A biography of the composer renowned for his gift as a melodist. A polemical, passionate and rational attempt to set the composer of La Boheme and Madame Butterfly among the immortal greats Fully explores the contradictions in Puccinis personality, a man who revelled in the worldly success his operas brought him yet remained insecure about his creative powers Draws attention to the felicity, daring and extraordinary colouring of Puccinis music Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924), composer of such popular operas as La Bohème and Madame Butterfly, is most renowned for his gift as a melodist. With his final opera, Turandot, Puccini composed the last Italian work in the genre to hold a firm place in the international repertoire. The author draws attention to the felicity, daring and extraordinary colour of his music, to counter the view held during Puccinis lifetime that he was a retrogressive composer who aimed to shock. Puccini is shown to have been a dynamic new force in musical drama, and yet was a man who remained insecure about his creative powers. Conrad Wilsons objective book is none the less a polemical, passionate and poignant attempt to set the man from Lucca among the immortal greats