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.
Vissi d'arte
Giacomo Puccini Lyrics
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Con man furtiva
Quante miserie conobbi aiutai.
Sempre con fè sincera
La mia preghiera
Ai santi tabernacoli salì.
Sempre con fè sincera
Diedi fiori agl′altar.
Perché, perché, Signore,
Perché me ne rimuneri così?
Diedi gioielli della Madonna al
Manto, e diedi il canto agli astri, al ciel,
Che ne ridean più belli.
Nell'ora del dolor
Perché, perché, Signor,
Ah, perché me ne rimuneri così?
In Giacomo Puccini's song "Vissi d'arte," the singer expresses her way of life and her experiences. The lyrics begin by stating, "I lived for art, I lived for love, I never harmed a living soul!" This line establishes the singer's commitment to art and the purity of her intentions. She emphasizes that throughout her life, she has always acted with a hidden hand, secretly helping those in need and supporting them in their miseries.
With sincere faith, she presents her prayers at the holy tabernacles and offers flowers to the altars. The singer's devout faith is evident in these actions, along with her dedication to providing beauty and support to her community. She also mentions giving jewels to the Madonna's mantle, symbolizing her reverence for the divine feminine, and singing to the stars and the heavens, who responded by shining even more brightly.
However, in a moment of anguish and pain, the singer questions why she is being rewarded in such a manner. She wonders, "Why, oh Lord, do you repay me like this?" This line reveals the singer's confusion and disappointment in the face of the suffering and hardship she is experiencing. She reflects on the gifts and devotion she has given, only to be left with unanswered questions about the way her life has unfolded.
Ultimately, these lyrics capture the singer's deep commitment to her art and her empathy towards others. They also reflect her unwavering faith and her willingness to offer her talents and resources to uplift others. However, amidst her own personal struggle and hardship, she questions why she is facing such difficulties and seeks understanding from a higher force.
Line by Line Meaning
Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore, non feci mai male ad anima viva!
I lived for art, I lived for love, never harming a living soul!
Con man furtiva
With a secret hand
Quante miserie conobbi aiutai.
How many miseries I knew, I helped.
Sempre con fè sincera
Always with sincere faith
La mia preghiera
My prayer
Ai santi tabernacoli salì.
Ascended to the holy tabernacles.
Sempre con fè sincera
Always with sincere faith
Diedi fiori agl′altar.
I gave flowers to the altar.
Nell'ora del dolore
In the hour of sorrow
Perché, perché, Signore,
Why, why, Lord,
Perché me ne rimuneri così?
Why do you reward me like this?
Diedi gioielli della Madonna al Manto, e diedi il canto agli astri, al ciel,
I gave jewels to Virgin Mary's mantle, and I gave the song to the stars, to the sky,
Che ne ridean più belli.
Which rejoiced in it beautifully.
Nell'ora del dolor
In the hour of pain
Perché, perché, Signor,
Why, why, Lord,
Ah, perché me ne rimuneri così?
Oh, why do you reward me like this?
Contributed by Colin F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Onysha D Collins
Words can't describe this level of beauty.
Beautiful Music Librarian
Onysha D Collins Yes. Puccini's music is glorious ... true genius. Thank you for listening!