Ponchielli, Amilcare, (1834-1886)

1) to Luigi Cesari, the impresario of the Teatro Regio, Turin, enquiring about the continued success of I promessi sposi, expressing concern about the baritone and tenor roles, asking him to extend his congratulations and those of his wife [Teresa Brambilla] to the conductor Mascheroni and to the singers Mottelli, Sormani, Maria Savelli and her father, and demanding a detailed written report on the singing of the baritone Francisco d'Andrade in Donizetti's La favorita, since he will attend the performances in person if his report is enticing enough, 3 pages, 8vo, ruled paper, splitting at folds, some repaired on verso, Lecco (Lake Como), 2 October 1882--2) to Antonio Vanbianchi, enquiring when he can visit Maestro Zanetti in order to inspect the manuscript of Simone Mayr’s "Lamentations", or, if the archive is inaccessible, then he will use the "Lamentations" by Alessandro Nini instead, adding in a postscript that he met Enrico Bossi that morning and was greatly impressed with his organ music, 3 pages, 8vo, ruled paper, light browning, autograph envelope, stamped and postmarked ("Milano Ferrovia 11 05 18[75]")--3) Printed visiting card signed and inscribed with fourteen-line message to Tito [Ricordi], asking if he might find a little corner in his box for his wife to attend the third performance of his opera Marion Delorme ("...Potrebbe dirmi se v’è un cantuccio per essa nel di Lei palco, o in quello del sig^e Peppo?…"), 2 pages, visiting card (5.8 x 9.6cm), [Milan, 1885], together with a postcard photograph of Ponchielli 

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Amilcare Ponchielli (1834-1886) was the greatest of Verdi's operatic contemporaries. His masterpiece La gioconda (1876) remains a stalwart of the repertory.