Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas.
An annual Festival Puccini is held at Torre del Lago. ==Marriage and affairs== In the autumn of 1884, Puccini began a relationship with a married woman named Elvira Gemignani (née Bonturi, 1860–1930) in Lucca.
However, when Michele Puccini died in 1864, his son Giacomo was only six years old, and thus not capable of taking over his father's job.
Puccini got a diploma from the Pacini School of Music in Lucca in 1880, having studied there with his uncle Fortunato, and later with Carlo Angeloni, who had also instructed Alfredo Catalani.
In 1880, at the age of 21, Puccini composed his Mass, which marks the culmination of his family's long association with church music in his native Lucca. ==Early career and first operas== Puccini wrote an orchestral piece called the Capriccio sinfonico as a thesis composition for the Milan Conservatory.
Now that the current coin of light music has changed, the composer admired by Schoenberg, Ravel, and Stravinsky can be seen to emerge in his full stature. ==Works== Puccini wrote orchestral pieces, sacred music, chamber music, solo music for piano and organ and songs for voice and piano, most notably his 1880 mass Messa di gloria, his Preludio Sinfonico of 1882, and his 1890 string quartet movement Crisantemi.
Now that the current coin of light music has changed, the composer admired by Schoenberg, Ravel, and Stravinsky can be seen to emerge in his full stature. ==Works== Puccini wrote orchestral pieces, sacred music, chamber music, solo music for piano and organ and songs for voice and piano, most notably his 1880 mass Messa di gloria, his Preludio Sinfonico of 1882, and his 1890 string quartet movement Crisantemi.
Puccini's teachers Ponchielli and Bazzini were impressed by the work, and it was performed at a student concert at the conservatory on 14 July 1883, conducted by Franco Faccio.
The work, Le Villi, was entered into a competition sponsored by the Sozogno music publishing company in 1883 (the same competition in which Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana was the winner in 1889).
Although it did not win, Le Villi was later staged at the Teatro Dal Verme, premiering on 31 May 1884.
Work was begun in 1884 when Fontana began working out the scenario for the libretto.
An annual Festival Puccini is held at Torre del Lago. ==Marriage and affairs== In the autumn of 1884, Puccini began a relationship with a married woman named Elvira Gemignani (née Bonturi, 1860–1930) in Lucca.
Revised into a two-act version with an intermezzo between the acts, Le Villi was performed at La Scala in Milan, on 24 January 1885.
However, Ricordi did not publish the score until 1887, hindering further performance of the work. ===Edgar=== Giulio Ricordi, head of G.
Puccini finished primary composition in 1887 and orchestration in 1888.
Puccini finished primary composition in 1887 and orchestration in 1888.
The work, Le Villi, was entered into a competition sponsored by the Sozogno music publishing company in 1883 (the same competition in which Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana was the winner in 1889).
Edgar premiered at La Scala on 21 April 1889 to a lukewarm response.
In orchestration, Puccini frequently doubled the vocal line in unison or at octaves in order to emphasize and strengthen the melodic line. Verismo is a style of Italian opera that began in 1890 with the first performance of Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, peaked in the early 1900s, and lingered into the 1920s.
Now that the current coin of light music has changed, the composer admired by Schoenberg, Ravel, and Stravinsky can be seen to emerge in his full stature. ==Works== Puccini wrote orchestral pieces, sacred music, chamber music, solo music for piano and organ and songs for voice and piano, most notably his 1880 mass Messa di gloria, his Preludio Sinfonico of 1882, and his 1890 string quartet movement Crisantemi.
A revised version met with success at the Teatro del Giglio in Puccini's native Lucca on 5 September 1891.
For example, Franco Vittadini made an opera of Anima Allegra, Mascagni's opera Lodoletta is derived from Two Little Wooden Shoes, and Riccardo Zandonai eventually wrote Conchita. ==Puccini at Torre del Lago== From 1891 onwards, Puccini spent most of his time, when not traveling on business, at Torre del Lago, a small community about fifteen miles from Lucca situated between the Ligurian Sea and Lake Massaciuccoli, just south of Viareggio.
In 1892, further revisions reduced the length of the opera from four acts to three, in a version that was well received in Ferrara and was performed in Turin and in Spain.
It was almost by accident that the final two, Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, came together to complete the opera. Manon Lescaut premiered at the Teatro Regio in Turin on 2 February 1893.
By coincidence, Puccini's first enduringly popular opera appeared within a week of the premiere of Verdi's last opera, Falstaff, which was first performed on 9 February 1893.
In early 1893, the two composers discovered that they were both engaged in writing operas based on Murger's work.
Scribner's Sons, 1895. Weaver, William, and Simonetta Puccini, eds.
La bohème premiered in Turin in 1896, conducted by Arturo Toscanini.
Rejecting the allegation that Tosca displayed Wagnerian influences, a critic reporting on the Torino premiere of 20 February 1900 wrote: "I don't think you could find a more Puccinian score than this." ===Automobile crash and near death=== On 25 February 1903, Puccini was seriously injured in a car crash during a nighttime journey on the road from Lucca to Torre del Lago.
"I love hunting, I love cars: and for these things, in the isolation of Torre del Lago, I keep the faith." ("Amo la caccia, adoro l'automobile: e a questo e a quella nelle solitudini di Torre del Lago serbo intera la mia fede.") By 1900, he had acquired land and built a villa on the lake, now known as the "Villa Museo Puccini".
In orchestration, Puccini frequently doubled the vocal line in unison or at octaves in order to emphasize and strengthen the melodic line. Verismo is a style of Italian opera that began in 1890 with the first performance of Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, peaked in the early 1900s, and lingered into the 1920s.
Puccini made further revisions in 1901 and 1905, but the work never achieved popularity.
Rejecting the allegation that Tosca displayed Wagnerian influences, a critic reporting on the Torino premiere of 20 February 1900 wrote: "I don't think you could find a more Puccinian score than this." ===Automobile crash and near death=== On 25 February 1903, Puccini was seriously injured in a car crash during a nighttime journey on the road from Lucca to Torre del Lago.
Narciso was killed by the husband of a woman that Narciso had an affair with, dying on 26 February 1903, one day after Puccini's car accident.
The accident and its consequences slowed Puccini's completion of his next work, Madama Butterfly. ===Madama Butterfly=== The original version of Madama Butterfly premiered at La Scala on 17 February 1904 with Rosina Storchio in the title role.
This version was in two acts; after its disastrous premiere, Puccini withdrew the opera, revising it for what was virtually a second premiere at Brescia in May 1904 and performances in Buenos Aires, London, the US and Paris.
However, the original 1904 version is occasionally performed as well, and has been recorded. ==Later works== After 1904, Puccini's compositions were less frequent.
Only then, in early 1904, were Puccini and Elvira able to marry, and to legitimize Antonio. The marriage between Puccini and Elvira was also troubled by infidelity, as Puccini had frequent affairs himself, including with well-known singers such as Maria Jeritza, Emmy Destinn, Cesira Ferrani, and Hariclea Darclée.
Puccini made further revisions in 1901 and 1905, but the work never achieved popularity.
In 1906 Giacosa died and, in 1909, there was scandal after Puccini's wife, Elvira, falsely accused their maid Doria Manfredi of having an affair with Puccini.
In 1906, while attending the opening of Madama Butterfly in Budapest, Puccini fell in love with Blanke Lendvai, the sister of Hungarian composer Ervin Lendvai (his friend and protégé for many years).
In 1907, Puccini made his final revisions to the opera in a fifth version, which has become known as the "standard version".
In 1906 Giacosa died and, in 1909, there was scandal after Puccini's wife, Elvira, falsely accused their maid Doria Manfredi of having an affair with Puccini.
