Puccini was born in Lucca, Italy into a family with a long history of music. After the death of his father when he was only five years old, he was sent to study with his uncle Fortunato Magi, who considered him to be a poor and undisciplined student. Later, he took the position of church organist and choir master, but it was not until he saw a performance of Verdi's Aida that he became inspired to be an opera composer. He and a friend walked an entire 18.5 miles (30 Kilometers) to see the performance in Pisa. In 1880, Puccini travelled to the Conservatory of Music in Milan to begin his career by studying composition with Amilcare Ponchielli.
In 1880, the Messa composed at the age of 21, marked the end of Puccini's apprenticeship as a composer and the culmination of his family's long association with church music in his native Lucca. (Note: This name normally applies only to a "Gloria" mass, setting the opening two prayers of the Catholic Mass, the Kyrie and the Gloria. However, the Messa is a setting of the full Catholic Mass.) The work offers fascinating glimpses of the dramatic power that Puccini was soon to unleash on Milan's stages; the powerful arias for tenor and bass soloists are certainly more operatic in feel than is usually encountered in church music. The orchestration and the overall feeling of drama conveyed by his music establish a dialogue with Verdi's Requiem and perhaps already constitute a prediction of the future operatic career Puccini would embrace for life.
From 1880 to 1883 he studied at the Milan Conservatory under Ponchielli and Antonio Bazzini. In 1882, Puccini entered a competition for a one-act opera. Although he did not win, Le Villi was later staged in 1884 at the Teatro dal Verme; it also caught the attention of Giulio Ricordi, head of G. Ricordi & Co. music publishers, who commissioned a second opera, Edgar (1889).
From 1891 on, Puccini passed more and more of his time at Torre del Lago, in the Tuscan countryside. In this place on the border of the Massaciuccoli lake, where he passed lots of time hunting, he found refuge from the crowded city. Later he built a villa and moved there definitively in 1900. It was to remain his home and workplace until the very last years of his life. He is buried in the villa's chapel.
Tosca: Act 3: E Lucevan Le Stelle
Giacomo Puccini Lyrics
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Ed olezzava la terra
Stridea l′uscio dell'orto
E un passo sfiorava la rena
Entrava ella, fragrante
Mi cadea fra le braccia
Oh, dolci baci, oh languide carezze
Le belle forme disciogliea dai veli!
Svanì per sempre il sogno mio d'amore
L'ora è fuggita
E muoio disperato!
E muoio disperato!
E non ho amato mai tanto la vita!
Tanto la vita
The song "E Lucevan Le Stelle" is a powerful aria from Puccini's opera Tosca, and it is sung by the character Cavaradossi as he laments his impending death. The scene takes place in his cell, where he has been imprisoned and is awaiting execution. The first verse describes his surroundings - the stars shining and the scent of the earth - and the sound of the garden gate opening before his lover, Tosca arrives. He describes her as "fragrant" and falls into her arms as he sings about their sweet kisses and tender caresses.
The second verse depicts the heartbreaking realization that his dream of love is about to come to an end. He laments the passing of time, noting that the hour has escaped him, and his despair is palpable as he declares that he is dying in desperation. The final line expresses his love for life, which he has never loved more, as he faces the end of it.
Overall, the song is a moving expression of love and loss, with the themes of despair and passion resonating throughout. The powerful vocals and melodic score add to the emotional impact of the aria.
Line by Line Meaning
E lucevan le stelle
The stars were shining
Ed olezzava la terra
And the earth was fragrant
Stridea l′uscio dell'orto
The gate creaked in the garden
E un passo sfiorava la rena
And a footstep brushed against the sand
Entrava ella, fragrante
She entered fragrantly
Mi cadea fra le braccia
She fell into my arms
Oh, dolci baci, oh languide carezze
Oh, sweet kisses, oh languid caresses
Mentr′io fremente
While I was trembling
Le belle forme disciogliea dai veli!
I was unveiling her beautiful form!
Svanì per sempre il sogno mio d'amore
My dream of love vanished forever
L'ora è fuggita
The hour has fled
E muoio disperato!
And I die in despair!
E non ho amato mai tanto la vita!
And I never loved life so much!
Tanto la vita
So much life
Writer(s): Puccini, Giacosa, Illica
Contributed by Julia L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.