Merry Puccinimas!!!! 150 Years of the Italian Master

(Title lovingly taken from the FaceBook event titled "Puccinimas" which I thought very clever.)

HAPPY 150th BIRTHDAY TO PUCCINI!!!!!
In honor of this GENIUS's birthday, I will present an assortment of my favorite moments in Puccini operas.
One of my favorite things about Puccini is that you can hear a simple chord progression or a rhythm and immediately say "Oh, that is so Puccini!" What would we do without his melodrama?

Che il bel sogno di Doretta from La Rondine
Donna non vidi mai from Manon Lescaut
Act 4 Duet from Manon Lescaut
Ch'ella Mi Creda from La Fanciulla del West
Un Bel Di from Madama Butterfly
The Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly
Si Mi Chiamano Mimi from La Boheme
Che Gelida Manina from La Boheme
O Soave Fanciulla from La Boheme
Act 3 Marcello/Mimi Duet from La Boheme
Sono Andati from La Boheme (One of my favorite moments in the opera is when Mimi tells Rodolfo that she's not beautiful like the dawn, but like the sunset. *sob*)
Vissi D'arte from Tosca
Act I curtain of Tosca
Recondita Armonia from Tosca
E Lecevan Le Stelle from Tosca
O Mio Babbino Caro from Gianni Schicchi (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)
Nulla, Silenzio from Il Tabarro
Final Scene of Suor Angelica
In Questa Reggia from Turandot
Liu's Death from Turandot
Signore Ascolta from Turandot
Act I Finale of Turandot
Act II Ping, Pang, and Pong from Turandot
Nessun Dorma from Turandot (Pavarotti)
Nessun Dorma from Turandot (Lando Bartolini)
Final Scene of Turandot


I hate to wear this story out, but seeing the final scene of Turandot changed my life. Almost four years ago I sat down with my mom to watch The Turandot Project (yes I WILL tell this story every year) and almost had a heart attack when the big crashing "Nessun Dorma" theme came booming out of the stereo system. I never thought anything could sound like that! Sure, I'd heard "Nessun Dorma" but this was insane! It gave meaning to those foreign phrases.
Puccini changed my life. Puccini is life.


Happy Birthday Puccini!!!!! May another 150 years go by just as happily!



Happy Listening!!! =)