Boito, Arrigo

about Verdi's Quattro pezzi sacri and his own opera Nerone, a warm series of letters, in which Boito frequently expresses his admiration for the conductor, discussing problems with the orchestra for “i pezzi sacri di Verdi”, explaining that Gatti-Casazza appears to be signing up all the good musicians, and expressing his enthusiasm about hearing a rehearsal of the “tre pezzi del Maestro” [annotated by Toscanini in pencil: “Pezzi sacri di Verdi”]; Boito reports progress on Nerone, informing him that he has finished the orchestration of Act 4 and asking him to return the first act, so that he may revise it, enclosing a letter for Caruso [inviting him to perform Nerone], annotated by Toscanini, subsequently expressing delight at his collaboration, confessing his dissatisfaction with a rehearsal, expressing his horror of being involved in a “mezzo fiasco” or “successo di stima”, asking him to conduct an orchestral concert for the “Società del Quartetto”, sending him the draft of a letter to Albertini about a dispute over the payment due to Toscanini, discussing the centenary of Verdi's birth in 1913, arranging meetings, discussing book-binders; together with an autograph letter addressed to a “gentile amica”, unidentified but probably Eleonora Duse  (11 February 1890), c.40 pages, mainly 8vo, 14 autograph envelopes (stamps removed), mostly dated without the year, Milan, 1898-1916 where indicated

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
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Boito was a close friend of Toscanini, which whom he shared many confidences and even his letters.  He was instrumental in introducing Toscanini to Verdi and in involving him with the first Italian performances of the Four Sacred Pieces (to begin with only three, as Verdi had not wanted the 'Ave Maria' to be included). In return, Toscanini continually urged and aided Boito to complete his opera Nerone. In fact, Toscanini completed the opera himself after Boito's death in 1918 and finally conducted the successful premiere in 1924.

...Ho terminato l'orchestrazione del quart'atto e, poichè mi sento la mano bene avviata da quest' ultimo lavoro ed esercitata la mente, desidererei profittare per ritoccare la partitura del primo atto la quale dev' essere certamente la più difettosa essendo stata scritta prima d'ogni altra parte dell'opera.  Le sarei quindi, grato se volesse mandarmela, più grato ancora se me la portasse in persona...