FULL Conducting Puccini with Carlo Rizzi Interview 2026

Information on the Performance

• Work Title: Conducting Puccini with Carlo Rizzi  
• Composer: Puccini Giacomo  
• Libretto: N/A  
• Venue & Opera Company: London, UK, Lives in Song: Puccini Opera Rara  
• Recorded: 2026
• Type: Other
• Singers:
• Conductor: Carlo Rizzi  
• Orchestra:
• Stage Director:   
• Costume Designer:   

Information about the Recording

• Published by: OperaRaraOfficial  
• Date Published: 2026  
• Format: Streaming
• Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
• Subtitles: yessubs, ensubs, gensubs  

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE

  When we think of Giacomo Puccini, we think of the soaring arias of Tosca, La Bohème, and Madama Butterfly. But there is so much more to his music.

  In this episode of Lives in Song, host Flora Willson is joined in the studio by world-renowned conductor and Opera Rara Artistic Director, Carlo Rizzi.

  Together, they explore the genius of Puccini’s orchestration, from the ‘simple’ melodies that hide complex harmonies to the massive percussion sections of Turandot.

  Maestro Rizzi shares personal stories from his life in music – including witnessing the displeasure of the famously vocal audience at La Scala as a teenager.

  And he reveals why he decided to create his new Symphonic Suites album, presenting Puccini’s work purely through the orchestra.

  Plus, we get an exclusive insight into Opera Rara’s latest project: recording the 1921 version of La Rondine, fulfilling Puccini’s final wish for the opera more than a century after it was completed.

  In this episode, you’ll discover:
  • Why Puccini is often misunderstood as a simplistic composer.
  • The technical secrets behind conducting Puccini’s famous rubato.
  • Carlo Rizzi’s firsthand account of the 1976 Turandot scandal at La Scala.
  • How Rizzi transformed Tosca and Butterfly into symphonic works.
  • Why Opera Rara is recording the unperformed 1921 version of La Rondine.

  CHAPTERS
  00:00 Welcome to Lives in Song: Puccini
  01:51 Recording the 1921 Version of La Rondine
  05:07 Buying Scores at Age Nine
  07:46 A Night at La Scala: A Turandot to Remember
  10:47 Defending Puccini: The Genius of His Orchestration
  14:24 From Student Work to Masterpiece: The Capriccio Sinfonico
  17:14 The Conductor’s Craft: Shaping Puccini’s Rubato
  21:21 Villains with Class: Scarpia in Tosca
  23:22 Puccini Without Words: Creating the Symphonic Suites
  30:36 Reimagining the Score: Putting the Orchestra Centre Stage
  34:43 Why Puccini Endures: Speaking to the Human Experience
  36:59 Listener Q&A: Fulfilling Puccini’s Final Wish

   

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