CHRONOLOGY

 

YEAR

PERSONAL
MUSICAL
1858 Born on December 22th at Lucca
 
1860 Elvira Bonturi, his future wife, is born at Monza
 
1863 Begins playing organ with his father
1864 His father dies on February 18th
 
1865 First music lessons with Fortunato Magi and Carlo Angeloni
 
1868 Sings in the choruses of San Martino and San Michele at Lucca
 
1872 Organist in churches
 
1874
First composition for organ
Enter the Instituto Musical Pacini at Lucca
 
1876 Goes to Pisa on foot to see Verdi's Aida
"Preludio sinfonico in A major"
"Preludio sinfonico in e minor"
"Mottetto e Credo"
1877
 
Submits "I figli d'Italia bella" to a composition contest. The cantata is rejected because of deficiencies in compositorial techniques and his smudgy writing
1878
 
Performance of the Motett and the Misa for four voices in a concert of the students of the Instituto musical
1880  

Friendship with Pietro Mascagni.

 
Entrance examination to the Milan Conservatory
Begins his composition study with Bazzini.
"Salve delcielregina", "Messa", "Trio", "Finale" and "Composizioni varie per organo"
1881
 
Second course, with Ponchielli
"Melanconía" and "Allorch'io sarò morto"
1882 "Noi Legger" and "Spirit Gentil"
1883
 
Submits "Le Villi" to the competition for a one act opera announced by Sonzogno
Première of "Capriccio sinfonico" in the Milan Conservatory
Finishes his studies.
"Scherzo",  Quarteto", "Fughe", "Adagietto", "Storiella d'amore" and "Romanza"
1884
His mother dies
Begins living together with Elvira
Première of "Le Villi"
Performs "Capriccio sinfonico" at the fair of Turin
Ricordi commissions "Edgar"
Premiére of the new version of "Le Villi"
1885
 
"Le Villi" in la Scala
1886 His son Antonio is born at Monza
 
1887
 
Completes "Edgar"
1888 "Solfeggi" and "Sole e amore"
1889
Period of personal crisis
First time in Torre del Lago
First journey to Germany, hears "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" in Bayreuth 
Première of "Edgar"
First sketches for "Tosca"
1890
 
First sketches for "Manon Lescaut"
"Crisantemi" for string quartet
"Tre Minuetti"
1891 First house at Torre del Lago, house of Venanzio First professional contact with Luigi Illica
1892
Trip to Spain
His brother Michele dies in Argentina
Travel to Hamburg
 
 
 
New version of "Edgar" 
Performance of "Edgar" in the Teatro Real in Madrid
Finishes "Manon Lescaut"
First performance of "Le Villi" in Hamburg, Stadttheater
1893 Bought a house in Torre del Lago
Première of "Manon Lescaut"
First allusion to "La Bohème"
First performance of "Manon Lescaut" in Hamburg, Stadttheater
1894
Trip to Vienna
Journey to Sicily. Meets Giovanni Verga (la Lupa) in Catania
Composition of "La Bohème"  
1895
 
Completes "La Bohème" in Torre del Lago
1896
New house in Chiatri
Première of "La Bohème"
"La Bohème" in Palermo
Composition of "Tosca"
"Scozza elettrice"
1897
Trip to Vienna
"La Bohème" in the Teatro Costanzi, Rome
"La Bohème" in Berlin
"Cantata a Giove" and "Inno a Diana"
1898
Travel to Paris
Visite to Sardou
"La Bohème" in Paris
1899
Trip to Paris
Conversation with Sardou (Tosca)
Finishes "Tosca"
1900
Travels to London
Goes to a performance of the play "Madama Butterfly"
Construction of a house in Torre del Lago
Première of "Tosca"
"Tosca" in la Scala
"Tosca" in London
"E l'uccellino" and "Avanti,Urania"
1901 Moves into his new house at Torre del Lago
"Tosca" at the Met
Composition of "Madama Butterfly"
1902
 
