Puccini, Giacomo 1858-1924

La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini ( Recording )
2,679 editions published between 1830 and 2011 in 16 languages and held by 4,398 libraries worldwide
The story of La bohème is the epitome of young starving artists whose lifestyles and escapades gave us the Bohemian genre. A notion of the poverty in which they are developing their artistic talents is evident from the very first scene as painter Marcello and poet Rodolfo try to keep warm by burning pages from Rodolfo's latest drama. Set in 1830s Paris, we follow the love between Mimi and Rodolfo as the young artists experience triumphs and tragedies.

Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini ( Recording )
2,039 editions published between 1882 and 2011 in 16 languages and held by 4,316 libraries worldwide
Madama Butterfly is a story of love betrayed, the innocent Japanese heroine of the title deserted by her faithless American husband and finally driven to suicide.

Tosca by Giacomo Puccini ( Recording )
2,225 editions published between 1800 and 2011 in 17 languages and held by 3,553 libraries worldwide
The story of the love between Tosca, a singer and Cavaradossi, a painter which through the intervention of the cruel and lustful police chief, Baron Scarpia ends tragically for all concerned.

Turandot by Giacomo Puccini ( Recording )
1,082 editions published between 1199 and 2011 in 14 languages and held by 3,027 libraries worldwide
Set in Peking, Princess Turandot will become the bride of the royal suitor who can successfully answer three riddles. Unsuccessful suitors lose not only the hand of the princess, but their heads as well.

Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini ( Recording )
815 editions published between 1892 and 2011 in 14 languages and held by 2,411 libraries worldwide
The Chevalier des Grieux meets and seduces the young Manon when she is being escorted by her brother to a convent. Manon lives with des Grieux in Paris, but leaves him for a rich admirer. She is later arrested, charged with prostitution, and deported to Louisiana. Des Grieux accompanies her and during an escape attempt she dies in his arms.

La fanciulla del West by Giacomo Puccini ( Recording )
558 editions published between 1900 and 9999 in 9 languages and held by 2,022 libraries worldwide
Minnie, at The Polka saloon, is respected and in her turn helpful to the rough clientele of the bar, miners who drink and gamble. Posters advertise a reward for the capture of the wanted bandit Ramerrez. Jack Rance, the sheriff is in love with her and is rough with Dick Johnson, who now comes into the bar, recognised and vouched for by Minnie. Ramerrez, alias Dick Johnson, has been betrayed by a former mistress, but now a bandit attack on the camp is planned. Later in the evening Johnson visits Minnie's hut, to eat there and sleep there for the night. When a group of men come to see if she is safe, they show her the picture of Ramerrez, now identified as Johnson, who has hidden at their arrival. Leaving, he is shot, but staggers in again and is hidden in the loft by Minnie, who denies his presence to Rance. Johnson's presence is revealed by drops of blood and now Minnie gambles with Rance, her love against Johnson's life, cheating to win the game. In the third act Johnson is caught and is about to be hanged when Minnie intervenes, successfully begging his life and freedom, and finally leaving together with him.

Gianni Schicchi by Giacomo Puccini ( )
440 editions published between 1917 and 2009 in 11 languages and held by 1,977 libraries worldwide
In order to retrieve an inheritance so that his daughter can marry, Gianni Schicchi commits a mortal sin.

Il trittico by Giacomo Puccini ( Book )
249 editions published between 1918 and 2010 in 8 languages and held by 1,861 libraries worldwide
In Il Tabarro an act of murder is the resolution for passion, infidelity and jealousy. Suor Angelica treats the banishment to a convent of a noblewoman who gives birth to a child without benefit of marriage and when she learns of the child's death commits suicide. In Gianni Schicchi the greedy family of a dying wealthy man conspires with a lawyer to obtain the dying man's wealth only to be doublecrossed by the lawyer.

Puccini's Suor Angelica by Giacomo Puccini ( Book )
306 editions published between 1918 and 2009 in 8 languages and held by 1,696 libraries worldwide

Puccini's La Rondine The Swallow by Giacomo Puccini ( Recording )
224 editions published between 1917 and 2010 in 7 languages and held by 1,672 libraries worldwide
La Rondine: Commedia lirica in tre atti. Libretto: Giuseppe Adami.