PUCCINI REFERS TO HIS WORK ON ‘TURANDOT’ - “LA INFAME PRINCIPESSA” PUCCINI (Giacomo, 1858-1924, Italian Composer of ‘Tosca’ and ‘Bohème’)

Fine Autograph Letter Signed (with initial ‘P’) in Italian with translation on a postcard, to Madame Margit VÉSZI (1885-1961, Hungarian Writer, Painter and Graphic Artist, best known for Hotel Imperial) saying “Of Liliom, nothing. It's good work but I have the infamous princess who grips me. And I treat her badly by neglecting her. All finished ! Sic transit. Goodbye sweet Margit. When are you coming here? Dearest Margit, I did nothing during summer. In August, I travelled by car : Germany and Holland. Now I'm starting to become reasonable. And whatever I do, I'm doing little by little. I'm not in a hurry. I'm not going to Budapest, I think I'll go to Clausetti. Now I should make an escapade to Paris for Schicchi at the opéra comique. In mid-November I will go to Cisterna near Rome. Then Terracina hunting for a month and so on and what if it lasted a long time!...”, 2 sides postcard with autograph address on the verso, Viareggio, 20th October

Gianni Schicchi is a comic opera in one act by Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, composed in 1917–18. The libretto is based on an incident mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy. The work is the third and final part of Puccini's Il trittico (The Triptych) – three one-act operas with contrasting themes, originally written to be presented together.
Liliom is a 1909 play by the Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár. It was well known in its own right during the early to mid-20th century, but is best known today as the basis for the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1945 musical Carousel.
In 1921 Puccini started working on his last work, Turandot, which he left unfinished upon his death. Margit Veszi, former wife of author Ferenc Molnar, had suggested Liliom for a possible libretto but Puccini rejected the newspaper reports that he was working on it as 'gossip' as "the infame principessa" (Turandot) was absorbing him completely.
Transcription
Madame Margit Vészi, Luise pl 9, Berlino, Germania, 20 ottobre 1922
Viareggio, Di Liliom, niente.
È bel lavoro ma ho la infame principessa che mi attanaglia. Ed io la tratta male trascurandola. Tutto finito ! Sic transit.
Addio dolce Margit. Quando venite in qua ?
Carissima Margit, tutto l'estate non ho fatto nulla. In agosto, ho viaggiato in auto : Germania e Olanda. Ora incomincio a metter giudizio. E qualcosa faccio a poco a poco finirò. Non ho nessuna fretta. A Budapest non vado, andrò credo Clausetti. Adesso dovrei fare una scappata a Paris per Schicchi all'opéra comique. A metà novembre andrò a Cisterna presso Roma. Terracina a caccia per un mese e così avanti e se durasse molto !
Auguri da G.P
Translation
Madame Margit Vészi, Luise pl 9, Berlin, Germany, October 20, 1922
Viareggio, Of Liliom, nothing.
It's good work but I have the infamous princess who grips me. And I treat her badly by neglecting her. All finished ! Sic transit.
Goodbye sweet Margit. When are you coming here?
Dearest Margit, I did nothing during summer. In August, I traveled by car : Germany and Holland. Now I'm starting to become reasonable. And whatever I do, I'm done little by little. I'm not in a hurry. I'm not going to Budapest, I think I'll go to Clausetti. Now I should make an escapade to Paris for Schicchi at the opéra comique. In mid-November I will go to Cisterna near Rome. Then Terracina hunting for a month and so on and what if it lasted a long time!

Item Date:  1922

Stock No:  42068      £975

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