Puccini: Gianni Schicchi

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Cat No: 8660111

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Release Date: 31 December 2003

Label: Naxos - Opera / Naxos Opera

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 1

Barcode: 730099611121

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: PUCCINI

Description
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)Gianni ScachicchiGiacomo Puccini, christened with the forenames AntonioDomenico Michele Secondo Maria in 1858, inherited with these names the longmusical traditions of his family. Resident in Lucca, the earlier GiacomoPuccini, born there in 1712, served as organist at S. Martino and directed the Cappella Palatina until his death in 1781,when he was succeeded by his son Antonio, born in 1747, who had assisted hisfather also at S. Martino and, like his father, was a member of the distinguishedBologna Accademia Filarmonica. His son Domenico, born in 1772, directed theCappella di Camera from 1806, after the disbanding of the earlier CappellaPalatina by Napoleon's sister, Elise Baciocchi, who became Regent of Lucca in1805. Domenico Puccini died suddenly in 1815 and was outlived by his father,who died in 1832. Domenico Puccini's son Michele, born in 1813, was taught byhis grandfather Antonio and served in Lucca as a teacher and later director atthe Istituto Musicale Pacini and as organist at S. Martino. It was his sonGiacomo who brought much wider fame to the family.Earlier generations of the Puccini family had been largelyconcerned with church music, although they had also composed movements fordramatic Tasche, composite choral and instrumental works to mark the biennialelections in Lucca. Domenico, while continuing the tradition of church musicand Tasche, also turned his fuller attention to opera, a form attempted onlybriefly by his son Michele. Family tradition suggested that Giacomo Puccinishould remain in the restricted musical world of Lucca, but his ambitions wereto turn in another direction, when he moved to Milan to pursue his operaticambitions.The position of organist at S. Martino was generally regardedas the hereditary right of the Puccini family and in 1864, after his father'sdeath, it was decreed by the city fathers that Puccini's uncle Fortunato Magi,a pupil of Michele Puccini, should hold the position until Giacomo was oldenough to assume it. His early studies were with Magi, before he found, at theIstituto Pacini, a more stimulating teacher in another of his father's oldpupils, Carlo Angeloni, who also inspired in his pupil an abiding interest inhunting and shooting. Puccini had been a chorister at S. Martino and S. Michelefrom the age of ten and began to undertake duties as an organist when he wasfourteen. These last led him to write music for the organ, but it was a visitto Pisa in 1876 to attend a performance of Verdi's Aida that finally changedthe direction of his future career. In 1880 he completed his studies in Lucca,graduating with his Messa di Gloria. In the autumn of that year he began histhree years of study at the Milan Conservatory. In 1884 his opera Le Villi won some success, but it was withManon Lescaut in 1893 that his reputation seemed finally established. This wasfollowed by a succession of operas, La boh?¿me in 1896, Tosca in 1900, MadamaButterfly in 1904, to be followed by La fanciulla del
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