Puccini: Italy mourns the loss of his master of melodies on the 100th anniversary

Puccini: Italy mourns the loss of his master of melodies on the 100th anniversary

ROM - A dramatic chapter in music history was written 100 years ago when Giacomo Puccini, the drama's Maestro, died of larynx cancer at the age of 65. The composer who enchanted Italy and the world with its unforgettable operas left this world far from his homeland in Brussels. The grief for his death was overwhelming: hundreds of thousands accompanied his coffin in Milan, while the requiem he wrote himself sounded in the church. A loss that beat deep wounds in Italy!

Puccini's masterpieces, including “Tosca”, “La Bohème” and “Madame Butterfly”, are still an integral part of the opera repertoire. His arias like "Nessun Dorma" and "Oh Mio Babbino Caro" even touch the hearts of those who can do little with opera. The topics, love and death, paired with a pinch of kitsch, make his works timeless and unforgettable. Puccini, born in a family of musicians in Tuscany, showed his talent early on and quickly became the richest musician of his time. His assets are estimated at over 200 million euros, and his name guarantees good business to this day.

a legacy, that remains

The hometown Lucca honors her most famous son with an impressive monument and numerous catering companies named after his operas. On the occasion of his 100th day of death, “Tosca” is listed in many opera houses, and the Teatro del Giglio in Lucca is also committed to commemoration. Puccini's influence extends far beyond music: from perfumes to souvenirs - his name is a trademark that still shines today.

But not everything was sunshine. Puccini's last opera “Turandot” remained unfinished, and at her premiere in 1926 the conductor Arturo Toscanini broke out the performance at the point where Puccini left his last grades. A dramatic end for a master who wanted to make people cry. "I always carried a big bundle of melancholy with me," said Puccini about himself. His tragic heroines and the emotional depth of his works will live on forever in the hearts of people.