In America the business of opera is built on Puccini, and on a mere handful of his works, at that. “Puccini, of course, isn’t responsible for the lack of artistic diversity in American opera houses, but a mere trio of his works are so fundamental to the financial stability of American opera that they have had a stultifying effect.” Yet in the history of music, Puccini has not been accorded the respect that his popularity suggests. New books re-evaluate…