Verdi, Giuseppe

to a music publisher, declining the dedication by the publishers of an edition of Benedetto Marcello's Psalms, on the grounds that it has long been his practice to avoid such honours, adding that he commends their decision to publish Marcello's music and hopes that it will encourage others to publish the works of Palestrina, as they are great and moreover Italian musical masters ("......Lodo altamente la determinazione di pubblicare i Salmi di Marcello a vorrei che il successo incoraggiasse l'Editore a pubblicare dopo le opere di Palestrina....Palestrina Marcello...quali maestri!!..così poco conosciuti!  Eppur son Nostri!..."), together with a draft of a letter about a portrait of Mazzucato, and financial memoranda

2 pages, 8vo, Genoa, 24 March 1879

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 characteristic letter by Verdi.  Throughout 1878 and 1879 he wrote (for example, to Arrivabene, the Società dei Quartetti and La Scala) that he wished to promote the old Italian school as personified by Palestrina and Marcello in the face of the onslaught of German instrumental music such as string quartets. In April 1879 he wrote again commending their musical tradition  ("...pure un' Arte grande...ed è nostra!").  In 1887 he wrote to Boito providing a list of seventeen Italian composers, of which Palestrina was "in primis ed ante omnia".  The edition of Marcello's Psalms discussed here may be the 50 Salmi di Davide, published by the Calcografia Musica Sacra of Milan in the 1880s, with a piano accompaniment by F. Mirecki.