Toscanini, Arturo.

in which Boito first begs Duse ("mia Lenor, Lenor, Lenor, Lenor...") to meet him at the Hotel Victoria, then subsequently, in a longer letter, expressing his suffering that she did not appear, begging for at least a note from her, telling him when he can see her and apologizing for his madness ("...Soffro atrocemente. E' un ingiustizia, pazza, mostruosa. Aspetto una parola--supplico--Presto una parola buona...Ti ho ubbidita finchè ho potuto.  Ma questa notte ho creduto di diventar pazzo..."), 3 pages, 4to and 8vo, thin paper with some see-through, [Vienna, October 1933], splitting at fold, lower half of second leaf cut away, but apparently complete, inscribed by another hand on verso

From the collection of the composer Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This is a very particular kind of love-letter, a meta-love-letter:  Toscanini is sending his mistress Ada Mainardi a transcription of a love-letter by the composer Arrigo Boito (1848-1918) to the great actress Eleonora Duse (1858-1924), which echoes his own feelings towards her.  He told Ada on 26 October 1933: "I have transcribed a short one and a longer one, which I am sending you so that you can get a idea of Boito's nobility and goodness, and of the fatuity of Duse, whom I could never stand because of her insincerity" (A. Toscanini, The Letters of Arturo Toscanini, edited by Harvey Sachs, 2002, p.159).  Ada Mainardi, was like most of Toscanini's amours, the wife of a leading musician half his age, to whom he wrote around a thousand mostly very explicit love-letters. It was in 1933, after being pursued by Toscanini, that Ada finally admitted that her own marriage was unhappy.