Giacomo Puccini was an Italian composer widely regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, working in the late Romantic period and the verismo movement that emphasized realistic depictions of everyday life. His enduring masterworks include “La bohème” (1896), “Tosca” (1900), “Madama Butterfly” (1904), and the posthumously completed “Turandot” (1926), left unfinished at his death. His music combined accessible, richly melodic vocal writing with sophisticated, innovative orchestration.

Puccini’s operas remain among the most performed in the world — three of his works rank among the ten most frequently staged operas globally — and his influence extends beyond classical music into popular culture, inspiring works such as the musical “Rent” and albums like Weezer’s “Pinkerton.”

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giacomo_Puccini