Thanks to Mr. Adriano Palma (don't you hate it when they call you "Mr." even if you don't belong to the culture? -- Mr. should be restricted to anglo born and bred, I find; elsewhere it's derogatory). For pointing out to me that Puccini's letters are found online. I haven't found them. If you do, the link to this apparent missive where he says, "We are the blue-collar workers of opera" operai opera or perhaps "Each of us in a blue collar worker of opera" operaio opera most welcome J. Luigi Speranza, Esq. etc. Bordighera