Sad, Late Letter of Puccini Mentioning His Opera “Gianni Schicchi”

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PUCCINI, GIACOMO. (1858-1924). Modern Italy’s most successful opera composer after Verdi. ALS. (“G. Puccini”). 2pp. 4to. Viareggio, January 16, 1924. On his Via Reggio stationery. To his friend Angiolini Magrini. In Italian with translation.

“I am thankful because you are having a good time – that is good – also for me that I am living my usual solitary life. Simoni has completely disappeared.

Tomorrow, Schicchi will be on stage at La Scala.

I am alright, more or less. I am not working much and I would like to go away from here, but I cannot find my way out. I suggested to Elvira to go to Nice or Monte Carlo, but she does not want to hear a thing about this. She hates Milan, and I also do not like it because of the climate.

Tonio has left, and the two of us are forlorn. I see very few people. Sometimes I go to the lake. Yesterday I shot 10 coots and 4 ducks. On Sunday there was finally some sailing, 210 boats, decent results.

Variable weather, today a light rain, yesterday sunny; a little cold. I saw Gigi before he left, and my dear Erminia [Magrini]. Greetings to all the Pesciaioli…”

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From 1915 to 1918, Puccini composed three one-act operas – Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi – presented together under the title Il Trittico (The Triptych) until around 1922, when Gianni Schicchi began to appear on programs minus the other two pieces.

In 1920, Puccini began composing what would become his final work, Turandot, with a libretto by Renato Simoni (1875-1952), and based on Carlo Gozzi’s play of the same name, which tells a story from the Persian Book of One Thousand and One Days. “With Turandot Puccini felt that he was moving on to a loftier plane, that an ‘original and perhaps unique work is in the making,’ compared with which all his previous music seemed to him ‘a farce.’ But no other opera cost him so much labour and toil… and no other opera filled him with such strong doubts about his creative powers,” (The New Grove Dictionary).

Unfortunately, by 1923, Puccini’s health deteriorated when “he began to complain of pains in his throat. In the autumn of 1924 three specialists diagnosed cancer,” (Puccini: His Life and Works, Budden). During this period of declining health – and spirits, as evidenced by our letter – Puccini frequently corresponded with Magrini, his friend and confidant. Although the medical treatments were successful, his heart was unable to withstand the strain and he died on November 29, 1924, leaving behind the incomplete Turandot manuscript. Magrini received Puccini’s last substantial letter, written November 26 or 27, 1924, that described his treatments and is now in the collection of the Library of Congress. (See: https://search.catalog.loc.gov/instances/da6e9d12-c577-587c-a894-217ef612d93c?option=keyword&query=puccini%20%2B%20magrini )

Puccini’s letter mentions his wife, Elvira, and their son Antonio (1886-1946), talks of hunting and watching some sailing and sends greetings to “all the Pesciaioli” – the people of Pescia.

Folded into quarters and in generally fine condition.