Edizione Nazionale delle Opere di Giacomo Puccini

Giacomo Puccini, born in Lucca, in 1858, is one of the most performed composers on the international opera stage. Next to Mozart and Verdi, his operas are among the most popular works in the world. His vocal and instrumental works for church and concert hall, on the other hand, have only recently begun increasingly to find a place in the public consciousness, following decades of being relegated to oblivion. In the course of time theawareness grew that Puccini’s complete works demanded a new evaluation. Increasingly he is no longer considered to be the last representative of an obsolete Italian bel canto, but rather as a musician seeking a new departure at the dawn of modernity. His compositional processes are more akin to the experiments on the borders of tonality pursed by such contemporaries as Debussy, Richard Strauss, Mahler and Schönberg, all of whom he knew and for whose works he showed a lively interest.

The first scholarly critical edition of Giacomo Puccini's works, founded in 2007, is the basis and prerequisite for a closer examination of such contexts. Upon petition to the Italian Ministry of Culture by the “Centro Studi Giacomo Puccini,” the institute responsible for this edition, the project has been recognized as an “Edizione Nazionale.” It receives a significant amount of its support from the Ministry.

In addition to his musical opus, all of Puccini’s known correspondence will be published as part of the Edizione Nazionale delle Opere di Giacomo Puccini. This will include ca. 12 volumes (vol. I–V, published by Olschki, Florence; also available from Carus-Verlag, see “Correspondance” below), as well as the director’s notes which have been preserved for performances in which Puccini participated (“Livrets de mise en scène,” “Disposizioni sceniche,” vol. 1 and 4 already published by EDT, Turin).

Volumes of the Edizione Nazionale

Musical works

Series II: Instrumental music

1. Orchestral compositions
   
2. Compositions for piano and organ
   2.1. Compositions for organ
   2.2. Compositions for piano
3. Chamber music for strings
   

Series III: Vocal music

1. Compositions for voices and instruments
   
2. Messa a 4 voci (1880)
3. Songs for voice and piano
   

Series IV: Transcriptions, fragments, sketches and works of dubious origin

Correspondance

Epistolario II. 1897-1901 
Epistolario III. 1902-1904
Epistolario IV. 1905–1906
Epistolario V. 1907–1908

A subscription of the musical works available or in preparation at Carus will receive 20% discount off the retail price.