Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) Episode 1 of 5: An Italian Composer
When Italy became a unified country in 1861, a heated debate blew up as to how culture might represent this newly formed nation. Two musicians were to stand out as emblems of that ideology, Verdi and the successor to his crown as Italy's king of opera, Giacomo Puccini. Today, Donald Macleod considers how Puccini's music came to be linked with those ideas.
00:00 Giacomo Puccini Oh mio babbino caro (Gianni Schicchi)
00:01 Giacomo Puccini Gianni Schicchi - Opera In 1 Act [no.3 Of "Il Trittico"] Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Sir Charles Mackerras Singer: Renée Fleming
00:01 Jacques Ibert Saraband for Dulcinea Conductor: Jan Latham-Koenig Orchestra: Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg
00:05 Giacomo Puccini Donna non vidi mai (Manon Lescaut, Act 1)
00:05 Giacomo Puccini Manon Lescaut - Act 1; Donna non vidi mai [Des Grieux] Singer: Mirella Freni Singer: Plácido Domingo Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra Conductor: Giuseppe Sinopoli
00:10 Giacomo Puccini Duet and final scene from Act 1 - Le villi
00:10 Giacomo Puccini Le Villi - Opera Vers. Revised In 2 Acts Singer: Melanie Diener Conductor: Marco Guidarini Choir: French Radio Chorus Singer: Aquiles Machado Orchestra: French Radio Philharmonic Orchestra