Search - Giacomo Puccini, Hans Georg Ratjen, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra :: Puccini: Le Villi

Puccini's first opera, Le villi, was premiered in 1884, on a triple bill with two other short works now forgotten. It was the surprise hit of the evening. The audience demanded encores of three numbers, and the critics were ecstatic. But the little opera's appeal was not to be long lasting--it soon disappeared from world stages except for occasional presentation as a novelty once Puccini was more famous for other works. Although Le villi is not in the same league as Puccini's later masterworks, it is an entertaining work with flashes of the greatness to come. Live performance, Florence, February 4, 1972.