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MOS Composer of the Month: Previous Page, Next Page, Index |
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Composer of the Month - May, 2004 Giacomo Puccini, 1858-1924
In 1884, while a student at the Milan Conservatory, he entered a one-act opera competition. He didn't win, but his opera was produced to a warm reception, and his compositional career was underway. In 1891, the production of Manon Lescaut in Turin established Puccini as a composer to be reckoned with. This work was followed in rapid succession by three of his most enduring works, La Boheme, Tosca, and Madam Butterfly. Each of these works was introduced to a less-than-enthralled reception, in contrast to the high regard they are all held in today. But the story behind Madam Butterfly tells us much about Puccini as a composer. The story is from an English play, which was based on a magazine story, which itself is allegedly based on a real incident. When it was staged at La Scala, the audience erupted in derision, resulting in Puccini's immediately withdrawing it. It is now widely understood that the audience reaction was orchestrated by Puccini's rivals, a fact which he surely understood at the time. But instead of rebelling and being distracted into a counter-productive quarrel, he took to heart the critiques, reconstructed the opera, and staged it again several months later in a different venue (Brescia) to rave reviews. Puccini's final work, Turandot, was left unfinished due to his death from throat cancer at the age of 66. Ironically, Puccini's death came at the point where he had written the death scene for Liu, one of the lead characters. The work was completed by Franco Alfano using sketches of the main ideas of the final two scenes. At its premiere at La Scala, Toscanini stopped the performance at Liu's death, announcing to the audience that this was the point at which the composer had died. The following evening he conducted the entire work, including Alfano's contribution. This act of honor by Toscanini underscored the high esteem that Puccini enjoyed with the musical world, considering that Puccini and Toscanini had been divided by World War I, with Puccini's pacifism and Toscanini's patriotism driving a wedge between them. Giacomo Puccini is the last great Italian operatic composer, mentioned in the same category as Rossini and Verdi. He only composed eight full length operas, compared to Verdi's 28, but they are still much loved by opera fans today. For further reading on Giacomo Puccini: Click here for more information about the MOS Composer of the Month feature
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