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Perhaps the most unsurprising sentence in TP history: "I (Will) have always thought Handel would make an excellent subject for a biopic, probably best done in three acts"

NTT: Agreed that this must be Puccini, and just because "lightly challenging" could mean a range of things to Will C. White, I'll also add Mascagni (don't know his first name) and Umberto(?) Giordano. Though I would be really surprised!

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NTT: Puccini! Perhaps my favorite opera composer.

That melodic excerpt has his romantic lyricism written all over it. He wrote a dozen or so operas, I think, and I've been fortunate to see most of those (some multiple times).

I can recall 8 titles, including Manon Lescaut where the soprano kicks the bucket in the "deserts of Louisiana". My friend and I almost laughed out loud when that appeared on the supertitles above the stage . . .

I don't recognize this particular tidbit, which doesnt mean I might not have heard it in performance. But I'm going to guess it's from something obscure, because Will isn’t likely to make it easy ;) . And I can't venture a name, because those remaining unseen are unfamiliar to me. But I'll say it's NOT in the list below.

And since guessing paid off for last week's NTT, Puccini is the only name going in my basket this week.

La Boheme

Madame Butterfy

Tosca

Turandot

Girl of the Golden West

Manon Lecaut

Suor Angelica

Gianni Schicchi

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