Giacomo Puccini ALS From Villa Castellaccio, Where He Finished 2nd & 3rd Acts of "La Bohème"

A 1p autograph letter in Italian signed by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) as "G Puccini" at the letter's conclusion. N.d. but ca. July 6, 1895. Written at Villa Castellaccio, Uzzano, in the province of Pistoia, Italy. Puccini has inscribed approximately 37 words on the front and back of a pre-printed "Cartolina Postale Italiana" postcard, including the name of the addressee. Bearing three postmarks. Expected wear and weathering including light toning and a few smudge, else near fine. 5.5" x 3.5."

The letter is untranslated, though a brief summary of it has been provided: Puccini informs his friend and work associate Carlo Clausetti (1869-1943) that he is staying at Villa Castellaccio, located in the Uzzanese hills on the outskirts of Pescia in Tuscany. Puccini comments tersely on the atrocious heat ("caldo atroce") and his ongoing efforts to work ("lavoro"), referring to the composer's latest project, a tragic opera set in 1830s Paris called "La Bohème."

In Spring 1895, Puccini had contacted his sister and brother-in-law, who lived near Pescia, for summer rental ideas; the composer wanted to sequester himself to make inroads on "La Bohème." His family suggested Villa Castellaccio, a manor built on the site of a medieval fortress located about 75 km northwest of Florence. Puccini ended up renting the villa for the summer, where he delighted in the garden and cypress and olive groves.

Puccini was incredibly productive at Villa Castellaccio: not only did he finish the second and third acts of "La Bohème" while there, but he also started the fourth act as well. Puccini was so thrilled by his accomplishments that he inscribed the milestone dates on the interior wall of the villa living room, where it can still be seen today. We know thanks to Puccini's exuberant graffiti that he finished the second act on July 23, 1895 and the third act on September 18, 1895.

"La Bohème" remains one of the most beloved and widely performed operas of all time. The four-act opera revolves around the love affair between Mimi, a tubercular seamstress, and the poet Rodolfo. At Villa Castellaccio, Puccini composed the musical score for Act II, whose setting is a boisterous Latin Quarter café; and for Act III, set outside the city limits at a toll gate, where it is revealed how much Rodolfo knows about Mimi's terminal illness. Puccini made so much progress on "La Bohème" at Villa Castellaccio that the finished opera premiered at Turin just five months later, on February 1, 1896.

Puccini's correspondent Carlo Clausetti 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.

Giacomo Puccini has been heralded as one of the best Italian composers of all time. He eventually eschewed more traditional romantic traditions in favor of more realistic portrayals, or verismo. Puccini enjoyed early success with "La Bohème" (1896), "Tosca" (1900), and "Madama Butterfly" (1904).

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.

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