Giacomo Puccini was the fifth generation of a musical dynasty in Lucca, destined for a quiet life as a cathedral organist.

But after his father died when Giacomo was just six years old, that lineage was disrupted – and the trajectory of Italian opera was changed forever.

In this season premiere of Lives in Song, host Flora Willson is joined by opera scholar, Ditlev Rindom, to explore the formative years of the man who would bridge the 19th and 20th centuries and take opera into a bold, new age.

We examine the political upheaval of the Risorgimento, the towering influence of Verdi, and the Scapigliatura movement that brought a punk-like energy to Milan’s artistic scene.

Ditlev also introduces us to the upcoming Opera Rara recording of the 1921 version of La rondine, arguing that Puccini’s fear of repeating himself was evident from the very start.

If you love the history of opera and want to support the discovery of rare works, visit the Opera Rara website to learn more.

Puccini is “a composer who has absolute fear of repeating himself, but was always looking for a radically new topic.” — Ditlev Rindom