Complex sentence: Ricordi was also publisher of the later operas by Giuseppe Verdi and had the good sense to invest in younger composers, such as Amilcare Ponchielli, Alfredo Catalani, Umberto Giordano, and, above all, Giacomo Puccini.
Split into simpler sentences: Ricordi was also publisher of the later operas by Giuseppe Verdi and had the good sense to promote younger composers of merit. These included Amilcare Ponchielli, Alfredo Catalani, Umberto Giordano, and, above all, Giacomo Puccini.