“Manon Lescaut” is the opera that made Puccini the star of the operatic firmament. The work overwhelms the listener with motifs and melodies and never was he closer to the music of Richard Wagner than here. With “Donna non vidi mai”, the Intermezzo and the Love Duet, Puccini wrote iconic pieces.
“From a musical point of view, Gianni Schicchi is Puccini’s most ingenuous and wittiest score. But that’s not all: As a theatrical oeuvre “Gianni Schicchi” belongs to the most perfect works in the history of Italian operas. Libretto, composition and Comedy form a perfect unity. Gianni Schicchi is a jewel of opera literature is at the height of Puccini’s compositional creativity.” (Uecker, Puccini’s operas)
In his last opera Puccini shows himself at the height of his compositional art. The melodic power of the over 60-year-old had not diminished. On the contrary, he draws from the full, from Liu’s intimate aria to Calaf’s splendid aria, mass scenes and parodic elements, all masterfully resolved.
For Puccini, the Butterfly was “the most soulful, expressive opera he had written”. None of the heroines of the Puccini operas can keep up with Butterfly. No wonder Butterfly is one of the most coveted roles of the sopranos in all opera literature.
This opera offers Puccini at his best. Every detail of this work is masterfully composed and the melodies are passionate and tender. The opera is one of the most performed of the entire opera repertoire.
Love, death and terror. Everything is in this opera. Puccini created three great role portraits which, with gripping duets and famous arias, made “Tosca” one of the most frequently performed operas.
