He determined his own future at that moment, falling completely under the spell of opera, never to recover. A stipend from a wealthy great-uncle and a scholarship from Queen Margherita herself supported Puccini in his education at the music conservatory in Milan. The great composers Antonio Bazzini and Amilcare Ponchielli taught the young musician; Ponchielli eventually encouraging Puccini's participation in a one-act opera competition sponsored by the publishing house of Sonzogno. Friends of Ponchielli even provided the libretto. Unfortunately, Puccini's first opera, La Villi, didn't take the prize. However, the powerful critic/librettist, Arrigo Boito, raised funds for its performance before appreciative audiences at La Scala and Ricordi published the score. The modest success bolstered Puccini's confidence, but provided little compensation. A second opera, Edgar, failed as the result of a poor libretto. Puccini's persistence was rewarded with the production of Manon Lescaut. Premiered in February 1893 in Turin, the opera proved a resounding triumph. Puccini was suddenly established as a wealthy composer and artistic successor to Maestro Giuseppi Verdi. The two operas that followed, La Bohème and Tosca, achieved success gradually with Bohème peaking after three productions and Tosca, after five years of presentations throughout Europe. |
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