Boito, Arrigo

with revisions and corrections, including altered titles, and many differences from the published edition, written in dark brown ink on sheets of fine paper formerly folded over, most dated by Boito at the end and with autograph titles on versos, a bound volume also containing an autograph title-page (dated "[1]871"), autograph final leaf (dated 3 July 1867), and an autograph letter signed ("Arrigo Boito"), to the publisher F. Casanova of Turin, the poems dated 1862-1867

the manuscript 46 pages, c.27 x 10.5cms, fine paper, mounted on guards, interleaved with printed copies of the poems (from the second edition of 1902, with vignette illustrations to each number), brown morocco gilt by C. Glingler of Rome (probably c.1937), slipcase, flyleaf presentation inscription to Toscanini ("Ad Arturo Toscanini nella fanata(?) ricorrenza del Suo settantesimo anno, un ammiratore appassionato Francesco Pasquinelli, li 25 Marzo 1937"), the last three poems misbound, creasing at horizontal folds, a few stains

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 an important collection of poems.  Boito (1842-1918) is best known today as Verdi's librettist and as the composer of the opera Mefistofele (1868).  However, he was also a poet, novelist and a journalist, and a leading member of the Italian Scapigliatura movement in literature.  Another member of this movement was the painter and poet Emilio Praga (1839-1875), immortalized in one of these poems.  

Il libro dei versi was first published in 1877 by Casanova of Turin, who also issued a second edition in 1902.  It is a cornerstone of the Scapigliatura movement, displaying many of its important themes, expressing the dualism between reality and idealism.  This dualism is embodied in the opening poem here, 'Dualismo', perhaps the most famous poem in the collection, and in 'Lezione d'anatomia', which here bears an earlier title ("Lezione Anatomica"), deleted and altered by the author.  The poem published as 'Ballatella' appears here as 'Selene ed Ecate', with a motto from Alfred de Musset. There are many textual differences from the editions: the final poem opens "Poichè ho l'anima tetra e sbigottita", where the word "tetra" was published as "cupa" (and there are further revisions to this poem).

This volume contains working drafts of the following poems, with autograph annotations of dates and places: 'Dualismo' (dated "1863"); 'Castello antico' ("Settembre 1863 Luzzano"); 'Demolizioni' ("1869 Milano"); 'A una  mummia' ("Torino. Museo Egizio 1862"); 'Un torso' ("1862. Parigi. Museo del Louvre"); 'Madrigale' ("1866"); 'Poesia e prosa' (the title altered from 'Ipotesi', "Decembre 1865"); 'Selene et Ecate' ("a Mario Sala, stanse per musica"); 'Le foglie' (the title altered from 'Nascean le stelle...', "1864"); 'Georg Pfecher An. Dom: 1807' ("1862 Ratisbona (Dom zu St Peter)"); 'A Giuseppe Ignazio Kraszewski' ("Settembre.1867. Mystki [sic]"); 'Lezione d'anatomia' (title altered from 'Lezione Anatomica', "Giugno 1865"); Ad Emilio Praga ("1866 Marzo"), 'A Giovanni Camerana (1865, 31 Ottobbre); ***, "Poichè ho l'anima tetra e sbigottita" (1863); and 'Scritto sull'ultima pagina del Libro dei versi' ("3 Luglio 1867"). Two poems, 'Case nove' and 'A Giovanni Camerana' are missing or were added later to the collection.

Boito's method of literary composition is unusual in these early drafts, dating from between 1862 and 1867.  He appears to have cut down his paper to tall narrow strips, and used only the right-hand column of each recto.  He then folded over each poem towards him and wrote the title on the blank verso of its final leaf.  Apparently in 1871, when he provided a dated title page, he numbered the leaves sequentially, folding the poems back upwards, so that his titles now appear upside-down on the verso of the last leaf of each poem.  Later, probably in the 1930s, the leaves were all mounted separately on guards, sometimes ignoring Boito's pagination, and interleaved with printed copies of the poems.