|
Giacomo Puccini
(1858-1924)
Musical Roots
Four generations of the Puccini family had been professional musicians in their native town of Lucca, Tuscany, before Giacomo’s birth.
When Michele died in 1864 his wife was pregnant, his six daughters were not yet teenagers, and Giacomo was five.
From Lucca to Milan
Michele’s brother-in-law and former student, Fortunato Magi, briefly taught the young Puccini. In his next teacher, Carlo Angeloni, Puccini found an opera lover who shared that passion with his student. In 1876, Puccini and a group of friends walked 19 miles to attend Verdi’s Aïda in Pisa.
 Returning Home
Puccini studied at the Milan Conservatory from 1880 until 1884, when his mother’s death brought him back home. He was distraught and struggling to resume work. This was not, however, the only reason Puccini remained in Lucca. He had fallen in love with an amateur soprano: Elvira Gemignani, who was already married—with two children—to one of Puccini’s former classmates.
In early 1886, Elvira became pregnant with Puccini’s child. The couple eloped.
Composing La bohème
Puccini requested constant rewrites from his librettists. Luigi Illica wrote the scenarios and Giuseppe Giacosa transformed them into verse, so most changes had to go through both of them. By the time that was done, Puccini often was ready with more edits. Both men threatened to quit, and had it not been for publisher Giulio Ricordi who calmed the situation, Puccini might have left La bohème incomplete.
Two Bohèmes
In March 1893, Puccini and Ruggero Leoncavallo met in a café in Milan. Leoncavallo’s last opera, Pagliacci, was a great success. Puccini’s recent Manon Lescaut was also a hit. As the conversation turned to their next projects Puccini revealed his plan to compose La bohème. Leoncavallo was shocked: he was at work on the same subject. Leoncavallo’s Bohème appeared one year after Puccini’s to greater immediate success, but within a decade Puccini’s setting permanently overshadowed Leoncavallo's.
Car Accident and Crisis at Home
 By the turn of the 20th century, Puccini operas were playing internationally to sellout crowds. Success brought him wealth and allowed him to pursue hunting and traveling. He also loved boats, bicycles, and automobiles.
Riding in an automobile in February 1903, Puccini nearly died when his driver lost control and the car rolled down an embankment. His recovery was slow and it required the help of an additional servant around the house. 16-year-old Doria Manfredi was brought in to help care for him.
Five years after the accident, Elvira Puccini suspected that her husband and Manfredi were having an affair. Manfredi swore their innocence, but Elvira continued to spread unfounded rumors. Devastated by the scandal, Manfredi took poison and died.
The autopsy concluded that she had died a virgin. The Manfredi family filed a case against Elvira, and she was sentenced to five months and five days in prison. After an appeal, a settlement was reached, with a large sum of money paid to the Manfredis.
Puccini’s Death
 Puccini, a heavy smoker all his life, learned in 1923 that he had cancer. He went to Brussels for X-ray treatment and surgery, but his body could not recover from the operation. He died of a heart attack on November 29, 1924.
--Michael Chiappardi, Education and Community Programs Associate
To learn more about Puccini, download the full Study Guide here.
|
