| Istituto Musicale Since 1842 Lucca has had its Musical Institute. That was the year that saw its definitive foundation due to the opera composer Giovanni Pacini with the protection and approval of Duke Carlo Lodovico. From 1843 onward Michele Puccini, Giacomo’s father, had performed there a variety of functions and held various chairs, becoming its Director in 1862, as well as teacher of Counterpoint and Composition. It could indeed be said that when the young Giacomo became a junior pupil at the Institute (1871), the imprint left on the school by his father (who died in 1864) was still very strong. His teachers during his first year, Fortunato Magi (for harmony) and Carlo Angeloni (for harmonic theory and vocal writing), had both been pupils of Michele. In the years that followed, up to the attainment of his diploma in composition (1880), Giacomo also attended other courses: piano and organ, composition and counterpoint. The Istituto Musicale "L.Boccherini" (then "G.Pacini") contains many mementos of Giacomo Puccini: the piano and harmonium on which he took lessons; a valuable collection of youthful compositions (autographs and copies); some curious notebooks used at the Milan Conservatorio, where from 1880 to 1883 Puccini perfected his musical studies. The Institute also possesses many compositions by all of Puccini’s ancestors, of which he generously made a "gift to the musical archives of the Istituto Pacini ...wishing that this music should be safely kept under constant supervision".  During the years when Puccini attended
it the Institute had its seat in piazza S.Maria
Forisportam in the neighbourhood of the ancient monastery attached to the
Church, to-day
the seat of the primary school "G.Pascoli".It
was in the hall of this Institute that already in 1876
Giacomo Puccini appeared as piano accompanist to a
violinist, and at the harmonium for the Salve regina
of his friend Carlo Carignani (of whose musical
collaboration he would avail himself in the years to
come.) In April 1877 the performance of his Motetto
for baritone, chorus and orchestra was greeted in a local
paper as a sure proof of his talent with the proverb:
"the sons of cats catch mice".
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