Sources
84ⁱⁱⁱ. Gianni Schicchi
84ⁱⁱⁱ.A.1
Location:Property of Michael Leitner, son of conductor Ferdinand Leitner, to whom the manuscript was given in Italy. Previously in the auction of Karl & Faber, Munich, 24-26 May 1965 (catalogue p. 301, no. 2503).
1 page, 2°, consisting of an instrumentation draft.
The specific passage in the score cannot be identified from the description of the manuscript provided in the auction catalogue which states: “ca. 17 mit Bleistift beschr. Notenzeilen ... auf einem vorgedruckten Partiturblatt [about 17 staves of music, written in pencil ... on a pre-printed full score leaf].” It might date from Puccini’s work on the finale at the end of March or beginning of April 1918 (see NOTES).
84ⁱⁱⁱ.B.1
N.III.16
)146 leaves, with a later stamped numeration still preserving Puccini’s autograph double leaf numbering of 1-49 and 1-24 (some of which are only single leaves) obviously made during the instrumentation and certainly before the manuscript was delivered to Ricordi. Additionally, there is a continuous pagination in a different handwriting, obviously made by Ricordi after the full score had been delivered.
The rectos all have the stamp of the Prefettura di Milano.
Leaf 146r. contains the acknowledgement of the presentation at the Prefettura di Milano of 27 December 1918; the verso is blank.
Written on two different types of music paper:
- Type A: The music paper has 28 staves and three lines for the percussion instruments. It is pre-printed with the names of the instruments and Puccini’s monogram, but without the opera’s title. It is also the same type of paper that was used for the full scores of La Rondine, Il Tabarro, and Suor Angelica (see 83.B.1 , 84ⁱ.B.1, and 84ⁱⁱ.B.1). However, the title of La Rondine is no longer visible. Since this paper type was used for most of the opera, it is not indicated in the following description of the manuscript.
- Type B: Music paper with 29 staves, two lines for percussion, and pre-printed instruments, but without Puccini’s monogram (it has 8 staves for the voices instead of 6). This is obviously the paper Puccini ordered from Ricordi on 15 February 1918 (see NOTES).
Puccini took pains to notate this score in a particularly legible and clear calligraphy, with only a few corrections. There are a few metronome indications (some in Puccini’s hand) with rehearsal numbers in a different handwriting.
In the following summary, the stamped numeration is used:
Leaf 1r. bears the autograph heading: “Gianni Schicchi 3 febb. [1]918 GPuccini.“
Leaf 73r. (v. blank) is a separate page comprising an insert of 4 bars (fig. 44+8/11) and numbered “144 bis” in Puccini’s hand. He had obviously forgotten to orchestrate this short passage and made this insertion after the manuscript was delivered to and paginated by Ricordi.
Leaves 76/77 (= fig. 46+5 – fig. 47-2) are written on Type B music paper. The change of paper indicates that Puccini inserted this double leaf later, but still before the full score was delivered to the publisher. It is used to revise the part-writing for the voices, which had become too confusing. This also explains the break in Puccini’s own double leaf numbering (“39 bis“ on leaf 78r. after only one leaf with the number “38“).
From leaf 100 (= fig. 59+2) there is a new double leaf numbering of 1–24 in Puccini’s hand (see NOTES).
Leaves 122-125 (= Puccini’s double leaf numbering 13/14 = fig. 73+4 – fig. 75+7) are written on Type B music paper.
Leaf 144v.: At the end of the music Puccini wrote: “20 aprile / [1]918 / viareggio.”
Leaf 145 is blank.
84ⁱⁱⁱ.C.1
Location:Last at Sotheby's auction of 28 November 2017, no. 55.
332 leaves, 17 gatherings of 5 bifolia, Ricordi title label (Partitura, “Full Score,” “Manuscript”).
Copyist’s manuscript in black ink on 32-stave Ricordi paper (“Extra Str[ong]”), mainly in two hands, with autograph pencil revisions by Puccini (notably at fig. 69) and further markings possibly in his hand. A pre-publication version differing from the final score, including a 27-page passage a semitone lower. Marked up for performance, with deletions (fig. 39), conductor’s annotations and transposition notes in English (“Note: from here on the orch[estra] parts are ½ Tone higher”).
Probably prepared in late summer 1918 and used for the premiere.
84ⁱⁱⁱ.D.1
| Copied source | Portion | Bibliographic reference | Page number |
|---|---|---|---|
| 84ⁱⁱⁱ.A.I.61.a |
Specht 1931
Richard Specht, Giacomo Puccini. Berlin: Hesse, 1931. |
opposite p. 97. |
84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.1
First Italian edition:
In: 84.E.1, pp. 225-403.
On the title page for Gianni Schicchi: Libretto di Gioachino [sic] Forzano.
Apart from some details and few textual variants, this edition agrees with the autograph full score (84ⁱⁱⁱ.B.1).
The fact that Puccini still made changes in the score prior to its publication is documented in his unpublished letters to Carlo Clausetti of 8, 27, and 29 June 1918 (see I-Mr, Carteggio Puccini-Clausetti, nos. 78, 82, and 83).
