Lives in Song

In our Season 2 finale, host Flora Willson sits down with Puccini specialist and opera historian Dr Ditlev Rindom to explore a musical mystery. Together, they pull back the curtain on the painstaking process of reconstructing the long-lost 1921 critical edition of Giacomo Puccini’s La rondine.Discover why Puccini continuously reworked this masterpiece, shifting it from a light Viennese operetta commission to a fully-fledged tragedy. Ditlev reveals the incredible detective work required to rebuild missing sections using sketches, vocal scores, and the composer's scattered notes. Plus, we share exclusive, unmastered previews from Opera Rara’s highly anticipated studio recording of this 1921 version."He was an inveterate reviser of his works... Puccini has this image of being someone who's so self-confident. And I think the more you get to know him through his letters, you realise how full of doubt he was." — Dr Ditlev RindomIf you love discovering the hidden gems of the operatic world and want to hear more rare works brought to life, please consider supporting Opera Rara's restorative work. Visit opera-rara.com/support to make a donation.Chapters:00:00 Welcome to Lives in Song: Discovering Puccini’s La rondine 01:51 From Viennese Operetta to Parisian Tragedy: The Genesis of La rondine 04:36 Exploring the 1917 Premiere and Puccini’s Growing Doubts 08:54 The 1921 Version: Why Did Puccini Rewrite the Ending? 14:46 Behind the Scenes: Building the 1921 Critical Edition 21:23 Lost Manuscripts and the Long Road to Reconstruction 31:33 The Inveterate Reviser: Puccini’s Pursuit of Theatrical Perfection 34:42 Musical Preview: The Exuberant Chorus Waltz of Act 2 40:35 A Darker Turn: Magda’s Evolution and the Tragic Ending 47:46 Reassessing Giacomo Puccini: From Popular Hitmaker to Serious Innovator 52:09 Ask Opera Rara: Unpacking Puccini’s Heroines Get Involved► REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE Follow or subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode. And please leave a review to help other opera-lovers discover our work.► DISCOVER Opera Rara's work to unearth, restore, and record lost and forgotten operas by some of music's greatest composers: Opera Rara► SUPPORT a unique operatic vision and help us create more content like this: Support Opera Rara► EXPLORE the full Opera Rara catalogue: Shop Catalogue► FOLLOW Opera Rara: Instagram X / Twitter Facebook LinkedIn BlueSky YouTubeCreditsLives in Song is produced for Opera Rara by Creative Kin. To find out more visit creativekin.co.uk/songHost: Flora WillsonExecutive Producer: Zachary VanderburgProducer: Jason CaffreyVideographer: Robin BharajAudio Engineer: Phoebe Murdoch

Following the disastrous premiere of Madama Butterfly in 1904, Giacomo Puccini faced a severe creative and personal crisis. Bruised by failure and an awful car accident, the great composer struggled to find his next operatic subject. Yet, what followed was an unprecedented era of transatlantic fame, technological innovation, and an ever-evolving musical landscape. From massive international tours and the early days of the gramophone to the global disruption of the First World War, Puccini’s later life was as dramatic as any of his operas.In this episode of Lives in Song, host Flora Willson welcomes back opera historian and Puccini specialist Dr. Ditlev Rindom. Together, they explore how Puccini navigated the “autumn of Italian opera,” adapting his style and collaborating with new librettists to produce later masterpieces like La Fanciulla del West, Il Trittico, and La Rondine. We also examine the heartbreaking final days of Puccini's life, tracing his struggles to complete his grandest project, Turandot, while battling an undiagnosed fatal illness.If you love discovering the hidden gems and untold stories of the operatic world, please help us keep the music alive. Support our mission by visiting opera-rara.com/support and making a donation today."He really knew how to create drama for an audience and how to hold you captive, how to manipulate you even, and then how to chuck you out the other end feeling absolutely overwhelmed." — Flora WillsonChapters: 00:00 - Introduction: Puccini after Madama Butterfly03:08 - Global Ambitions: La fanciulla del West at the Metropolitan Opera New York06:01 - Transatlantic Fame in North and South America08:16 - Puccini, Caruso and the gramophone era13:13 - A Creative Crisis: the death of librettist Giuseppe Giacosa17:18 - Mascagni's Lodoletta and Puccini’s discarded work22:47 - Viennese Operetta: La Rondine and the Great War28:29 - The Autumn of Italian Opera and the Late Verismo Movement32:26 - The lure of one-act opera: Leoncavallo's Zingari36:40 - Il Trittico and the European Trend of Short Operas40:41 - The Grandeur of Turandot and Puccini's Final Struggle49:11 - Ask Opera Rara: Puccini's Legacy in the TheatreGet InvolvedThank you for listening. Lives in Song is produced for a Creative Kin production for Opera Rara.► REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE Follow or subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode. And please leave a review to help other opera-lovers discover our work.► DISCOVER Opera Rara's work to unearth, restore, and record lost and forgotten operas by some of music's greatest composers: Opera Rara► SUPPORT a unique operatic vision and help us create more content like this: Support Opera Rara► EXPLORE the full Opera Rara catalogue: Shop Catalogue► FOLLOW Opera Rara: Instagram X / Twitter Facebook LinkedIn BlueSky YouTubeCreditsLives in Song is produced for Opera Rara by Creative Kin. To find out more visit creativekin.co.uk/songHost: Flora WillsonExecutive Producer: Zachary VanderburgProducer: Jason CaffreyVideographer: Abdul SalifuAudio Engineer: Phoebe Murdoch

