Verdi, Giuseppe

to the stage designer Carlo Ferrario, asking if he can see some of his designs for Otello when he comes to Milan, praising the sketches he saw a few days previously, expressing his faith in Ferrario and recalling the beautiful scenery that he created for the Italian première of La forza del destino;  he reminds him to ensure that, in the opening scene, due prominence is given to the Doge's Palace,

1 page, 8vo (c.21 x 13.5cm), integral blank, St Agata, 24 October 1886, damp-staining to left- & right-hand edges, affecting a few letters, splitting at folds,

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."

Apparently unpublished: not in Hans Busch, Verdi's Otello and Simon Boccanegra (revised version in Letters and Documents, 2 vols (1988).  We have traced no other letters by Verdi to Ferrario, who made the set designs for Otello. He is not mentioned by Abbiati or Matz.

Carlo Ferrario (1833-1907) was "the most influential Italian scenic artist in the second half of the nineteenth century...his scenic realizations for Verdi are the foundation of the Verdi tradition" (D.J. Hough in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera); yet letters by Verdi to him or other autogaph material concerning his work are very scarce.   Ferrario designed the premières at La Scala for Mefistofele (1868), La forza de destino (1869), La Gioconda (1876) and Die Meistersinger (1899).

This would appear to be the letter that Verdi wrote in response to Giulio Ricordi's request of 23 October; Ferrario had lost the precious encomium Verdi had sent him about the sets for La forza del destino in 1869, and Ricordi advised that "only two lines from you" would help Ferrario's application for a professorship at the Brera (see Busch, pp.247-248).  It had been at Verdi's invitation that Ferrario had returned to La Scala after six years at the Carcano.