See 84.E.1. |
84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2
Second Italian edition:
In: 84.E.2, pp. 225-403 (with an additional separate pagination of 1-179).
Later also published separately (as announced in Musica d’oggi of October 1921, p. 299): Copyright 1918 (on the endpaper also 1919).
PN 117408, 179 pages, 4°.
Compared with 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.1, there is a considerable number of changes of expression marks and indications of dynamics. Furthermore, this edition includes the following more important changes:
| fig. 14+6/9: | Optional cut of 4 bars for orchestra (mentioned by Puccini in Carteggi 1958, nos. 741 and 745 of 25 January and 21 February 1919). |
| fig. 21+1/2: | Notes and text for La Vecchia were added in 1 bar. |
| fig. 24+4/5: | Gherardo sings instead of Ciesca, Nella, and Betto. |
| fig. 28 – fig. 35: | Everything was transposed one half tone higher in Rinuccio’s aria “Firenze è come un albero fiorito” (including the prelude and postlude), as indicated by Puccini in Carteggi No. 748 of 2 March 1919. |
| fig. 33-6/5: | The meter was changed from 4/4 to 3/4 + 2/4. |
It is uncertain whether all or only some of these changes were already implemented in the first Italian performance.
In MRL, the plate number for the separate edition of Gianni Schicchi was assigned on 1 June 1921. According to MRK, the first printing dates were 31 January 1924 and 30 April 1925.
Obviously Puccini never saw a copy of the corrected separate edition — a situation he bemoaned to Ricordi shortly before his death (see Carteggi 1958, no. 902, of 29 October 1924).
See 84.E.2. For a list of copies of the separately published edition of Gianni Schicchi, see below. |
|||
| I-Lgp Biblioteca del Centro Studi Giacomo Puccini, Lucca |
84iii.E.2 |
BS 3.25 | |
| I-McConservatorio di musica "Giuseppe Verdi", Milan | Spartiti 982 (-) |
BS unknown | |
| I-McConservatorio di musica "Giuseppe Verdi", Milan | Spartiti 983 |
without BS and title pages | |
| I-McConservatorio di musica "Giuseppe Verdi", Milan | Spartiti 984 b (-) |
BS unknown | |
USA holdings: see NUC NP 0634146, 0634147, 063414 |
|||
84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2a
Gianni Schicchi. [Engraved conductor’s score without title page].
Copyright 1918.
Ricordi, Milan, 1919.
PN 117712, 157 pages, 2°.
According to MRL, production began on 19 February 1919.
Apart from a few details in the expression marks, the full score musically agrees with 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2.
84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2b
First German edition:
In: 84.E.2a, pp. 207-377 (with an additional separate pagination of 9-179).
On the title page for Gianni Schicchi: Text von Giovacchino Forzano. Ins Deutsche übertragen von Alfred Brüggemann.
The first performance sung in German took place on 20 October 1920 at the Vienna Staatsoper. The edition was obviously produced in view of that performance. There are some minor discrepancies compared to 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2, but those are probably publisher’s errors.
It was also published separately with the PNs 118100 or 118100 (118097). Although announced in Musica d’oggi of February 1921 (p. 63), MRK only records 30 November 1927 as the first printing date of this separate edition.
CopiesSee 84.E.2a. For a list of copies of the separately published edition of Gianni Schicchi, see below. |
|||
| D-BStaatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz | O.104415 |
BS illegible | |
| D-BStaatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz | N.Mus.O.430 |
BS illegible | |
| D-MbsBayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich | 4° Mus.pr.4765 |
without BS | |
| I-Lgp Biblioteca del Centro Studi Giacomo Puccini, Lucca |
84iii.E.2b |
BS 1.38 | |
84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2c
First French edition:
Gianni Schicchi. Livret de Giovacchino Forzano. Version française de Paul Ferrier. Musique de Giacomo Puccini.
Copyright 1921.
Ricordi, Paris, 1921.
PN 118002, 179 pages, 4°.
Announced in Musica d’oggi of November 1921, 331.
MRL records 15 September 1921 as the beginning of the production for all French editions of the Trittico operas. According to the blind stamps, all of them were ready in October 1921. MRK indicates that they were printed on 31 October (see 84ⁱ.E.2c and 84ⁱⁱ.E.2c), obviously for a performance in French expected soon. The earlier plans for such a performance had failed.Note: *See Puccini’s unpublished letters to Clausetti, I-Mr, Carteggio Puccini/Clausetti, of 12 July and to Sybil Seligman, in MEL, of 21 July 1919. That was only realized with Gianni Schicchi, the first performance of which in French took place at Brussels on 5 January 1922 (see Loewenberg 1943, 705).
Musically, this edition is nearly identical with 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2.
