Which Puccini opera includes the aria “O mio babbino caro”?

Giacomo Puccini’s opera Gianni Schicchi includes the aria “O mio babbino caro.”

The comic one-act opera premiered in New York in 1918 as the third part of Il trittico, Puccini’s triptych of contrasting one-act operas. Its title character is a clever Florentine whose ingenuity helps a young couple overcome a complicated inheritance dispute.

Lauretta sings “O mio babbino caro” while pleading with her father, Gianni Schicchi, to allow her marriage to Rinuccio. The aria is one of Puccini’s most frequently performed excerpts and is often presented separately in concerts and recitals.

A common mix-up is to associate the aria with one of Puccini’s better-known full-length operas, such as La bohème or Tosca. It belongs specifically to Gianni Schicchi, whose lively comedy contrasts with the tragic mood of the other two operas in Il trittico.