Libretto
Giuseppe Adami, Alfred Maria Willner and Heinz Reichert
First performance
Monte Carlo, Théâtre de l’Opéra, Marzo 27, 1917.
Synopsis
Magda, a young woman, spends in Paris. She is the wife of the wealthy Rambaldo, but she dreams of true and romantic love. When she meets the young Ruggero, a sincere relationship blossoms between them, leading them to flee together to the French Riviera. However, Magda realizes that her past prevents her from offering Ruggero the simple and respectable life he desires. She decides to leave him and return to her former life, like a swallow forced to take flight.
In 1913, while in Vienna, the directors of the Carl-Theater, one of the most famous operetta theaters, ask PUccini to compose an operetta for them. But the composer ended up being not happy with the libretto and ultimately decided to transform La rondine into an opera, entrusting the libretto to Giuseppe Adami. The music was composed between 1914 and 1915, while the premiere was postponed due to the war. The first performance, in a neutral country, was a great success, as so was the Italian premiere in 1917. Puccini continued to work on the opera, which was one of his favourites, for years.