"Tosca" at the Dresden Opera House
"Terra e mare"
1903
Car accident near Lucca
Travel to Paris
Convalescence
"Tosca" in the Opéra Comique
"La Bohème" in Vienna
Completes "Madama Butterfly"
1904
Marriage to Elvira in Torre del Lago
Trip to London
Première of "Madama Butterfly" in la Scala
"Madama Butterfly" revised version in the Teatro Grande in Brescia
"Manon Lescaut" and "Tosca" in Covent Garden
1905
Travels to Argentina with Elvira
Trip to London
Friendship with Sybil Seligman
"Requiem" in memory of Verdi
"Edgar", "Manon Lescaut", "La Bohème", "Tosca" and "Madama Butterfly" in the Teatro Colón
"Madama Butterfly" at Covent Garden
First plans to compose "Trittico"
1906
Giuseppe Giacosa dies
Trip to Paris
"Madama Butterfly" in the Opéra Comique
1907
First trip to New York
Sees a performance of Belasco's play "The Girl of the Golden West"
Trip to London
Breaks off professional relations with Luigi Illica
"Madama Butterfly", "Manon Lescaut", "La Bohème", and "Tosca" at the Met
"Madama Butterfly" in Berlin
"Canto d'animo"
1908
Trip to Egypt with Elvira
Meets Strauss in Naples
Creative crisis, trouble with Elvira because of Doria Manfredi
Gets away to Paris, Elvira stays with her mother
Composition of "La Fanciulla del West"
"Ditele"
1909
Doria commits suicide
The Puccinis separate temporarily. Puccini in Rome and Elvira in Milan
Creative crisis
Trip to Paris
 

 

1910
Elvira returns to Torre del Lago
Travels to New York with his son Antonio and Tito Ricordi
Completes "La Fanciulla del West"
Première of  "La Fanciulla del West"
"Due Pezzi"
1911
 
"La Fanciulla del West" at Covent Garden
"La Fanciulla del West" in the Teatro Costanzi, Rome
Criticism of Torrefranca and Pratella
1912
Giulio Ricordi dies
Ramelda, his sister, dies
Cure in Karlsbad
Trip to Marseilles
"La Fanciulla del West" in Marseilles
1913
Trip to Berlin
Trip to Paris
Trip to Vienna
"La Fanciulla del West" in Berlin
Compostion of "Il Tabarro"
"La Fanciulla del West" in Vienna
Proposal of the Karltheater to compose the operetta "La Rondine"
1914
Trip to Vienna
Begin of World War I 
"Tosca" in Vienna
Composition of "La Rondine"
1915 Italy enters the War Revises "Il Tabarro"
1916
 
Completes "La Rondine"
Finishes "Il Tabarro"
1917
 
Composition of "Suor Angelica"
Composition of "Gianni Schicchi"
Première of "La Rondine"
Completes "Suor Angelica"
"La Rondine" in the Teatro Dal Verme, Milan
1918
 
Finishes "Il Trittico"
Première of "Il Trittico" at the Met
"Morire"
1919
Trip to London
Peace agreement
Cure in Bagni di Lucca
Luigi Illica dies
 
Première of "Il Trittico" in the Teatro Costanza, Rome
First draft of "Turandot"
"L'Inno a Roma" for chrous and orchestra (second version)
1920
Illness, cure in Bagni di Lucca
Trip to Vienna (Puccini's month)
Fight with Toscanini
"Il Trittico" in Vienna, Staatsoper
1921
Construction of a house in Viareggio
Move to Viareggio, Via Buonarotti
 

 

"Il Trittico" in  Hamburg
Begins "Turandot"
1922
Travels by car to Switzerland, south of Germany and Holland
Breaks various bones, operation
His sister, Iginia, dies
Reconciliation with Toscanini
"Manon Lescaut" in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of la Scala, Milan
1923
Travels by car with Antonio to Vienna
Meets Schönberg in Florence 
Meets Mussolini in Rome
"Manon Lescaut" in Staatsoper
1924
First signs of his fatal disease
Pains in the throat and lost of breath
Sybil in Viareggio
Toscanini visits him at Viareggio
Is diagnosed with throat cancer
Trip to Celle
Toscanini and Forzano's last visit at Viareggio
Trip to Brussels with Antonio, Fosca and Clausetti.
Is sent to Dr. Ledoux's Institut de la Couronne
November 24th: Operation
November 28th: heart failure
November 29th: at 11:30 in the morning the maestro dies
December 1st: Mass in Brussels
Is moved to Milan
December 3rd: funeral in the Cathedral of Milan with the funeral musica of "Edgar"
Sees the performance of "Madama Butterfly" in Brussels
Leaves various pages of draft of the last two scenes of Turandot
Alfano is entrusted with the completion of "Turandot"
1925
 
Alfano begins "Turandot"
1926 Final burial in Torre del Lago Premiére of  "Turandot"
1929 His granddaughter, Simonetta, is born in Pisa  
1930 His wife, Elvira, dies  
1946 His son, Antonio Puccini, dies  
1968 Fosca Crespi, dies  
1980
 
New performance of "Requiem"
1982
 
First performance of "Turandot" in London

 

December 22th 2000 / English version June 2001

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