Puccini: Orchestral Music (SACD)

Giacomo Puccini is considered one of the greatest opera composers of all time, and his early works - before 'Manon Lescaut' catapulted him to international fame - offer a fascinating insight into his development as a composer. John Wilson and the Sinfonia of London explore this repertoire with their characteristic style and commitment, taking us on a journey through student compositions and orchestral excerpts from his earliest operas. From 1880 to 1883 he studied with Amilcare Ponchielli at the Milan Conservatory and created the "Preludio sinfonico" (freely adapted from Richard Wagner's prelude to "Lohengrin"), the Scherzo, Trio and Adagetto as well as the "Capriccio sinfonico", his final piece, which famously anticipates the opening of "La Bohème" by a decade. The one-act opera "Le villi" was composed for a competition organized by the publisher Sonzogno (Puccini did not win), while themes from the simultaneously composed "Tre minuetti" and "Crisantemi" (both for string quartet) were later reused in "Manon Lescaut". Giuseppe Verdi's publisher Ricordi bought the rights to "Le villi" and commissioned a new work at the same time: "Edgar", which is probably Puccini's only failure, mainly due to its absurd plot, although it contains some mature pieces of music that are in no way inferior to the more famous scores.