What does it take to truly bring Giacomo Puccini’s most tragic and beautiful heroines to life on the modern stage? In this episode of Lives in Song, host Flora Willson sits down with internationally acclaimed operatic soprano Ermonela Jaho. Celebrated as one of the great verismo interpreters of our time, Jaho reveals the intense emotional and technical preparation required to sing roles like Mimì (La bohème) and Cio-Cio-San (Madama Butterfly).Whether you're a lifelong opera devotee or entirely new to the operatic world, this conversation offers a rare, behind-the-curtain look at the discipline, vulnerability, and commitment that fuels a master performance. Jaho shares her deeply personal connections to these characters, describing how her own personal life experience shapes the music she creates. If you'd like to dive deeper into the recordings discussed in this episode visit the Opera Rara website to uncover more forgotten masterpieces."The advice (for young performers) that I would say they have to trust themselves, not to be afraid to show their vulnerability, no one is perfect." – Ermonela JahoChapters: 00:00 Who Were Puccini's Leading Ladies? 01:50 Ermonela Jaho: Honoured To Revive Forgotten Operas with Opera Rara 07:28 Stepping into Puccini's World: Jaho’s First Time Singing Mimì 12:18 Madama Butterfly: Emotion, Technique And The Power Of Pianissimo 29:38 Finding Your Voice: Jaho On Artistic Vulnerability And Idolising The Greats 39:52 Jaho The Master Performer: Connecting Personal Loss to Operatic Characters 43:47 Ask Opera Rara: Ermonela Jaho's Advice for Young Singers 45:11 Jaho’s Pre-Show Rituals: Skipping Ropes And Light MealsGet InvolvedThank you for listening. Lives in Song is produced for a Creative Kin production for Opera Rara.► REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE Follow or subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode. And please leave a review to help other opera-lovers discover our work.► DISCOVER Opera Rara's work to unearth, restore, and record lost and forgotten operas by some of music's greatest composers: Opera Rara► SUPPORT a unique operatic vision and help us create more content like this: Support Opera Rara► EXPLORE the full Opera Rara catalogue: Shop Catalogue► FOLLOW Opera Rara: Instagram X / Twitter Facebook LinkedIn BlueSky YouTubeCreditsLives in Song is produced for Opera Rara by Creative Kin. To find out more visit creativekin.co.uk/songHost: Flora WillsonExecutive Producer: Zachary VanderburgProducer: Jason CaffreyVideographer: Abdul SalifuAudio Engineer: Phoebe Murdoch

