Two autograph letters signed from the great Italian soprano to the Italian artist and stage designer Beni Montresor, 4 pp. in total, one with its original envelope. 2/11/80, 8.75 x 8.25 inches; 22.5 x 21 cm; 23/3/86, 11 x 7.5 inches; 28 x 19.5 cm; envelope measures 6 x 4.5 inches; 15 x 11 cm. Both very fine. While we have offered many signed photographs of Tebaldi, these are the first autograph letters from her we have ever offered.

1980 letter, translated in full: "Thank you for your nice letter which I received with great pleasure. I wrote yesterday to Mr. DAVID'S, the furrier, at 50 W. 57th St. to tell him to hand over the Manon costumes to you should you request them. I hope the letter reaches him. If not, let me know because with the mail you never know! It's a pity those very beautiful costumes were worn so few times! Regarding my coming to N.Y. for your event, it will be very difficult for me to be present. I am very sorry, but I will be close to you in thought all the same – thank you for all the lovely expressions I read in your letter regarding me, and which gave me so much pleasure — if you only knew how many times I remember you too when I speak of my "Gioconda" at the Met.....! What became of all those wonderful costumes created by you for that occasion? I heard that some of them were destroyed by fire? What a pity! Each and every one of them was truly a masterpiece — Many thanks again for thinking of me. Beni, I wish you all the best and continued success in your work. Hugs, Renata."

1986 letter, translated in full: "Dear Ben, How happy your letter made me! I thank you so much for writing to me, and thanks also to Ms. Claudia who gave you a reason to do so - If you only knew how many times I remember you too! Life has truly given us so much joy during our working years, and it is always so wonderful to realize it and... [as much as possible]. I have taken a few singing classes, but I still haven't decided anything specific. I am very interested in doing things of a certain importance and I also have a lot of requests for teaching and also in the U.S.A. But a bit of a quiet life is also good, and so we will see later what I decide to do — It makes me happy to know that you are in good health and that you are always working with so much enthusiasm! I always wish you all the best and always many wonderful satisfactions — A warm hug, Renata."

Tebaldi, a lirico-spinto soprano, was among the leading opera singers of the post-war period, a star of La Scala, the San Carlo in Naples and, above all, the Metropolitan Opera. Often counted among the great singers of the 20th century, she concentrated on the verismo roles of the lyric and dramatic repertoire.

Montresor was particularly known in the United States as a designer of sets, lighting and costumes for opera, among them the 1964 American premiere of Gian Carlo Menotti's The Last Savage at the Metropolitan Opera.