A Study On The Harmonic Technique In Puccini 's Opera La Boheme

Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) was one of the most influential Italian opera composers in the nineteenth century and in the late19th and early 20th centuries, and meanwhile, he was the typical character of the Italian real socialist opera schools . Since Puccini was in the late of the romantic music period, his harmony , on one hand, inherited the harmonic characteristics of the traditional classical pie, on the other hand, absorbed Wagner's composing technique, and he not only used the harmonies materials such as , high fold chord, non-tertian chords ,composite chord etc, with bold innovation and breakthrough on that basis but exotic nation mode octave, which has made the function of harmony be disorganized. Conseguently, the tonality unclear was highlighted and moreover made the work's harmonic technique slightly show the modern characteristics. This paper selects the most representative opera works La Boheme of Puccini creation mid as the material and its harmonic technique as the research object. The analysis demonstration are developed respectively from the five aspects of mode, tonality, chords materials ,harmonic progression, harmonic cadence , Non-Harmony note and continued sound and then harmonic style is concluded to study Puccini's harmonic technique characteristics more profoundly. The study actually lays a solid foundation for further research on Puccini's opera work in future. The paper is divided into four parts. Chapter one is Opera La Boheme's main music creative features mainly including the brief introduction of music structure (Sonata–Symphony divertimento structure) and the Leitmotive's clever application.Chapter Two is Main harmonic techniques's use in the Opera La Boheme. that is the main expounded part of the paper. The detailed discussion is respectively from the five aspects of mode, tonality{ tonality layout(the traditional tonality layout of'T-D-S', the tonality layout of Vaulted symmetrical, the tonality structure of Circulation interweave),tonality conversion technique(tonality opposition, mode alternation, far relationship tonality conversion)}, chords materials{ tertian chords(Triad, Seventh chord and its Chromatic system, High fold chord,Chord with added tone), Empty five degrees chord, non-tertian chords(Four or five degrees fold buy chords, Two degrees fold buy chords), compound harmony(the compound harmony of continuous sound(chords) on the basis of a high fold chords decomposition ),harmonic progression{Functional harmonic progression(the functional harmonic progression of T-S-D-T, Plagal function progression, the Chromatic scale change of harmonic progression, Parallel motion,False progression},harmonic cadence(The traditional harmonic cadence,the changed harmonic cadence),Non-Harmony note and continued sound. Chapter Three is Harmony's performance function in opera La Boheme mainly from the work's tragedy atmosphere and comedy factors and the alaboration of the harmony's impact in the work in accordance with the function of orchestra and the plot's development Finally, the conclusion is to summarizes its harmonic techniques based on t he former analysis, in order to conclude the harmonic style that has been shown in the opera work of Puccini to further clarify the theoretical value and far-reaching influence of the opera music works.