Giacomo Puccini
(22 December 1858 – 29 November 1924)
Giacomo Puccini is the sixth child and the only boy among five girls (ò misfortune!), until the birth of the youngest son. He was descended from a lineage of musicians. Albina, the mother, was convinced of the musical gifts of her son. At about fifteen years, Puccini entered the musical institute of Lucca and began to write small songs for organ. At that time, he had for professor Carlo Angeloni who made him discover the music of Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi.
In 1876, he attended the representation of Verdi’s Aïda in Pisa. Enthused by this part, Puccini decided to become a composer. In 1880, he entered the Academy of Milan. Thanks to his mother, he got a scholarship from Queen Marguerite. His uncle helped him pay his studies too.
First success
In July 1883, he left the Academy after having composed Capriccio sinfonia. Ponchielli encouraged him to forge a career as a composer and suggested him to join a competition organized by a rich industrialist, Eduardo Sonzogno. The competition consisted in composing a one-act opera. The prizewinner was assured to see his work performed. His work, the Villi, was presented at the last minute and practically illegible: the jury neglected it. Nevertheless, Boito, Verdi’s librettist, noticed the work and helped Puccini. Villi was performed on May 31, 1884 and obtained a triumph. Giacomo sent this telegram to her mother: ”All my hopes exceeded. Eighteen curtain calls. First finale whistled. Am delighted.”
Peak and trio
He signed a contract with the publisher Ricordi. Puccini reshaped Villi in two acts and this new version was aslo favorably welcomed. In July 1884, her mother died and made the composer profoundly affected.
When Puccini married Elvira Geminiani in 1904, they had been lovers for 10 years and they even already had a child (Antonio). Elvira was already married with a friend of the composer. All the city knew they had an affair but him. Finally, Puccini “kidnapped” her. In 1903, Elvira’s husband died which enabled Puccini to marry her. This affair caused a big stir in Lucca and Puccini felt out with his protective uncle.
His following opera, Edgar, is the least inspired of his operas because the libretto did not appeal to him. After five years of work, the piece is considered an unsuccessful work in April 1889. He was then inspired by the novel of Prevost abbot to compose Manon Lescaut. It became his masterpiece and one of the most intense moments of his artistic life.
With the librettists Illica and Giacosa, he had worked on La Bohème for three years. It was finished in December 1895 and performed in February 1896 with success. The three men got on well and the trio lasted until 1906.Together, they also wrote two other important Opera: Tosca and Madama Butterfly.
At around 40, Puccini was become famous and had enough money to pursue his passion for hunting and nice cars.
Tosca
To compose Tosca, Puccini and his colleagues managed to convince Alberto Franchetti, who had bought the rights to the author of the original drama (Victorien Sardou) that this opera would be a failure and would undergo censorship. As a consequence, Franchetti gave up his rights and the unscrupulous trio started working immediately.
Presented in January 1900, the work was successful with the public but criticism was reserved.
Painful pat
After having tried several times to create an opera on Marie-Antoinette, Puccini started working frantically on a drama of David Belasco: Madama Butterfly which mixes drama and exoticism. The piece was first performed in 1904 in La Scala in Milan. People laughed loudly and made animals noises when they heard the birds sing on the stage.
Puccini had other problems: during the period he composed Madama Butterfly, he had a car accident which made him lame for the rest of his life. In 1906, one of his best librettists, Giacosa, died. Then he had an original project: a classical western, La fanciulla del West. He also created La rondine, which was a failure. Il trittico also had a mixed success.
End of life
In 1823, the composer who was a compulsive smoker had health problems (throat tumour). Nevertheless he started Turandot, a tragic count about a Chinese legend on love and death. It was left unfinished but was performed. As Puccini wanted, at the end of the first performance, in 1926, Toscanini (Puccini’s conductor) said to the public: “This is the end of the maestro’s work; he was at this point when he died”. The public remained quiet a little while and then gave an ovation.
Puccini died on November 29, 1924.
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Sheet Music
O mio babbino caro originated in the Classical period and was composed by Giacomo Puccini in Ab Major. The original lyrics by Théophile de Viau were in French. The melodious note arrangement of O mio babbino caro ranges from pianissimo (very soft) mellow notes to forte (loud) notes carrying the player and the audience through an array of vivid emotions. The sweet soft beginning of the music piece gradually increases and decreases the loudness in smooth transitions. This music piece is decorated with phrases, slurs and an arpeggio. A perfect composition for piano players to try with an intermediate knowledge in music. Students can make use of this sweet music piece to improve their knowledge in music expressions, ornaments and sight-reading, while all music lovers could enjoy this brilliant extract whole-heartedly. O mio babbino caro sheet music produced by Lyribox.com is clear, precise and is transcribed in English by Emily Chase. By purchasing the O mio babbino caro Hahn sheet music from us, you can simply sign along as you play this masterpiece on your piano. Unlike many sheet music sold online with all black notations, O mio babbino caro sheet music we offer you is marked using three distinct colors. While piano notation is illustrated in black, the music expressions and the lyrics are given in red and blue respectively. Get the O mio babbino caro Hahn sheet music from Lyribox.com today to enjoy and share this wonderful music composition with your friends and family.
Accompaniment
O mio babbino caro Hahn piano accompaniment in Ab Major offered by Lyribox.com is mellow and smooth. It feeds the poem an underlying pulse, adding a sense of propulsion to it. Meanwhile the vocal line flows in a dreamy leisure manner forcing the audience into a calming and languid mood. The vocal line of O mio babbino caro by Lyribox.com has the potential to provide slight pitch support for the voice’s sometimes unusual intervals, enhancing the fullness of it. This accompaniment that also comes in Ab Major is not at all demanding. Using these rich O mio babbino caro accompaniments you could create one of the most brilliant performances that is pregnant with layers and layers of expressions. Purchase the O mio babbino caro piano accompaniment together with the O mio babbino caro vocal line accompaniment from Lyribox.com today!
Translation
Music is said to be a universal language, but when delivered in your own language the ability to feel and understand the composer’s creation becomes easier. O mio babbino caro, which is ranked as the best known works of Hahn’s for voice has been translated from French to English by Lyribox.com. Enjoy a beautiful masterpiece of Classical music in your mother tongue. Lyribox.com also offers verse-to-verse translation. These music translations are perfect for music schools, students learning classical music and anyone who has a passion for classical western music. Now you can reserve your O mio babbino caro Hahn translation for the lowest price in the market, if your purchase it from this premium online video platform. Besides Lyribox.com has also provided you with two French audio text files of O mio babbino caro. One with a normal tempo and the other with a bit slowed version. Based on your preference you can choose the ideal O mio babbino caro audio file to adopt the right pronunciation and timing. While the text file with the normal tempo will help you with your timing, the slower one will help you catch the correct French words. To get your song perfect, buy the O mio babbino caro audio texts from Lyribox.com now!
