Verdi, Giuseppe

written in dark brown ink with many extensive deletions, alterations and revisions, containing a post-script in which Verdi complains about Ricordi's decision not to stage La forza del destino at Naples, when that theatre [San Carlo] might make a much better job of staging his works than La Scala did recently, suggesting that he also negotiates with Lampugnani to stage Aida at Naples; in the opening unpublished part of the letter Verdi rails against recent La Scala performances of Aida ("un Semifiasco") Rigoletto ("un fiasco"), and Il trovatore, insists that Ricordi should publish his choral "Pater Noster" just as in the original, without reducing the scores for the benefit of incompetent choral conductors, and tells him that he will send a copy of the "Ave Maria" tomorrow and then orchestrate it simply so that he can also issue a piano reduction

4 pages, 8vo (c.21 x 13.5cm), Genoa, 9 January 1880



...Nel Rigoletto sa il migliore è il Tenore, Dio eterno! cosa sarà il resto. E nel Trovatore!...Sono interessato a pregarvi di dare Forza Destino a Napoli. Avrete vostre ragioni per rifiutare ma ora parebbe puntiglio.  Quel Teatro và meglio di tant' altri. Dopo quell'Aida e quel tale Rigoletto alla Scala si puo ben dare Aida a Napoli... 

Carteggio Verdi-Ricordi 1880-1881, edited P. Petrobelli et al (1988), p.7 (telegram, no,4)

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This remarkable and striking manuscript is unpublished. It is not among the letters in the Carteggio Verdi-Ricordi;  only the postscript, about La forza del destino, is hitherto known, as a telegram. 

Verdi discusses six works in this remarkable and substantial letter: the staging of four operas (La forza del destino, Rigoletto, Aida and Il trovatore), and the publication of two recently-composed vocal pieces, the five-part choral "Pater Noster" and the "Ave Maria" for solo soprano and strings, which Ricordi published in vocal score.   Verdi was a tough businessman in his dealings with Ricordi, and this letter, particularly in its furiously deleted passages, gives an insight into the composer's immediate reactions to problems.  The letter is a heavily-worked draft rather than the finished item and Verdi perhaps decided against sending the full excoriating text, contenting himself with sending the postscript in the form of a telegram two days later.