GIACOMO PUCCINI BY WAKELING DRY [Illustration] LONDON: JOHN LANE, THE BODLEY HEAD NEW YORK: JOHN LANE COMPANY. MCMVI Printed by BALLANTYNE & CO., LIMITED Tavistock Street, London LIVING MASTERS OF MUSIC EDITED BY ROSA NEWMARCH GIACOMO PUCCINI [Illustration] ILLUSTRATIONS _To face page_ GIACOMO PUCCINI _Frontispiece_ _From an autographed copy of a photograph by Bertieri, Turin, in the possession of the author_ PUCCINI'S BIRTHPLACE IN THE VIA DEL POGGIO, LUCCA 8 _From a photograph lent by Messrs. Ricordi_ CHURCH OF ST. PIETRO, SOMALDI WHERE PUCCINI WAS ORGANIST 12 _From a photograph lent by Messrs. Ricordi_ PUCCINI AND FONTANA, THE LIBRETTIST AT THE TIME 18 _From a photograph lent by Messrs. Ricordi_ PUCCINI'S VILLA AT TORRE DEL LAGO 22 _From a photograph lent by Messrs. Ricordi_ PUCCINI IN HIS 24-H.P. "LA BUIRE" MOTOR-CAR 24 _From a photograph by R. de Guili & Co., Lucca_ PUCCINI AFTER A "SHOOT" 28 _From a photograph by S. Ernesto Arboco_ PUCCINI IN HIS STUDY AT TORRE DEL LAGO 40 _From a photograph lent by Messrs. Ricordi_ PUCCINI IN HIS MILAN HOUSE 48 _From a photograph specially taken by Adolfo Ermini, Milan_ PUCCINI MANUSCRIPT SCORE. FROM THE SECOND ACT OF "TOSCA" 50 _From a photograph lent by Messrs. Ricordi_ MISS ALICE ESTY AS MIMI IN "LA BOHÈME" 68 _From a photograph lent by Madame Alice Esty_ PUCCINI MANUSCRIPT SCORES. FROM THE LAST ACT OF "LA BOHÈME" 72 _From a photograph lent by Messrs. Ricordi_ *PUCCINI IN "MORNING DRESS" (NATIONAL PEASANT COSTUME) AT TORRE DEL LAGO 82 *PUCCINI SHOOTING ON THE LAKE AT TORRE DEL LAGO 82 *PUCCINI SNOWBALLING IN SICILY 86 *PUCCINI WRESTLING AT POMPEII 86 *PUCCINI DESCENDING ETNA ON A MULE 90 *PUCCINI ON HIS FARM AT CHIATRI 90 PUCCINI AT TORRE DEL LAGO IN HIS MOTOR-BOAT "BUTTERFLY" 96 _From a photograph lent by Messrs. Ricordi_ PUCCINI'S MANUSCRIPT. FIRST SKETCH FOR THE END OF THE FIRST ACT OF "MADAMA BUTTERFLY" 102 _From a photograph lent by Messrs. Ricordi_ PUCCINI'S MANUSCRIPT SCORES. FROM THE FIRST ACT OF "MADAMA BUTTERFLY" 112 _From a photograph lent by Messrs. Ricordi_ * _From a series of snapshots given to the author by Signor Puccini_ (_Copyright reserved_) CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. PUCCINI, AND THE OPERA IN GENERAL 1