telegrams, musical scores, librettos, notes, programs, posters, opera souvenir postcards and -- one of my favorite items -- a wooden fan that is painted with portraits, bits of musical scores and autographs. It is exhibited in the case to highlight Puccini’s autograph, of course.

There are two listening stations with headphones. I wished that the music was simply playing in the room. There was music playing in other parts of the museum, so this is not such a radical desire.

Also on display on the second floor is a show about Jane Austin, while it is at least three times larger, I preferred Celebrating Puccini. It is more focused in a overall sense and more varied in the range of objects included.