An unknown page by Puccini: Dios y Patria

The travel of Giacomo Puccini to Argentina, which took place between June 23rd and August 8th 1905, invited by the newspaper La Prensa (at that time owned by the Paz family) was not motivated, in principle, by musical purposes.

His visit to Buenos Aires span for forty seven days and was eminently planned as a kind of holiday. La Prensa´s edition of 25th June 1905 states that Puccini would not conduct any of his works at the Opera (…) his visit is based on pleasure and on his desire to know this land where his music has made such a long way; he has no intention of conducting any concert or working until he leaves Buennos Aires. His only musical mission was to prepare, introduce and attend the performances of his definitive version of the opera Edgar in the Teatro de la Ópera, which had programmed simultaneously Manon Lescaut, La Bohème,…