Puccini's Messa di Gloria was created in 1880 as a final thesis at the Lucca Conservatory, in which he handled two pieces, a Motet and a Credo, which he had composed 2 years earlier. The first performance on July 12, 1880 was a great success for the young Puccini, who was attached to this early work: echoes of the Messa can later be found in his operas, especially in Edgar and Manon Lescaut.
