Giacomo Puccini achieved global renown as an opera composer, but the orchestral and sacred works recorded here reveal little-known aspects of his output. The two pieces featured on this album were written 23 years apart during which time Puccini had gone from talented student to worldwide fame. The Preludio sinfonico was written in 1882 as an end-of-year examination piece for the Milan Conservatory; the Requiem, composed in 1905 to commemorate the death of Verdi, was rediscovered in 1972. An album featuring the Messa di Gloria and the Capriccio sinfonico along with a selection of orchestral rarities is available on 8.574685.