Short bio Giacomo Puccini
Full biography Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer born on December 22nd, 1858, in Lucca, Tuscany. He is considered one of the most significant composers of late 19th and early 20th-century operas. His parents were both musicians, and he inherited their love for music, starting piano lessons at a young age.
Puccini's musical journey saw him attending the Milan Conservatory, where he studied composition with Amilcare Ponchielli and Alberto Mazzucato. Despite his early works not receiving the best reviews, he persisted on, and by the 1890s, he began producing operas that would become world-renowned.
Among his notable works are "La bohème," "Madama Butterfly," "Tosca," and "Turandot." His music was known for combining distinct and colorful melodies, powerful choral scenes with sophisticated harmonies and complex orchestrations. Puccini's operas were known beyond the borders of Italy, and they were celebrated by opera enthusiasts worldwide.
Puccini was known for his commitment to musical drama, and his works were characterized by emotional intensity, rich harmonies, and a keen eye for detail in costume, sets, and performance. His work impacted on today's opera traditions, and he remains an inspiration to many composers.
Giacomo Puccini passed away at the age of 65 on November 29, 1924, in Brussels, Belgium, succumbing to throat cancer, which he had been battling for several years. Today, Puccini's work continues to serve as a reminder of the beauty and power of music, and his legacy remains secured in the annals of opera history.
Compositions featuring Giacomo Puccini
| # | Name | Duration | Genre | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turandot, opera | 101:08 min | Opera | 1926 |
| 2 | Inno di Roma, song for voice & piano | 3:35 min | Vocal Music | 1923 |
| 3 | Il Trittico, 3 operas (Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi) | Opera | 1918 | |
| 4 | Suor Angelica, opera | 26:43 min | Opera | 1918 |
| 5 | Gianni Schicchi, opera | 21:44 min | Opera | 1918 |
| 6 | Morire?, song for voice & piano | 2:50 min | Vocal Music | 1917 |
| 7 | La Rondine (The Swallow), opera | 98:13 min | Opera | 1917 |
| 8 | Pezzo (Calmo e molto lento), for piano, SC86 | 1:32 min | Keyboard | 1916 |
| 9 | Il tabarro (The Cloak), opera | 26:29 min | Opera | 1916 |
| 10 | Sogno d'or, song for voice & piano | 1:59 min | Vocal Music | 1913 |
| 11 | La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West), opera | 130:33 min | Opera | 1910 |
| 12 | Casa mia, casa mia, song for voice & piano | 0:43 min | Vocal Music | 1908 |
| 13 | Piccolo tango, for piano | 2:35 min | Keyboard | 1907 |
| 14 | Foglio d'album, for piano | 2:04 min | Keyboard | 1907 |
| 15 | Ecce sacerdos magnus (Musical dedication for the 1905 enthronement of the new archbishop of Lucca), for a cappella choir | 0:25 min | Choral | 1905 |
| 16 | Requiem for soprano, tenor, bass & organ (or harmonium) ("In Memory of G. Verdi") | 5:34 min | Choral | 1905 |
| 17 | Canto d'anime, song for voice & piano | 1:43 min | Vocal Music | 1904 |
| 18 | Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly), opera | 124:54 min | Opera | 1904 |
| 19 | Terra e mare, song for voice & piano (2 versions) | 1:48 min | Vocal Music | 1902 |
| 20 | Tosca, opera | 90:39 min | Opera | 1900 |
| 21 | E l'uccellino (Ninna-Nanna), song for voice & piano | 1:38 min | Vocal Music | 1899 |
| 22 | Scossa elettrica, Marcetta brillante, for piano (original version) | 1:57 min | Keyboard | 1899 |
| 23 | Inno a Diana, song for voice & piano | 2:14 min | Vocal Music | 1897 |
| 24 | Avanti, Urania!, song for voice & piano | 1:31 min | Vocal Music | 1896 |
| 25 | La bohème, opera | 75:34 min | Opera | 1896 |
| 26 | Ave Maria Leopolda, for voice & piano (unpublished) | 1:00 min | Vocal Music | 1896 |
| 27 | Manon Lescaut, opera | 69:27 min | Opera | 1893 |
| 28 | Crisantemi (Chrysanthemums), elegy for string quartet | 6:33 min | Chamber Music | 1890 |
| 29 | Minuets (3) for string quartet | 9:15 min | Chamber Music | 1890 |
| 30 | Minuet for string quartet, No. 1 in A major | 4:13 min | Chamber Music | 1890 |
| 31 | Minuet for string quartet, No. 2 in A major | 2:50 min | Chamber Music | 1890 |
| 32 | Minuet for string quartet, No. 3 in A major | 3:05 min | Chamber Music | 1890 |
| 33 | Edgar, opera | 90:49 min | Opera | 1889 |
| 34 | Sole e amore (Mattinata), for voice & piano | 1:59 min | Vocal Music | 1888 |
| 35 | Solfeggi, for 3 voices (unpublished) | 3:17 min | Vocal Music | 1888 |
| 36 | Le villi, opera | 62:25 min | Opera | 1884 |
| 37 | Capriccio sinfonico, for orchestra | 12:47 min | Orchestral | 1883 |
| 38 | Adagetto in F major, for small orchestra | 4:56 min | Chamber Music | 1883 |
| 39 | Mentì all'avviso, song for voice & piano | 5:32 min | Vocal Music | 1883 |
| 40 | Storiella d'amore, song for voice & piano | 5:17 min | Vocal Music | 1883 |
| 41 | Ad una morta!, song for voice & piano | 3:30 min | Vocal Music | 1882 |
| 42 | Fugue for string quartet in A major | 2:42 min | Chamber Music | 1882 |
| 43 | Fugues (3) for string quartet | 8:36 min | Chamber Music | 1882 |
| 44 | Fugue for string quartet in G major | 2:45 min | Chamber Music | 1882 |
| 45 | Fugue for string quartet in C minor | 3:03 min | Chamber Music | 1882 |
| 46 | Adagio, for piano in A major | 2:22 min | Keyboard | 1881 |
| 47 | Mass for tenor, baritone, bass, chorus & orchestra in A flat major ("Messa di gloria") | 44:12 min | Choral | 1880 |
| 48 | String quartet in D major | 8:17 min | Chamber Music | 1880 |
| 49 | Salve del ciel regina, for soprano & harmonium | 4:23 min | Vocal Music | 1880 |
| 50 | Scherzo for string quartet in A minor | 2:39 min | Chamber Music | 1880 |
| 51 | Vexilla regis prodeunt, hymn for male chorus & organ | 4:28 min | Choral | 1878 |
| 52 | Motet et Credo, for baritone, chorus & orchestra ("Per San Paolino") | 11:27 min | Choral | 1878 |
| 53 | Cantata "Cessato il suon dell'armi" for tenor solo, chorus & orchestra (reconstructed by Emilio Maggini) | 7:58 min | Choral | 1877 |
| 54 | Preludio sinfonico, for orchestra in A major | 8:32 min | Orchestral | 1876 |
| 55 | Beata Viscera, for voice & piano | 1:13 min | Vocal Music | 1875 |
| 56 | A te ("O quanto è vano"), song for voice & piano | 4:02 min | Vocal Music | 1875 |
| 57 | La Primavera, canzonetta for voice & piano | 1:11 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 58 | Angele Dei, for voice & piano | 4:21 min | Vocal Music | - |
| 59 | Opera(s) | Opera | - |
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