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A hundred years have passed since the world said goodbye to a man whose music had the power to stir hearts. On November 29, 1924, at 11:30 in Brussels, Giacomo Puccini passed away.
The maestro from Tuscany died in the state of God’s grace, his final moments attended by Monsignor Clemente Micara († 1965), then Apostolic Nuncio in Belgium and future cardinal. Micara recalled,
During my conversations with him, there was, however, a serene resignation to the divine will in him. […] I brought every religious comfort to the maestro, and he was conscious and comforted by it. […] [Pope] Pius XI […] was consoled by the thought that at his passing, Puccini received every viaticum and absolution to accompany that noble soul towards the Divine judgment.[1]
Similarly, Rev. Pietro Panichelli († 1931), a cherished friend whom Puccini referred to as his “little priest,” revealed:
The germ of atavistic faith, combined with the religious tradition of his ancestors, was not extinguished in the silent sentiments and good soul of Giacomo Puccini. This germ was awakened in the formidable struggle between life and death. […] In that tremendous struggle in which no one will ever know what passed between his soul and God, between his conscience and the word of the Catholic Priest who assisted him until the last moments of his life. And it is very comforting for us to have known that Giacomo Puccini breathed his last with the comforts of a Christian and with the redeeming symbol of that Cross that makes his tomb greater and more complete in glory.[2]
Born in Lucca, north-central Italy, sixty-five years earlier, Puccini’s legacy extends far beyond his acclaimed operas such as Manon Lescaut (1892), La Bohème (1895), Tosca (1899), Madama Butterfly (1903), and Turandot (1924), the last of which was posthumously completed by Neapolitan composer Franco Alfano († 1954) based on Puccini’s sketches. Despite this, Puccini’s genuine religiosity, as evidenced by various facets of his life, often remains overshadowed. Oriano De Ranieri was one of the first to delve into this aspect of Puccini’s character in his book La religiosità in Puccini, published by Zecchini in 2013.
From his formative years, Puccini displayed remarkable musical aptitude and a reverence for sacred music. By age ten, he sang as a choirboy in Lucca’s San Michele Church and San Martino Cathedral. His education at the Giovanni Pacini Musical Institute (now named after Luigi Boccherini) nurtured his talent, leading to compositions like sonatas, verses, and marches for the organ; the Motet for San Paolino (1877); Vexilla regis (1878); Salve regina (1883); and the Mass for four voices with orchestra (Messa di Gloria, 1880), composed as the final assignment of his studies at the Pacini Institute and the largest of his non-theatrical scores. In 1905, he composed Requiem æternam for the fourth anniversary of the death of Giuseppe Verdi († 1901).
Puccini’s interest in sacred music stemmed from his family’s rich musical heritage, spanning five generations in Lucca, particularly on his paternal side, tracing back to his ancestor Giacomo († 1781). By the age of 20, as he began composing sacred pieces, he contemplated the essence of his art. Recognizing a natural inclination for sacred music, he was influenced by his devout and musically gifted family. However, a pivotal moment occurred when he attended a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida in Pisa in March 1876, which irresistibly drew him towards opera.
His mother, Albina Magi († 1884), a devout Catholic and young widow, played a pivotal role in shaping Giacomo’s religious sensibilities. She diligently guided him, directing him to study in the ecclesiastical seminaries of San Michele and later San Martino in Lucca. Before reaching 19, Puccini joined the confraternity of the Madonna della Neve at the church of Santa Maria Corteorlandini (or Santa Maria Nera), a site resonant with the early steps of St. John Leonardi († 1609) and his order of Clerics Regular of the Mother of God. Subsequently, on April 16, 1877, Giacomo was formally admitted to the esteemed confraternity of St. Cecilia, which boasted esteemed members like Maria Teresa of Savoy († 1879), Duchess of Lucca, and later Duchess of Parma and Piacenza.
In 1884, during his initial stay in Turin, Giacomo visited St. John Bosco († 1888) to request prayers for his mother Albina, who was suffering from cancer. As he matured, Puccini often reflected on life and death, recalling his time in the seminary from ages 7 to 15. In 1904, after nearly two decades of an irregular relationship, Puccini married Elvira Bonturi following the death of her first husband, Narciso. This union evoked concern from his beloved sister Iginia († 1922), known as Sister Giulia Enrichetta, an Augustinian nun and later superior at the Monastery of the Visitation in Vicopelago, near Lucca. Iginia served as Giacomo’s spiritual guide, and he held special permission from the Curia to visit her. Additionally, he encouraged his sister Ramelde († 1912) to engage in regular Sacred Scripture reading.
A peculiar sensitivity to grasp roots and ethical or religious themes also emerges in the plots of operas such as Le Villi (1883) and Edgar (1888), with the latter featuring a poignant Requiem æternam in its third act. Moreover, religious allusions permeate works like Tosca and Madama Butterfly. Particularly striking is La fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West, 1910), where the theme of redemption for Dick Johnson, Minnie’s beloved, is contemplated. Similarly, Suor Angelica (1918), inspired by Puccini’s sister’s monastery, serves as a profound reflection of his religiosity. These operas imbue contemporary themes with nuanced narratives, potentially captivating each listener with their occasionally provocative content.
A comprehensive examination of Puccini’s life, from his early years in Lucca to his final days in Brussels, uncovers a remarkable portrait of his religiosity. This spiritual dimension is evident in his letters, his musical compositions, and the texts of his operas, which, although crafted by librettists, often stem from the maestro’s personal choices and contemplations. His religious sentiment was shaped by the devotional practices of his time. Yet, most of his operas are a persistent call not to lose touch with God—a God who is understanding and merciful towards all who suffer.
[1] R. Marchi, Gli ultimi momenti di Giacomo Puccini, in Notiziario filatelico, February 1966, Lucca, pp. 31–32; our translation.
[2] P. Panichelli, Il pretino di Giacomo Puccini, Pisa 1940, pp. 86–88; our translation.
