Great
Classical Music
Composers

Giacomo PUCCINI

22 December 1858 -- 29 November 1924 (age 66)

Portrait by Paul Helm
click on image for more info

Giacomo Puccini is the Italian composer of some of the most popular and frequently performed operas. Many of his arias have introduced thousands to the joys of opera. An outstanding example of this is the 1990 Football World Cup' theme tune 'Nessun Dorma' from 'Turandot'.

Click on the portrait for more about it.
Portrait by Paul Helm ©

Family

Born: Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini
December 22, 1858 - November 29, 1924, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy
into a family dynasty with five generations of musical history.
Father: Michele Puccini, organist of Lucca cathedral, died when he was 5
Mother: Albina Magi
Uncle: Fortunato Magi, his first music teacher.
Siblings: 5 sisters and one brother Michele who died aged 27
Wife: Elvira (who already had a daughter)
Children: Alberto
Died: of throat cancer.29 Nov 1924, Brussels, Belgium
Buried: in the private chapel of his home at Torre del Lago, nr Viareggio, Italy.

2010 Opera Calendar

This calendar has 12 of my portraits, all of opera composers, including Giacomo.

Also Bellini, Mozart, Berlioz, Mascagni, Leoncavallo, Rossini, Bizet, Wagner, Handel, Offenbach and Verdi.

Jan - Dec 2010. US Holidays.

The 2011 version should be ready in October 2010. If you would like to be informed when it is available - let me know.

You can buy it at cafepress

Works

Operas by Puccini

Le Villi
Manon Lescaut
La Bohème
Tosca
Madama Butterfly
La Fanciulla del West
La Rondine
Il Trittico - three one-act operas:
Il Tabarro,
Suor Angelica and
Gianni Schicchi
Turandot

Video Documentary

An interesting documentary on the life and music of Puccini by 'How Stuff Works'.
It lasts about 35 minutes and opens in a new window.Click on the image.

If you like this documentary there are others for: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Ravel, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Wagner. Go to the relative pages for the links.

Quotes

- "Art is a kind of illness."

- "Inspiration is an awakening, a quickening of all man's faculties, and it is manifested in all high artistic achievements."

- “Cold calculation, random spots of color, mathematically exact construction (clearly shown or concealed), drawing that is now silent and now strident . . . . Is this not form?”

Amazon stores

Puccini on Amazon.com

Nessun Dorma from Turandot, sung by Pavarotti

Giacomo's facebook

Click on the facebook logo, join the group, share your comments and views with the world!

If you find other good social media pages - please let me know.

TOSCA - E Lucevan Le Stelle - an animation

On eBay right now!

On eBay you will find bargains galore but more interestingly there is a treasure chest of old items. Out of print books, old recordings no longer available, memorabilia and goods no longer sold on the High Street.To see what is currently on offer take a look at: