Mitch Friedfeld wrote:

>Sigh.  One of my musical heroes, Puccini, seems to have been a person
>with not a few less than admirable qualities.  Still, it's difficult
>to define "undisciplined and shiftless." ...Maybe amoral and unethical.

Apparently Puccini was also an ardent smoker.  I read an anecdote once
wherein he sold the pipes off of a local organ to get money for tobacco.

Bob K.