NPR.org, September 21, 2007 - For most of Puccini's hilarious one-act opera Gianni Schicci the title character's innocent daughter Lauretta is banished from the action. That way, she won't be around to see her father help a gaggle of her boyfriend's greedy relatives to bilk a dead man and steal an undeserved inheritance. But first, she sings the tender aria "O mio babbino caro" — "O my dear father" — to persuade Schicchi that he if doesn't help these ne'er-do-wells, she'll never be able to marry her true love. It's one of the most famliar tunes in all of classical music.