Giacomo Puccini is famous for his soaring melodies and heartbreaking arias, but his genius extended far beyond the vocal line.In this episode of Lives in Song, host Flora Willson sits down with Carlo Rizzi, world-renowned conductor and Artistic Director of Opera Rara, to explore Puccini's mastery of the orchestra.Maestro Rizzi takes us deep into the score, explaining the technical challenges of conducting Puccini’s signature rubato and revealing why he believes the composer’s orchestration rivals that of Strauss or Wagner.He also shares personal stories from his own life in music, including a vivid memory of the La Scala audience expressing their displeasure at a performance of Turandot.We also get an inside look at two of Carlo’s major recent projects: his Symphonic Suites, which reimagine Tosca and Madama Butterfly without voices, and Opera Rara’s ground-breaking recording of the 1921 version of La Rondine—a version the composer fought for, but which has never been performed as he intended until now."When you shape a phrase of Puccini, it's completely different... You need more input from the conductor. Because, you know, Puccini is incredibly particular about what he wants. He's so detailed." — Carlo RizziCHAPTERS00:00 Welcome to Lives in Song: Puccini01:51 Recording the 1921 Version of La Rondine05:07 Buying Scores at Age Nine07:46 A Night at La Scala: A Turandot to Remember10:47 Defending Puccini: The Genius of His Orchestration 14:24 From Student Work to Masterpiece: The Capriccio Sinfonico17:14 The Conductor’s Craft: Shaping Puccini’s Rubato21:21 Villains with Class: Scarpia in Tosca23:22 Puccini Without Words: Creating the Symphonic Suites30:36 Reimagining the Score: Putting the Orchestra Centre Stage34:43 Why Puccini Endures: Speaking to the Human Experience36:59 Listener Q&A: Fulfilling Puccini’s Final WishGET INVOLVEDThank you for listening. Lives in Song is a Creative Kin production for Opera Rara.► REVIEW & SUBSCRIBE Follow or subscribe to make sure you never miss an episode. And please leave a review to help other opera-lovers discover our work.► DISCOVER Opera Rara's mission to unearth, restore, and record lost and forgotten operas by some of music's greatest composers: Opera Rara► SUPPORT a unique operatic vision and help us create more content like this: Support Us► EXPLORE the full Opera Rara catalogue: Shop Catalogue► FOLLOW Opera Rara: Instagram X / Twitter Facebook LinkedIn BlueSky YouTubeSUPPORTERSLives in Song is brought to you by Opera Rara and supported by the generosity of listeners like you.Opera Rara is all about uncovering and sharing the hidden gems of the operatic world, giving new life to music that deserves to be heard.Your generosity helps us share rare operas and songs with audiences around the world.CREDITSLives in Song is produced for Opera Rara by Creative Kin. To find out more visit creativekin.co.uk/songHost: Flora WillsonAudio Engineer: Phoebe MurdochVideographer: Robin BharajProducer: Jason CaffreyExecutive Producer: Zachary Vanderburg

In 1883, a young Giacomo Puccini entered a one-act opera competition in Milan. He lost. But that failure - his first opera, Le Willis - caught the attention of the powerful Ricordi publishing house, launching the career of the man who would become Italy’s greatest post-Verdi composer.In this episode of Lives in Song, host Flora Willson is joined by opera scholar Alexandra Wilson to uncover the fascinating origins of Le Willis. Together, they explore Puccini’s student days in Milan, his early symphonic ambitions, and the supernatural legend of the Willis - ghosts of jilted brides who dance men to death. Featuring extracts from Opera Rara’s complete recording, discover the energy of La Tregenda - the witches’ dance - and the melodic genius that signalled the arrival of a new operatic master.To support Opera Rara’s mission to restore and record lost operatic masterpieces, please visit opera-rara.com/support."It's incredible to think that symphonic music, orchestral music, was new music as far as Puccini's generation were concerned. I mean, I don't think a Beethoven symphony was heard in Italy until Puccini's teenage years." - Alexandra WilsonChapters: 00:00 Introduction: Uncovering Puccini’s Debut Opera 04:15 Escaping to Milan: Bohemian Life and Musical Education 07:27 The Sonzogno Competition: Failure and Opportunity 11:11 Symphonic Ambitions: Listening to the opening of Le Willis 12:40 The Legend of the Willis: The Ghosts of Jilted Brides17:39 La Tregenda: Analysing Puccini’s witches’ dance26:05 The Premiere of Le Willis and Ricordi’s Intervention 33:37 Ask Opera Rara: Essential Reading and Puccini’s LegacyGet InvolvedInstagramX / TwitterFacebookLinkedInBlueSkyYouTubeSUPPORTERSLives in Song is brought to you by Opera Rara and supported by the generosity of listeners like you.Opera Rara is all about uncovering and sharing the hidden gems of the operatic world, giving new life to music that deserves to be heard.Your generosity helps us share rare operas and songs with audiences around the world.CREDITSLives in Song is produced for Opera Rara by Creative Kin. To find out more visit creativekin.co.uk/songHost: Flora WillsonGuest: Alexandra WilsonExecutive Producer: Zachary VanderburgProducer: Jason CaffreyAudio Engineer: Phoebe MurdochVideographer: Robin Bharaj