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: E lucevan le stelle
Giacomo Puccini Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E olezzava la terra
Stridea l'uscio dell'orto
E un passo sfiorava la rena
Entrava elle fragrante
Mi cadea fra le braccia
Oh dolci baci, o languide carezze
Mentr' io fremente
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 lyrics of Giacomo Puccini's song "E lucevan le stelle" from the opera Tosca depict a scene of intense emotion and longing. The singer, Cavaradossi, is reflecting on the beauty of the stars and the intoxicating scent of the earth. As he stands in the garden, he hears the creak of the gate and footsteps approaching. His lover, Tosca, enters, her fragrance filling the air. Overcome with passion, he embraces her, yearning for sweet kisses and tender caresses. In this moment, he releases her from her graceful attire. However, his dream of love quickly fades away forever, as time slips away. He is overwhelmed with despair, knowing that he is about to die. In his final moments, he laments that he has never loved life so much.
Overall, "E lucevan le stelle" is a poignant reflection on the transience of love and the fleeting nature of life. The lyrics convey the intense emotions experienced by the singer, as he is both enraptured by his love for Tosca and consumed by his impending death.
Line by Line Meaning
E lucevan le stelle
And the stars were shining brightly
E olezzava la terra
And the earth was filled with fragrance
Stridea l'uscio dell'orto
The gate of the garden creaked
E un passo sfiorava la rena
And a footstep brushed the sand
Entrava elle fragrante
She entered fragrantly
Mi cadea fra le braccia
She fell into my arms
Oh dolci baci, o languide carezze
Oh sweet kisses, oh languid caresses
Mentr' io fremente
While I was trembling
Le belle forme disciogliea dai veli
I unveiled her beautiful figure
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 have never loved life so much
Tanto la vita
So much life
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sandrotonini1
E lucevan le stelle,
Ed olezzava la terra
Stridea l'uscio dell'orto
E un passo sfiorava la rena.
Entrava ella fragrante,
Mi cadea fra la braccia.
O dolci baci, o languide carezze,
Mentr'io fremente 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!
@deutschegrammophon
What's your most favourite Puccini aria?
@eieieiie
This one
@dfc6627
Un bel dì vedremo 🤩
@zavarzak
This one!
@claudiacernigoi8203
This one!
@volkermarchal2687
This one
@Khazira1
Пласидо Доминго - лучший исполнитель этой арии. Так тонко чувствовать и выразить голосом может только он.
@stefanklaer5013
Ich bekomme jedesmal Gänsehaut wenn ich Placido diese Arie singen höre.
@carmeng5421
I do too, actually i cry when hearing this. I took my daughter to see this opera years ago, and she knew what was coming so she held my hand.
@juliennegeorgi3922
So do I.
Absolutely ‼️‼️
King of Opera 👑
I prefer his voice.👏🏻👍🏻
For me much more masculine than the voice of LP.
Bravoooooooo Maestro ‼️