Editing Giacomo Puccini (section)

===''Le Villi''===
{{Main|Le Villi}}

Following the première of the ''Capriccio sinfonico'', Ponchielli and Puccini discussed the possibility that Puccini's next work might be an opera. Ponchielli invited Puccini to stay at his villa, where Puccini was introduced to [[Ferdinando Fontana]].<ref name="Dry" /> They agreed to collaborate on an opera, for which Fontana would provide the [[libretto]]. Puccini submitted the work, titled {{Lang|it|Le Villi}} ('The Fairies'), for {{Interlanguage link|Casa Musicale Sonzogno|it|Sonzogno (editore musicale)}}'s first of four musical competitions, advertised in April 1883, for a new, unperformed opera "inspired by the best traditions of Italian opera", which could be "idyllic, serious, or comic", to be judged by a panel including Galli and Ponchielli. Puccini's submission was disqualified because its manuscript was illegible;<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal |last=Greenwald |first=Helen M. |year=2023 |title=Coupling: Mascagni and Leoncavallo |journal=Royal Opera House Programme for Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci |publisher=[[Royal Opera House]] |pages=30–35}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Vannoni |first=Giulia |date=15 November 2021 |title=Galli, questo sconosciuto |trans-title=Galli, this stranger |url=https://www.ilponte.com/galli-questo-sconosciuto/ |access-date=6 January 2024 |website=Il Ponte |language=it-IT}}</ref> the second competition, in 1889, was notably won by [[Pietro Mascagni|Mascagni]]'s ''[[Cavalleria rusticana]]''.<ref name="Dry" /><ref name=":9" />

Despite the defeat in the competition, ''Le Villi'' was later staged at the [[Teatro Dal Verme]], premiering on 31 May 1884.<ref name="Dry" /> [[Casa Ricordi]] assisted with the première by printing the libretto without charge.<ref name="Dry" /> Fellow students from the Milan Conservatory formed a large part of the orchestra.<ref name="Dry" /> The performance was enough of a success that Casa Ricordi purchased the opera.<ref name="Dry" /> Revised into a two-act version with an intermezzo between the acts, ''Le Villi'' was performed at [[La Scala]] in Milan, on 24 January 1885. However, Ricordi did not publish the score until 1887, hindering further performance of the work.<ref name="Dry" />