Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini was the most important composer of Italian opera after Verdi. His father was a choirmaster and organist and it was expected that Giacomo would follow in his footsteps. His father died when he was only six years old! When he was older he decided he wanted to be an opera composer. He was regarded as one of the greatest opera composers along with the great Verdi. In 1896 he wrote La Bohème, which is probably the most loved opera ever written. This was followed by several others, including Madame Butterfly, Tosca, and Turandot. Puccini's genius lay in his ability to write beautiful melodies. He also was able to create operas that audiences responded to. His characters are very human and the stories in his operas are easy to follow. Puccini was very successful financially as well as musically. When he died in 1924, he left over four million dollars! |