Gianni Schicchi is a comic opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, composed in 1917–18. The work is the third and final part of Puccini's Il trittico, three one-act operas with contrasting themes, following the dramatic Il tabarro and the lyric Suor Angelica. The libretto is based on an incident mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy. Set in 1299 Florence, the title character pretends to be a rich citizen who had died, dictating a new will in favour of the deceased's family members but especially of himself (scene in the premiere pictured). The comedy, a rarity in the composer's work, combines elements of Puccini's modern harmonic dissonances with lyrical passages such as the aria "O mio babbino caro". When Il trittico premiered at New York's Metropolitan Opera on 14 December 1918, only Gianni Schicchi became an immediate hit. It has been performed more frequently than the other two, often combined with other short operas.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gianni_Schicchi

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1863:

American Civil War: The Battle of Bean's Station, the final battle of the Knoxville campaign, was fought in Grainger County, Tennessee. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bean%27s_Station

1918:

The first British general election with female voters took place, with women over the age of thirty permitted to vote. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_United_Kingdom_general_election

1981:

The Knesset passed the Golan Heights Law, extending Israeli "laws, jurisdiction and administration" to the Golan Heights, effectively annexing the territory internationally recognized as part of Syria. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golan_Heights

1998:

Kosovo War: Yugoslav forces ambushed a group of Kosovo Liberation Army militants attempting to smuggle weapons into Yugoslavia from Albania. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_14,_1998,_Albanian%E2%80%93Yugoslav_border_ambush

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

by virtue of: (idiomatic) (originally) by the authority or power of; (now) because of; on the grounds of; by reason of. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/by_virtue_of

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

The stars are alive and nights like thesewere born to be sanctified by you and me.   --Mike Scott https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mike_Scott_%28musician%29