Italian composer Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) is considered the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Giuseppe Verdi, but how much do you really know about the author of world-famous works such as La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot? ✨
5 Facts You Didn't Know About Puccini
1) He had 6 first names.
Puccini was named after four of his ancestors, so his full name was Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini.
2) He was terrible in school.
He struggled a lot as a student and was also expelled numerous times but always got re-admitted thanks to his mother's insistence.
3) He loved cars and technology.
Puccini enjoyed science and modern technology, was an expert in cars and boats and was very good friends with inventor Thomas Edison.
4) He almost missed his first Metropolitan Opera opening.
In 1907, on the night of the premiere of his opera Manon Lescaut, Puccini's transatlantic crossing was delayed by a storm and he almost missed the performance.
5) Puccini never finished the score for Turandot.
Puccini passed away in 1924 before he could complete the opera. In 1926, composer Franco Alfano picked it back up and finished it.5 Facts You Didn’t Know About Puccini
Music:
Giacomo Puccini
Gianni Schicchi: "O mio babbino caro"
(Arr. for Piano by Luke Faulkner)
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