Puccini Concert Dec08 - Mengenal Puccini

Though Giacomo Puccini is famous for his contribution to the world of opera through such works as La Boheme, Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Turandot, he actually began his musical career playing and composing church music.

The son of a well known composer and organist, he followed the family tradition, becoming organist of San Martino in Lucca, Italy, at the age of 14.

As his musical studies progressed, it was clear that young Giacomo had leanings towards operatic writing and possessed the talent to become one of the world's greatest operatic composers - one need look no further than the Messa di Gloria itself for evidence of such promise!. Puccini himself wrote: "the Almighty touched me with his little finger and said, 'Write for the theatre - mind, only for the theatre!'"

http://www.halifaxchoralsociety.co.uk/mdigloria.html