Autograph letter in purple ink, signed by the great composer, in French, thanking the unnamed recipient ("Cher Maitre") for an article on his opera La Bohème, shortly after its Paris premiere. June 19, 1898; 1 p., 8vo. In fine condition.
La Bohème had premiered in Turin in February 1896, conducted by Toscanini, but the French premiere of the opera, as La Vie de bohème, was presented by the Opéra-Comique on 13 June 1898 at the Théâtre des Nations under the baton of Alexandre Luigini. The production used a French translation by Paul Ferrier and starred Julia Guiraudon as Mimì, Jeanne Tiphaine as Musetta, Adolphe Maréchal as Rodolfo, and Lucien Fugère as Marcello. In fact, it is this version which is now considered the definitive text, and the one performed today (though, of course, in Italian). Towards this performance, Puccini made substantial changes to the second tableau, adding a scene and rewriting its finale, and Ricordi published the new edition in 1898.
The present letter is likely addressed to either French composer and music critic Alfred Bruneau who had published a major review in Le Figaro on June 14th; or to Arthur Pougin, one of the most prominent and deeply influential French music critics of the late 19th century, who had penned a substantial review for the leading weekly music journal Le Ménestrel, issued on the date of the present letter.
Autograph letter in purple ink, signed by the great composer, in French, thanking the unnamed recipient ("Cher Maitre") for an article on his opera La Bohème, shortly after its Paris premiere. June 19, 1898; 1 p., 8vo. In fine condition.
La Bohème had premiered in Turin in February 1896, conducted by Toscanini, but the French premiere of the opera, as La Vie de bohème, was presented by the Opéra-Comique on 13 June 1898 at the Théâtre des Nations under the baton of Alexandre Luigini. The production used a French translation by Paul Ferrier and starred Julia Guiraudon as Mimì, Jeanne Tiphaine as Musetta, Adolphe Maréchal as Rodolfo, and Lucien Fugère as Marcello. In fact, it is this version which is now considered the definitive text, and the one performed today (though, of course, in Italian). Towards this performance, Puccini made substantial changes to the second tableau, adding a scene and rewriting its finale, and Ricordi published the new edition in 1898.
The present letter is likely addressed to either French composer and music critic Alfred Bruneau who had published a major review in Le Figaro on June 14th; or to Arthur Pougin, one of the most prominent and deeply influential French music critics of the late 19th century, who had penned a substantial review for the leading weekly music journal Le Ménestrel, issued on the date of the present letter.