Composers. Collection of autograph musical quotations, including by Puccini, Sibelius and Grieg, 1884-1905

Composers

Collection of autograph musical quotations

GIACOMO PUCCINI. Autograph musical quotation from the early opera Le villi, signed and inscribed ("Le Willis...Giacomo Puccini Milano 2/6/84"), the melody of Roberto and Anna's Duet in Act 1, 'Tu dell' infanzia mia', without the words, 12 bars notated in violet ink on three hand-drawn staves, 1 page, oblong 8vo (c.13 x 18.5cm), with a musical quotation of the song 'Fiorellino di Margherita' and the signature of Gounod on the verso, Milan, 2 June 1884, some spotting, small pin-holes; PIETRO MASCAGNI. Autograph musical quotation signed and inscribed ("Largo dolente...P. Mascagni"), 6.5 x 22.8cm, cut down from a larger leaf, 2 printed staves, no place or date, browning, traces of mount on verso;---Autograph musical album-leaf, signed and elegantly inscribed by the composer ("P.Mascagni, Livorno 5 aprile '92 composto in un momento di buon umore e dedicato a Macchi, Gimachi e Comp.^ia"), containing a piece in D minor, apparently in short score rather than necessarily for piano, eight bars in all, 1 page, oblong 4to (c.22 x 29.5cm), 15-stave paper cut from a larger sheet, Livorno, 5 April 1892, small stain to left-hand margin, creasing at central fold; RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO. Two autograph musical quotations from Zazà, ("Mamma usciva di casa in sull'aurora", 5 bars, 2 April 1902; "E' un riso gentil", 19 May 1901) and an autograph letter signed, in French, to Jules Massenet, thanking him for his kind letter, promising to send him a score of La Bohème, and requesting a musical quotation from the composer of Manon on behalf of Etta Costa-Zenoglio, 3 pages, 8vo, Venice, 19 May 1897; JEAN SIBELIUS. Autograph musical quotation from The Swan of Tuonela, op.22 no.2, signed and inscribed by the composer ("Tuonelas swan...Jean Sibelius"), comprising two bars of the melody for the final section (see Rehearsal Figure G (strings) and Figure H (cor anglais) of the full score), 1 page, c.5.5 x 20cm, no place or date, creasing at folds; UMBERTO GIORDANO. Autograph musical quotation from Andrea Chénier, 2 bars from the introduction to Act 1, the accompaniment to Gérard's 'Son sessant'anni, o vecchio', signed and inscribed ("Andrea Chénier...Milano Giugno 98 Umberto Giordano"), on an album-leaf, 4to (c.27 x 19.5cm), with a printed visiting card laid down, and inscribed, Milan [18]98;---Postcard photograph signed ("Umberto Giordano") and five autograph letters signed, to il Duca di Balzo, G. Gloag and others, one about Fedora, 2 autograph envelopes, Milan and Naples, 1892-1905; EDWARD GRIEG. Autograph musical quotation signed ("Edvard Grieg"), from the Violin Sonata no.2 in G Op 13, 1 page, oblong 8vo (14 x 9.3cm), on an illustrated postcard, the address panel, partially erased, in an unidentified hand ("...Banca nazionale ... Cairo"), postmarked 21 April 1904, slight surface paper loss, affecting signature

 Le villi was Puccini's first opera. It was staged in Milan on 31 May 1884, to considerable success. As a result Ricordi acquired the score for publication and Verdi hailed him as a composer whose adherence to melody justified his role as a composer of Italian opera. This theme first appears in Act 1 when Roberto leaves to claim his inheritance, assuring Anna of his constancy; it recurs in the preghiera finale, played by the whole orchestra fortissimo (Figures 20 & 28, vocal score, Milan, Ricordi, 1892). Roberto returns remorseful but unfaithful in Act 2, and Anna recalls this theme and his words in her gran scena preceding their final duet (Figure 54). The plot is derived from Alphonse Karr's short story Les Willis, hence Puccini's title here.

LITERATURE:

cf.: Verdi, I copialettere, pp.629-630 (10 June 1884); Osborne, no.240.