Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924)

How to say the name:

‘Puccini’ is said like Poo-chee-knee. ‘Giacomo’ is said like ‘Jee-ah-ko-mo’.

Born:

22nd December 1858 in Lucca, Tuscany, Italy.

Puccini’s grave on his estate

Died:

29th November 1924 in Brussels, Belgium.

Buried:

A specially built chapel in the grounds of his estate in Torre del Lago, Toscana, Italy.

Type of Music:

Classical music from the romantic period (mainly opera).

Some famous pieces:
  • Nessun dorma (None shall sleep), from the opera Turandot. (See below for a video.)
  • Un bel dì (One fine day), from the opera Madama Butterfly (Madam Butterfly).
  • O mio babbino caro (Oh, my dear papa), from the opera Gianni Schicchi. (See below for a video.)
Some great pieces:
  • Manon Lescaut—an opera.
  • La Boheme (The Bohemians)—an opera. (See the opera page for an example.)
  • Tosca (an opera).
  • Madama Butterfly (Madam Butterfly)—an opera.
  • Gianni Schicchi—an opera, one of the three operas making up Il trittico (The Triptych).
  • Turandot—an opera.
Some interesting facts:
  • His music is very popular, especially in Italy.
  • His music is full of long and beautiful tunes.
  • His operas really are what people imagine operas to be—lots of emotion, lots of women singing very loud and high, and lots of main characters dying at the end!
  • Gianni Schicchi is different from his other operas—it’s a comedy!
  • His last opera, Turnadot, wasn’t finished when he died. It was finished instead by Franco Alfano.
  • He died very rich.

Here is a video of Nessun dorma (None shall sleep) from Puccini’s opera Turandot sung by the famous Luciano Pavarotti.

Nessun dorma from Puccini’s opera ‘Turandot’

And here is a video of O mio babbino caro (Oh, my dear papa) from Puccini’s opera Gianni Schicchi. This opera is a comedy. However this song doesn’t sound very funny. So what’s funny about it? Well, in the opera, the singer is a young woman begging her father to let her have her way. I think this is very funny, because if one of my daughters sang like that, I would give her anything (I hope they don’t read this!!)!

O mio babbino caro from Puccini’s opera ‘Gianni Schicchi’

There is another video of music by Puccini on the following page:

Choose another composer of classical music.
Picture credits:
  1. Giacomo Puccini. This photograph is in the public domain. Click here for the source of this image, along with the relevant copyright information.
  2. Puccini’s grave on his estate. This photograph was taken by Steven Baldwin. I have obtained permission from him to use it here. Click here for the source of this image.
Video credits:
  1. Pavarotti “nessun dorma”. Pavarotti “nessun dorma” live in Paris..
  2. Angela GHEORGHIU – O mio babbino caro – G Schicchi – Puccini. Angela Gheorghiu sings the aria “O mio babbino caro”, from Puccini’s opera ‘Gianni Schicchi’ (Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands Silver Jubilee Concert in Amsterdam, April 29th, 2005)..