Of the ten remaining operas he would compose in his lifetime, four would be among the most performed operas of all time- La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot. The new commission, Edgar, was a disaster, but with Le villi and Edgar done, Puccini had completed his apprenticeship. In 1884, Ricordi purchased the copyright to Le villi and commissioned a new work from Puccini.

Giulio Ricordi, the internationally famous head of Sonzogno’s major competitor, liked it. Le villi was not a complete loss for Puccini, though. In 1882, he produced his first opera, Le villi, for a competition sponsored by the Italian music publisher Sonzogno. In 1880, Giacomo entered the Milan Conservatory.

It soon became clear that the young musician was talented, and equally clear that opera was his calling. After the death of his father, Giacomo was sent, at the age of five, to study with his uncle, Fortunato Magi, an accomplished organist and teacher. Giacomo Puccini was born in the Tuscan town of Lucca, where his family had a long musical history.

Puccini opera