A 1p autograph letter in Italian signed by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) as "G Puccini" at the bottom of a double-sided postcard, and comprised of approximately 65 words in his hand. N.d., n.p., but the postmark indicates it was mailed from Torre del Lago, Lucca, Tuscany, Italy on November 5, 1899. With a pre-printed canceled 10 centesimi Victor Emmanuel III red stamp, and engrossed, also in Puccini's hand, to "Carlo Clausetti / Galleria Umberto I / Ricordi / Napoli." Expected wear and weathering including light, even toning and isolated foxing. With a few scattered contemporaneous ink smudges or authorial overwrites mentioned just for accuracy, else near fine. 5.5" x 3.5."

The "Cartolina Postale Italiana" postcard message is untranslated, though a summary of it has been provided; Puccini waits for projects, and asks his correspondent, Carlo Clausetti, to find him an appropriate motto for his new home at Torre del Lago. Puccini specifically requests a slogan that would enjoin common household pests to stop annoying him, and allow him to work and live in peace: "indicante: lasciatemi tranquillo - non voglio importuni seccatori."

Puccini had summered at Torre del Lago, a resort community located about 18 km northwest of Pisa, since 1891, and in 1899, he purchased property with the aim of living there year-round. Renovations at Villa Puccini were complete by 1900, when the family moved in. The two-storey Italianate home situated on the shores of the inland Lake Massaciuccoli included the Maestro's Study, a hunting room, a manuscript room, veranda, bedrooms, and guest rooms. Puccini composed some of his most celebrated works, such as "Manon Lescaut" (1893), "La Bohème" (1896), "Tosca" (1900), and "Madama Butterfly" (1904), at Torre del Lago--the later works while seated at the Förster piano in the Maestro's Study. Puccini lived at Villa Puccini for about 30 years. In 1925, Puccini's son Antonio established the house as a museum adjoining the chapel/mausoleum where the composer was buried. Visitors can still visit Puccini's home today.

Puccini wanted Torre del Lago to be kept free from all interruptions, pests among them. By "pests," we can assume that Puccini meant a host of flying, stinging, and crawling Italian insects, including mosquitoes, flies, gnats, ants, wasps, beetles, cockroaches, grasshoppers, cicadas, ticks, firebugs, and violet carpenter bees known to infest the region of Tuscany. Torre del Lago was situated above a region of coastal Italy called the Maremma, notorious for its insect-breeding and malarial marshlands. Clearly, the success of Puccini's musical output depended on an insect-free workspace - hence his comical insistence on a house motto for Torre del Lago.

Puccini needed a space to concentrate on his 3-act opera "Tosca," a historical piece set in Rome during the Napoleonic Wars. Puccini had finished the score for "Tosca" by late September 1899, though final touches and revisions were added through October. The opera began rehearsal in December 1899. It premiered at Rome's Teatro Constanzi just two months later, on January 14, 1900.

Puccini's correspondent, Carlo Clausetti (1869-1943), co-managed the Naples branch of Casa Ricordi, a family-run firm of musical publishers established in 1808. The company was hugely successful, distributing copies of popular works by Italian and international composers from regional branches in Florence, Rome, Naples, Palermo, Paris, and London. Casa Ricordi managed reproduction rights for major Italian composers like Puccini, Verdi, Bellini, and Rossini. Clausetti had worked for Casa Ricordi since 1892. He was also a composer, librettist, and music critic.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!