Giacomo Puccini
22 December 1858 — 29 November 1924
Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) was one of the leading Italian opera composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His operas — including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot — remain among the most frequently performed works in the operatic repertoire. Many of his arias, such as “Che gelida manina,” “O mio babbino caro,” and “Nessun dorma,” have become internationally famous beyond the opera stage.
Operas
| Opera | Premiere or date of written | Libretti available |
|---|---|---|
| Le Villi | 1884, May 31 | italian, english |
| Edgar | 1889, April 21 | |
| Manon Lescaut | 1893, February 1 | italian, german, english, french |
La bohème  |
1896, February 1 | italian, german, english, french |
| Tosca |
1900, February 14 | italian, german, english, french |
| Madama Butterfly |
1904, February 17 | italian, german, english, french |
| La fanciulla del West | 1910, December 10 | italian, russian |
| Il trittico (Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi) | 1918, December 14 | italian, german, english |
| Turandot |
1926, April 25 | italian, german, english, french, russian |
History
- May 31, 1884 — Premiere of Giacomo Puccini's first opera, 'Le Villi', at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan.
- February 1, 1893 — World premiere (first performance) of Giacomo Puccini’s opera "Manon Lescaut" at Teatro Regio, Turin.
- February 1, 1896 — World premiere (first performance) of Giacomo Puccini’s opera "La bohème" at Teatro Regio, Turin (conducted by Arturo Toscanini).
- June 16, 1896 — Puccini’s "La bohème" received its first performance outside Italy at the Teatro de la Ópera in Buenos Aires.
- March 27, 1897 — World premiere of Giacomo Puccini’s opera "La bohème" in its first Russian production at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.
- May 16, 1898 — "La bohème" received its New York premiere at Wallack's Theatre.
- February 4, 1901 — U.S. premiere of Giacomo Puccini’s "Tosca" at the Metropolitan Opera (New York).
- May 28, 1904 — Puccini's revised version of "Madama Butterfly" was staged in Brescia, where it became a major success after the failed La Scala premiere.
- March 18, 2003 — Premiere at the Royal Opera House of the Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier production of Puccini’s "Madama Butterfly".
- April 14, 2025 — Performance of 'La rondine' by Giacomo Puccini at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy.
- May 4, 2025 — Lyric Opera of Kansas City stages Puccini's 'Turandot' at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.
- May 4, 2025 — Seattle Opera stages Puccini's 'Tosca' at McCaw Hall.