Blanke and Puccini exchanged love letters until 1911, when he started an affair with German aristocrat Baroness Josephine von Stangel, which lasted for six years. In 1909, Puccini's wife Elvira publicly accused Doria Manfredi, a maid working for the Puccini family, of having an affair with the composer.
Finally, in 1912, the death of Giulio Ricordi, Puccini's editor and publisher, ended a productive period of his career. ===La fanciulla del West=== Puccini completed La fanciulla del West, based on a play by David Belasco, in 1910.
This was commissioned by, and first performed at, the Metropolitan Opera in New York on 10 December 1910 with Met stars Enrico Caruso and Emmy Destinn for whom Puccini created the leading roles of Dick Johnson and Minnie.
Blanke and Puccini exchanged love letters until 1911, when he started an affair with German aristocrat Baroness Josephine von Stangel, which lasted for six years. In 1909, Puccini's wife Elvira publicly accused Doria Manfredi, a maid working for the Puccini family, of having an affair with the composer.
3, March 1911. Author unknown, "The Stage", Munsey's Magazine Vol.
44, p. 6, 1911. Author unknown, "New York Acclaims Puccini's New Opera", Theatre Magazine, Vol.
119, January 1911. Centro di Studi Giacomo Puccini, "Catedrale di S.
Finally, in 1912, the death of Giulio Ricordi, Puccini's editor and publisher, ended a productive period of his career. ===La fanciulla del West=== Puccini completed La fanciulla del West, based on a play by David Belasco, in 1910.
Puccini was also criticized during the war for his work on La rondine under a 1913 commission contract with an Austrian theater after Italy and Austria-Hungary became opponents in the war in 1915 (although the contract was ultimately cancelled).
Puccini's long-standing and close friendship with Toscanini was interrupted for nearly a decade because of an argument in the summer of 1914 (in the opening months of the war) during which Puccini remarked that Italy could benefit from German organization.
Puccini was also criticized during the war for his work on La rondine under a 1913 commission contract with an Austrian theater after Italy and Austria-Hungary became opponents in the war in 1915 (although the contract was ultimately cancelled).
The 2008 Italian film, Puccini e la fanciulla (Puccini and the Girl), is based on the period of his life when he was composing the opera. ===La rondine=== Puccini completed the score of La rondine, to a libretto by Giuseppe Adami in 1916 after two years of work, and it was premiered at the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo on 27 March 1917.
The 2008 Italian film, Puccini e la fanciulla (Puccini and the Girl), is based on the period of his life when he was composing the opera. ===La rondine=== Puccini completed the score of La rondine, to a libretto by Giuseppe Adami in 1916 after two years of work, and it was premiered at the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo on 27 March 1917.
A modern reviewer described La rondine as "a continuous fabric of lilting waltz tunes, catchy pop-styled melodies, and nostalgic love music," while characterizing the plot as recycling characters and incidents from works like 'La traviata' and 'Die Fledermaus'. ===Il trittico: Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi=== In 1918, Il trittico premiered in New York.
Puccini did not participate in the public war effort, but privately rendered assistance to individuals and families affected by the war. In 1919, Puccini was commissioned to write music to an ode by honoring Italy's victories in World War I.
The work, Inno a Roma (Hymn to Rome), was to premiere on 21 April 1919, during a celebration of the anniversary of the founding of Rome.
The premiere was delayed to 1 June 1919, when it was played at the opening of a gymnastics competition.
Three of his operas (La bohème, Tosca, and Madame Butterfly) were amongst the 10 most frequently performed operas worldwide. Gustav Kobbé, the original author of The Complete Opera Book, a standard reference work on opera, wrote in the 1919 edition: "Puccini is considered the most important figure in operatic Italy today, the successor of Verdi, if there is any." Other contemporaries shared this view.
