''Crisantemi'', (Chrysanthemums), SC 65, is an instrumental prelude for

string quartet The term string quartet refers to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two Violin, violini ...

written by

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for List of compositions by Giacomo Puccini#Operas, his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he ...

in 1890 as a tribute to the late

Amadeo I of Spain Amadeo I (; 30 May 184518 January 1890), also known as Amadeus, was an Italian prince who reigned as King of Spain from 1870 to 1873. The only king of Spain to come from the House of Savoy, he was the second son of Victor Emmanuel II of Italy a ...

who was a son of the Italian King,

Vittorio Emanuele II Victor Emmanuel II (; full name: ''Vittorio Emanuele Maria Alberto Eugenio Ferdinando Tommaso di House of Savoy, Savoia''; 14 March 1820 – 9 January 1878) was King of Sardinia (also informally known as Piedmont–Sardinia) from 23 March 1849 u ...

History

Puccini had already composed ''Le Villi'' in 1884 and the opera ''Edgar'' in 1890. The opera was not a success (Puccini repeatedly revised it until the last performance in Buenos Aires, in 1905, before declaring the work irredeemable). A few months after the failed debut of ''Edgar'', Puccini started writing his masterpiece '' Manon Lescaut''. Suddenly in 1890 at just 44 years old, Amadeo I of Spain died due to lung disease. Deeply moved by Amadeo I of Spain's death, Puccini wrote this work in a sudden burst of inspiration, just in a night. White

chrysanthemums Chrysanthemums ( ), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants in the Asteraceae family. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia, and the center of diversity is in China. Co ...

(in Italian ''Crisantemi'') are used in Italy only for funerals or on graves. ''Crisantemi'' was first played on 26 January, 1890. After its successful performance, Puccini incorporated themes from ''Crisantemi'' into ''Manon Lescaut''.

Composition

Giacomo Puccini's ''Crisantemi'' is a single movement prelude in

ternary form Ternary form, sometimes called song form, is a three-part musical form consisting of an opening section (A), a following section (B) and then a repetition of the first section (A). It is usually schematized as A–B–A. Prominent examples inclu ...

. This work is a haunting musical lament, rooted in the somber key of C# minor. The piece unfolds in a single, mournful movement, characterized by two primary themes. The first theme, a slow, chromatic descent, builds intensity through contrary motion. The central section reaches a poignant climax as the violin soars over a gentle viola pattern, while the cello provides a steady, melancholic bass line. A series of intense climaxes, marked by unison playing, punctuate the work. The elegy concludes with a reprise of the opening theme.

References

External links

* * Free scores o
Requiem (Giacomo Puccini)
in the

Choral Public Domain Library The Choral Public Domain Library (CPDL), also known as the ChoralWiki, is an online database for choral and vocal music. Its contents primarily include sheet music in the public domain or otherwise freely available for printing and performing ...

(ChoralWiki)
''Giacomo Puccini Requiem aeternam SC 76, 1905''
Carus-Verlag * * * Free scores o
Crisantemi, SC 65 (Puccini, Giacomo)
at the

International Music Score Library Project The International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP), also known as the Petrucci Music Library after publisher Ottaviano Petrucci, is a subscription-based digital library of public-domain music scores. The project uses MediaWiki software, and ...

(imslp) {{authority control Choral compositions Compositions by Giacomo Puccini 1890 compositions

History

Composition

References

Further reading

External links