Giacomo Puccini is known as one of the greatest opera composers to have ever lived. During his career, he produced a number of operas, many of which continue to be performed today. In fact, some of Puccini''s operas are among the most frequently performed operas.
Giacomo Puccini was born Dec. 22, 1858, in Tuscany, Italy. When he was five years old, Puccini''s father died. As a result, his mother sent him to study with his uncle. After seeing a performance of Verdi''s "Aida," Puccini decided to become an opera composer. With the assistance of a relative and the aid of a financial grant, Puccini was able to enroll in the Milan Conservatory in 1880.
While at the conservatory, Puccini wrote "Le Villi," a one-act opera that he entered into a competition. Although Puccini did not win the competition, his work caught the attention of Giulio Ricordi, head of a music publishing company, who commissioned Puccini to write his second opera, "Edgar."
In 1891, Puccini moved to Torre del Lago, where he wrote many of his most famous operas. Here he wrote his third opera, "Manon Lescaut," in 1893. This Puccini opera was considered a great success and put Puccini in contact with Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, with whom he would collaborate on his next three operas, "La Bohme," "La Tosca" and "Madame Butterfly."
After composing these operas, Puccini began composing less frequently.
Though Puccini wrote a number of operas during his career, some are more famous than others. Here''s a list of some of Puccini''s more popular operas:
In addition to these operas, Puccini wrote "Manon Lescaut," "La Fanciulla del West" and "La Rondine."
Puccini''s operas are noteworthy for a number of reasons. Though some critics say his work lacks seriousness, his operas are well-known for using the orchestra to create a specific atmosphere. Puccini also is known for using a series of chords to represent characters in operas.
Also noteworthy is the way in which Puccini''s characters communicate in operas, often singing short phrases to each other as if they were talking.
The melodies Puccini created for his operas are very memorable and remain quite popular.
In 1923, Puccini''s health began to decline. After years of smoking, Puccini began to suffer from a chronic sore throat. After a diagnosis of throat cancer, Puccini began undergoing experimental radiation therapy. On November 29, 1924, Puccini died in Brussels, Belgium, after suffering a heart attack and uncontrolled bleeding following a surgery.
Today, people around the globe continue to enjoy the works of Puccini.
Cordell, Tim (April 26, 1995). Giacomo Puccini. Retrieved January 10, 2008, from the Edinboro.edu Web site: http://www.edinboro.edu/cwis/music/Cordell/comp-puccini.html.