Giacomo Puccini
22 December 1858 — 29 November 1924
Giacomo Puccini (1858–1924) was one of the leading Italian opera composers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His operas — including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot — remain among the most frequently performed works in the operatic repertoire. Many of his arias, such as “Che gelida manina,” “O mio babbino caro,” and “Nessun dorma,” have become internationally famous beyond the opera stage.
Operas
| Opera | Premiere or date of written | Libretti available |
|---|---|---|
| Le Villi | 1884, May 31 | italian, english |
| Edgar | 1889, April 21 | |
| Manon Lescaut | 1893, February 1 | italian, german, english, french |
La bohème  |
1896, February 1 | italian, german, english, french |
| Tosca |
1900, January 14 | italian, german, english, french |
| Madama Butterfly |
1904, February 17 | italian, german, english, french |
| La fanciulla del West | 1910, December 10 | italian, russian |
| Il trittico (Il tabarro, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi) | 1918, December 14 | italian, german, english |
| Turandot |
1926, April 25 | italian, german, english, french, russian |
History
| May 31, 1884 | Premiere of Giacomo Puccini's first opera, 'Le Villi', at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan. |
| September 5, 1891 | A substantially revised version of Giacomo Puccini's "Edgar" was performed at the Teatro del Giglio in Lucca after the unsuccessful original production at La Scala. |
| February 1, 1893 | World premiere (first performance) of Giacomo Puccini’s opera "Manon Lescaut" at Teatro Regio, Turin. |
| August 29, 1894 | Giacomo Puccini's "Manon Lescaut" received its United States premiere at the Grand Opera House in Philadelphia, marking the first performance of a Puccini opera in the United States. |
| February 1, 1896 | World premiere (first performance) of Giacomo Puccini’s opera "La bohème" at Teatro Regio, Turin (conducted by Arturo Toscanini). |
| June 16, 1896 | Puccini’s "La bohème" received its first performance outside Italy at the Teatro de la Ópera in Buenos Aires. |
| March 27, 1897 | World premiere of Giacomo Puccini’s opera "La bohème" in its first Russian production at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. |
| October 2, 1897 | Giacomo Puccini's "La bohème" received its Royal Opera House premiere at Covent Garden, performed by the Carl Rosa Company. |
| May 16, 1898 | "La bohème" received its New York premiere at Wallack's Theatre. |
| July 1, 1899 | "La bohème" entered the Royal Italian Opera repertory at Covent Garden with Nellie Melba as Mimì. |
| July 12, 1900 | Puccini's "Tosca" received its Covent Garden premiere in London, with the composer present. |
| February 4, 1901 | U.S. premiere of Giacomo Puccini’s "Tosca" at the Metropolitan Opera (New York). |
| May 28, 1904 | Puccini's revised version of "Madama Butterfly" was staged in Brescia, where it became a major success after the failed La Scala premiere. |
| July 7, 1904 | First performance of Puccini’s "Madama Butterfly" outside Italy, staged in Buenos Aires under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. |
| March 18, 2003 | Premiere at the Royal Opera House of the Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier production of Puccini’s "Madama Butterfly". |
| April 14, 2025 | Performance of 'La rondine' by Giacomo Puccini at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy. |
| May 4, 2025 | Seattle Opera stages Puccini's 'Tosca' at McCaw Hall. |
| May 4, 2025 | Lyric Opera of Kansas City stages Puccini's 'Turandot' at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. |
