Puccini

Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer renowned for his operas and is considered one of the leading figures of late Romantic music and the verismo movement. His works are valued for melodic invention, dramatic realism, and enduring dramatic and lyrical moments, with widely performed arias such as Nessun dorma and O mio babbino caro.

Born December 22, 1858, in Lucca, Puccini came from a family of musicians and began composing at an early age. He studied in Milan and produced early works such as Le Villi (1884) and Edgar (1889). His international breakthrough came with Manon Lescaut (1893), followed by the immense success of La Bohème (1896), which established him as a major operatic figure beyond Italy.

Puccini later wrote several enduring operas, including Tosca (1900), Madama Butterfly (1904), and La Fanciulla del West (1910). His later career was marked by Turandot, which remained unfinished at his death. Turandot was completed posthumously by Franco Alfano and premiered in 1926. Across these works, Puccini combined intimate lyricism with vivid, cinematic drama, often drawing on literary and theatrical sources to shape emotionally direct narratives.

Puccini died on November 29, 1924, in Brussels after a long illness. His music remains a central part of the standard operatic repertoire, with frequent performances worldwide and a lasting influence on 20th-century opera and popular culture.