In orchestration, Puccini frequently doubled the vocal line in unison or at octaves in order to emphasize and strengthen the melodic line. Verismo is a style of Italian opera that began in 1890 with the first performance of Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana, peaked in the early 1900s, and lingered into the 1920s.
He lived there until 1921, when pollution produced by peat works on the lake forced him to move to Viareggio, a few kilometres north.
In 1923 the Fascist Party in Viareggio made Puccini an honorary member and sent him a membership card.
Puccini met with Mussolini twice, in November and December 1923, seeking support for the theater project.
Puccini was no longer alive when Mussolini announced the end of representative government, and the beginning of a fascist dictatorship, in his speech before the Chamber of Deputies on 3 January 1925. ==Death== A chain smoker of Toscano cigars and cigarettes, Puccini began to complain of chronic sore throats towards the end of 1923.
Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for his operas.
This work is composed of three one-act operas, each concerning the concealment of a death: a horrific episode (Il tabarro) in the style of the Parisian Grand Guignol, a sentimental tragedy (Suor Angelica), and a comedy (Gianni Schicchi). ===Turandot=== Turandot, Puccini's final opera, was left unfinished at the composer's death in November 1924, and the last two scenes were completed by Franco Alfano based on the composer's sketches.
While the theater project never came to fruition, Puccini was named Senator (senatore a vita) a few months before his death. At the time Puccini met with Mussolini, Mussolini had been prime minister for approximately a year, but his party had not yet taken full control of the Italian Parliament through the violence and irregularities of the 1924 general election.
Puccini and his wife never knew how serious the cancer was, as the news was revealed only to his son. Puccini died in Brussels on 29 November 1924, aged 65, from complications after the treatment; uncontrolled bleeding led to a heart attack the day after surgery.
By the time of Puccini's death in 1924, he had earned $4 million from his works. Although the popular success of Puccini's work is undeniable, and his mastery of the craft of composition has been consistently recognized, opinion among critics as to the artistic value of his work has always been divided.
Puccini was no longer alive when Mussolini announced the end of representative government, and the beginning of a fascist dictatorship, in his speech before the Chamber of Deputies on 3 January 1925. ==Death== A chain smoker of Toscano cigars and cigarettes, Puccini began to complain of chronic sore throats towards the end of 1923.
In 1926 his son arranged for the transfer of his father's remains to a specially created chapel inside the Puccini villa at Torre del Lago. ==Style and critical reception== Most broadly, Puccini wrote in the style of the late-Romantic period of classical music (see Romantic music).
1, July 2012. Sadie, Stanley; Laura Williams Macy, The Grove Book of Operas. Sadie, Stanley (ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, London: Macmillan/New York: Grove, 1980, , p. 203. Smith, Peter Fox.
Between 2004 and 2018, Puccini ranked third (behind Verdi and Mozart) in the number of performances of his operas worldwide, as surveyed by Operabase.
It was founded in 2004 by the singer and director Harry Dunstan. ==Notes== ==References== ===Sources=== Author unknown, Hampton's Magazine Vol.
Trafalgar Square Books, 2004.
The 2008 Italian film, Puccini e la fanciulla (Puccini and the Girl), is based on the period of his life when he was composing the opera. ===La rondine=== Puccini completed the score of La rondine, to a libretto by Giuseppe Adami in 1916 after two years of work, and it was premiered at the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo on 27 March 1917.
Martino", Puccini.it, retrieved 3 November 2012. Kendell, Colin (2012), The Complete Puccini: The Story of the World's Most Popular Operatic Composer, Stroud, Gloucestershire: Amberley Publishing, 2012.
1, July 2012. Sadie, Stanley; Laura Williams Macy, The Grove Book of Operas. Sadie, Stanley (ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, London: Macmillan/New York: Grove, 1980, , p. 203. Smith, Peter Fox.
Between 2004 and 2018, Puccini ranked third (behind Verdi and Mozart) in the number of performances of his operas worldwide, as surveyed by Operabase.
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