Giacomo PUCCINI  (1858 – 1924)

On December 22^nd it will be the 150^th anniversary of Puccini’s birth. We have a great range of images including Amilcare Ponchielli with whom he studied composition, a copy of the programme from his first one act opera  Le Villi (1882) and his second opera Edgar (1889). His first great success was his third opera Manon Lescaut (1893) followed by La Boheme (1896), Tosca (1900), Madame Butterfly (1904), La Fanciulla del West (1910), La Rondine (1917) and Gianni Schicchi (1918). Turandot, his final opera, was not finished and at its premiere performance in April 1926 the conductor, Arturo Toscanini, on reaching the point where Puccini had completed the score, is said to have stopped the orchestra and turned to the audience saying ‘Here the opera finished, because at this point the Maestro died'.

 
Getting  A-head!

In our last Newsletter we presented a new service of head shots covering A-D. This time we have included E-I but the rest of the alphabet is on its way. If you need to find something sooner do please give us a call.

Harrison Birtwistle’s new production THE MINOTAUR premieres April 15^th at the Royal Opera House. 
Click here for our HB picture archive