Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums (I Crisantemi) was written in 1890 to commemorate the sudden death of Prince Amedeo of Savoy (the ruling house of Italy). It was composed in a single night, as was, incidentally, Hindemith's Trauermusik on the death of King George V. Its two principal themes, exploiting that vein of tragic eloquence of which he was such a master, were later used in his opera Manon. Chrysanthemums has become a popular encore piece for chamber ensembles. Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924) was born in Lucca, Italy, into a musical family. When on a family visit to Pisa at the age of eighteen, he saw a performance of Aida which ignited his passion for opera. He studied music in Lucca and later in Milan with Ponchielli. The publisher Ricordi was his mentor, and the success of his third opera Manon Lescaut established him. He died in Brussels at the age of sixty-five.