Giacomo Puccini was one of the most celebrated composers of Italian opera, known for his masterpieces such as La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot. He was also the last representative of a musical dynasty that spanned two centuries in his native Lucca. But how did he die, and what were the circumstances of his death?
A Life of Music and Passion
Puccini was born on December 22, 1858, in Lucca, Tuscany, as the sixth of nine children of Michele Puccini and Albina Magi. His father was a composer and organist who died when Puccini was only six years old, leaving the family in poverty. Puccini inherited his father’s musical talent and ambition, and decided to pursue a career in opera after seeing a performance of Verdi’s Aida in 1876. He studied at the Milan Conservatory, where he composed his first opera, Le villi, which was premiered in 1884 with the help of his friends and patrons.
Puccini’s career took off with his next opera, Manon Lescaut, which was a huge success in 1893. He followed it with a series of operas that established him as the leading composer of verismo, a style of opera that depicted the realistic and often tragic lives of ordinary people. His most popular works include La Bohème (1896), Tosca (1900), Madama Butterfly (1904), and La fanciulla del West (1910). He also composed some lesser-known operas, such as La rondine (1917), Il trittico (1918), and Gianni Schicchi (1918).
Puccini’s personal life was also full of drama and romance. He married Elvira Gemignani in 1884, after she divorced her husband, with whom she had a son. Puccini and Elvira had a daughter, Antonia, in 1887. However, Puccini was not faithful to his wife, and had several affairs with different women. One of them was Doria Manfredi, a young maid who worked for the Puccinis. Elvira became jealous and accused Doria of having an affair with Puccini, which led to Doria’s suicide in 1909. Puccini was sued by Doria’s family for defamation, and had to pay a large sum of money to settle the case. He also had to deal with the guilt and remorse of his involvement in Doria’s death.
A Fatal Diagnosis and a Tragic End
In 1923, Puccini was diagnosed with throat cancer, which was probably caused by his heavy smoking habit. He decided to undergo an experimental treatment of radium therapy, which was supposed to shrink the tumor and preserve his voice. He traveled to Brussels, Belgium, where he received the treatment at a clinic. However, the treatment did not work, and the cancer spread to his lungs and heart. He then agreed to have surgery, which was performed on November 24, 1924, by the famous surgeon Vincent Czerny.
The surgery was risky and complicated, and Puccini suffered from severe bleeding and infection. He died of a heart attack on November 29, 1924, at the age of 65. His death was mourned by millions of fans and admirers around the world, who considered him the greatest composer of Italian opera after Verdi. His funeral was held in Milan, where his body was buried at the Monumental Cemetery. Later, his remains were transferred to his villa in Torre del Lago, where he had spent most of his life and composed many of his operas.
Puccini left behind an unfinished opera, Turandot, which he had been working on since 1920. He had completed most of the music, but not the final scene, which he had trouble finding a suitable ending for. He left some sketches and notes for his collaborators, the librettists Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni, who tried to complete the opera after his death. The opera was premiered in 1926 at La Scala, with the conductor Arturo Toscanini. When the opera reached the point where Puccini had stopped composing, Toscanini laid down his baton and said: “Here the opera ends, because at this point the maestro died.” He then resumed the performance with the ending composed by Franco Alfano, based on Puccini’s sketches. Turandot became one of Puccini’s most popular and acclaimed operas, especially for its famous aria “Nessun dorma”.
Conclusion
Giacomo Puccini was a genius of opera, who created some of the most beautiful and memorable music in the history of the art form. He also lived a passionate and turbulent life, marked by love, betrayal, success, and tragedy. He died of cancer, leaving behind a legacy of masterpieces that continue to enchant and move audiences around the world. His cause of death was a heart attack, caused by surgical complications, but his spirit lives on in his music.
