La fanciulla del West

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/la-fanciulla-del-west

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the opera's full title?La fanciulla del West
2. What is the original playwright?David Belasco
3. Who wrote the opera and when did it first show?Puccini wrote it with librettists Guelfo Civinini and Carlo Zangarini. It premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in New York on December 10, 1910, with President Theodore Roosevelt in the audience.
4. Why did Puccini choose a Western setting for his opera?Puccini wanted to explore new places and stories, moving from European settings to the rugged American frontier. He liked the play "The Girl of the Golden West" and wanted to bring its spirit to music.

Magnum Opus: A composer's greatest or most significant work, often considered their masterpiece.
Leitmotif: A recurring musical theme associated with a particular person, place, or idea in an opera or film.
Aesthetic: The principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, especially in art and music.