An Italian Composer
Donald Macleod explores how Puccini's music came to be linked with the ideas of the new unified Italy, as well as how the opera Manon Lescaut made his name and fortune.
When Italy became a unified country in 1861, a heated debate blew up as to how culture might represent this newly formed nation. Two musicians were to stand out as emblems of that ideology, Verdi and the successor to his crown as Italy's king of opera, Giacomo Puccini. Today, Donald Macleod considers how Puccini's music came to be linked with those ideas.
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Giacomo Puccini
Oh mio babbino caro (Gianni Schicchi)
Performer: Renee Fleming (soprano) Performer: London Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Charles Mackerras
- Decca: B0001024-02.
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Giacomo Puccini
Gianni Schicchi - Opera In 1 Act [no.3 Of "Il Trittico"]
Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Mackerras. Singer: Renée Fleming.- DECCA : 467-049-2.
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Jacques Ibert
Saraband for Dulcinea
Conductor: Jan Latham-Koenig. Orchestra: Orchestre philharmonique de Strasbourg.- AVIE.
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Giacomo Puccini
Gianni Schicchi - Opera In 1 Act [no.3 Of "Il Trittico"]
Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Mackerras. Singer: Renée Fleming.- DECCA : 467-049-2.
- DECCA.
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Giacomo Puccini
Donna non vidi mai (Manon Lescaut, Act 1)
Performer: Placido Domingo (Des Grieux) Performer: Philharmonia Orchestra Conductor: Giuseppe Sinopoli
- DG:413 893-2.
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Giacomo Puccini
Manon Lescaut - Act 1; Donna non vidi mai [Des Grieux]
Singer: Mirella Freni. Singer: Plácido Domingo. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Giuseppe Sinopoli.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 413-893 2.
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
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Giacomo Puccini
Manon Lescaut - Act 1; Donna non vidi mai [Des Grieux]
Singer: Mirella Freni. Singer: Plácido Domingo. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Giuseppe Sinopoli.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 413-893 2.
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
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Giacomo Puccini
Duet and final scene from Act 1 - Le villi
Performer: Melanie Diener (Anna) Performer: Aquiles Machando (Roberto) Performer: Ludovic Tezier (Guglielmo) Performer: Radio France Chorus Performer: Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Marco Guidarini
- Naïve:V4958.
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Giacomo Puccini
Le Villi - Opera Vers. Revised In 2 Acts
Singer: Melanie Diener. Conductor: Marco Guidarini. Choir: French Radio Chorus. Singer: Aquiles Machado. Orchestra: French Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.- NAIVE RECORDS : V-4958.
- NAIVE RECORDS.
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Giacomo Puccini
Le Villi - Opera Vers. Revised In 2 Acts
Singer: Melanie Diener. Conductor: Marco Guidarini. Choir: French Radio Chorus. Singer: Aquiles Machado. Orchestra: French Radio Philharmonic Orchestra.- NAIVE RECORDS : V-4958.
- NAIVE RECORDS.
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Giacomo Puccini
Manon Lescaut (Act 2)
Performer: Mirella Freni (Manon) Performer: Renato Bruson (Lescaut) Performer: Philharmonia Orchestra Conductor: Giuseppe Sinopoli
- DG:413 893-2.
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Giacomo Puccini
Manon Lescaut - Extract
Singer: Mirella Freni. Singer: Plácido Domingo. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Giuseppe Sinopoli.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 413-893 2.
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
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Giacomo Puccini
Manon Lescaut - Extract
Singer: Mirella Freni. Singer: Plácido Domingo. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Giuseppe Sinopoli.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 413-893 2.
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
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Giacomo Puccini
Manon Lescaut Act 3 (complete)
Performer: Placido Domingo (Des Grieux) Performer: Renato Bruson (Lescaut) Performer: Mirella Freni (Manon) Performer: Handel Thomas (Sergente) Performer: John Tomlinson (Comandante) Conductor: Giuseppe Sinopoli
- DG: 413 893-2.
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Giacomo Puccini
Manon Lescaut - Extract
Singer: John Tomlinson. Singer: Mirella Freni. Singer: Handel Thomas. Singer: Plácido Domingo. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Singer: Renato Bruson. Conductor: Giuseppe Sinopoli.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 413-893 2.
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
- 6.
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Giacomo Puccini
Manon Lescaut - Extract
Singer: John Tomlinson. Singer: Mirella Freni. Singer: Handel Thomas. Singer: Plácido Domingo. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Singer: Renato Bruson. Conductor: Giuseppe Sinopoli.- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON : 413-893 2.
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
- 6.
Broadcasts
- Mon 1 Apr 2013 12:00BBC Radio 3
- Mon 29 Jun 2015 12:00BBC Radio 3
- Mon 29 Jun 2015 18:30BBC Radio 3
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