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Why did Puccini add “Vissi d’arte” to Tosca shortly before its premiere?

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Art Nouveau poster by Adolfo Hohenstein for Puccini's opera Tosca, showing a woman in a gold dress standing over a fallen figure, with dramatic red and black background and bold title text. — Tosca Poster by Adolfo Hohenstein for Giacomo Puccini's opera *Tosca*, 1906.

Giacomo Puccini added the famous soprano aria "Vissi d’arte" to Tosca at the last minute because the singer performing the title role complained that her character lacked suitable musical numbers.1

While Puccini had originally intended for the opera to avoid grandiosity and featured a limited number of stand-alone arias, he made this addition shortly before the premiere to address the performer's concerns regarding her role.1