Bidspirit auction | [MUSIC] - “DONIZETTI AND THE

[MUSIC] - “DONIZETTI AND THE PRICE OF ART: SECRET NEGOTIATIONS IN PARIS” - DONIZETTI Gaetano - Unpublished autograph letter signed, dated “Paris 22. 8bre 1839” by the Italian Romantic composer, best known for his operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the bel canto opera style during the first half of the nineteenth century. Addressed to the music publisher Schonenberg in Paris. Interesting letter revealing about the kind of relationship between musician and publisher in those days. Donizetti, who had prospected the publisher for a working arrangement, clearly and explicitly lays out his conditions: “…Opera en un acte Dix mille fr. (…) En deux (…) 14 mille (…) En trois (…) 18 mille (…) En quatre (…) 24 mille…”. These are the general conditions, in which, however, the following are not included: “…la grand Opera et les traductions…”. Payment conditions follow: “…Payer la somme apres la premiere representation, comme vous l’avez promis…”. In the postscript line, Donizetti urges a prompt response: “…ce soir si cela est possible…” for a possible settlement of the agreement. If Donizetti could ask for such certainly large sums it was because a few months earlier, precisely on August 6, 1839, he had achieved extraordinary success with his “Lucia di Lammermoor” in French. Of this proposal mentioned in the letter a hint can be found in a letter dela Maestro to Tommaso Persico dated October 8 (see Zavadini no. 328 pp. 502-503), where there is mention of an offer from a French publisher, which, however, Donizetti says he could not accept not so much because of the money offered to him, but because of certain conditions set. Finally, I remembered that at this time the composer was finishing “Poliuto, ” which was later staged on April 10, 1840. 1 p. In-4. Autograph address and post-scriptum at the verso.