Copies| I-FnBiblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Firenze | Mus.i.838 |
BS 10.21 | |
| I-Lgp Biblioteca del Centro Studi Giacomo Puccini, Lucca |
84iii.E.2c |
BS 10.21 | |
| I-McConservatorio di musica "Giuseppe Verdi", Milan | Spartiti 984 |
BS 10.21 | |
| I-RscConservatorio di Santa Cecilia, Rome | G.21.F.23 |
BS 10.21 | |
| F-PnBibliothèque nationale de France, Paris | 𝄞 4058 |
BS 10.21 | |
| GB-LamRoyal Academy of Music, London | 027832 |
BS 3.25 | |
| GB-ObBodleian Library, Oxford | Mus.A.2239 |
BS 10.21 | |
| GB-ObBodleian Library, Oxford | Mus.22 d.842 |
BS 3.25 | registered 26 February 1968 |
| US-WcLibrary of Congress, Washington, DC | M 1503.P977G5 |
BS 10.21 | registered 22 November 1921 |
84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2d
Libretto di Giovacchino Forzano. Partitura d’orchestra.
Copyright 1927, on the first page of music: 1918.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1927.
PN 120482, 157 pages, 8°.
According to MRL, production began on 11 February 1927. MRK records 31 May 1927 as the printing date. It was printed from the plates of 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2a and, apart from the plate number, is identical with it.
Copies| I-FnBiblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Firenze | Mus.O.77 |
BS 4.27 | |
| I-Lgp Biblioteca del Centro Studi Giacomo Puccini, Lucca |
84iii.E.2d |
BS 4.27 | |
| I-McConservatorio di musica "Giuseppe Verdi", Milan | Part. op.a-13 |
BS 4.27 | |
| I-NcConservatorio di musica "San Pietro a Majella", Naples | 58 B.2.54 |
BS 4.27 | |
| I-RscConservatorio di Santa Cecilia, Rome | G.24.F.12 |
BS 4.27 | |
| I-RscConservatorio di Santa Cecilia, Rome | 13.G.23 |
BS 4.27 | |
| D-BStaatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz | O.63894 |
BS 4.27 | |
| D-BStaatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz | N.Mus.O.419 |
BS 4.27 | |
| D-MbsBayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich | 8° Mus.pr.1106 |
BS 4.27 | |
| GB-LblThe British Library, London [formerly the British Museum] | E.1204.g |
BS 4.27 | registered 3 January 1930 |
| GB-LblThe British Library, London [formerly the British Museum] | Hirsch II.746 |
BS 4.27 | |
| US-NYpNew York Public Library, New York | JME 75-167 |
BS 4.27 | registered 26 November 1975 |
| US-WcLibrary of Congress, Washington, DC | M 1500.P97G4 1927 |
BS 4.27 | registered 5 May 1927 |
Other USA holdings: see NUC NP 0634142, 0634151 |
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84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2e
First English edition:
Gianni Schicchi. Opera in one act ... English version by Percy Pitt.
Copyright 1918, 1919. English Version Copyright 1930.
Ricordi, London (in the D-B copy: New York), 1930.
PN 121158, 180 pages, 4°.
English and Italian text.
According to MRL, production began on 5 January 1929, and MRK records 31 March 1930 as the first printing date. There were already performances of the opera in English, however, on 7 November 1923 in Glasgow and on 15 January 1924 in London (Loewenberg 1943, 705), but it is unclear which translation was sung on those occasions (an English translation by Edoardo Petri had been published earlier but only as a printed libretto). In the later copies of this edition, no translator is mentioned.
There are several minor discrepancies of publisher’s errors, but the optional cut found in 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2 has not been indicated in this edition (which is also the case in the two subsequent English editions: 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2h and 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2k). It is not known if that was a deliberate restoration of the version in 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.1 or the publisher’s oversight.
From this edition on, all editions of the piano-vocal score of the opera were printed from the same plates.
| I-FnBiblioteca Nazionale Centrale, Firenze | Mus.i.755 |
BS 3.30 | |
| I-Lgp Biblioteca del Centro Studi Giacomo Puccini, Lucca |
84iii.E.2e |
BS 3.30 + Ripristino 1944 | |
| I-McConservatorio di musica "Giuseppe Verdi", Milan | Spartiti 1837 |
Ripristino 1944 | |
| I-NcConservatorio di musica "San Pietro a Majella", Naples | Z.5.1 |
without BS | |
| I-RscConservatorio di Santa Cecilia, Rome | G.21.F.37 |
Ripristino 1944 | |
| D-BStaatsbibliothek zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz | Kp 266/2 |
BS illegible | |
| GB-LblThe British Library, London [formerly the British Museum] | F.860.uu |
BS 5.30 | registered 30 November 1976 |
| US-WcLibrary of Congress, Washington, DC | M 1503.P977G55 |
BS 3.30 | registered 23 April 1930 |
Other USA holdings: see NUC NP 0634152, 0634153, 0634156, 0634158, 0634159 |
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84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2f
Istrumentazione per orchestra ridotta di Ettore Panizza.
Ricordi, Milan, 1954 [?].
PN 128833, 157 pages, 2°.
Corresponding instrumental parts with PN 128834.
Catalogued in MRL on 19 May 1954, this score and parts are only available from the publisher on rental.
Instrumentation: 2 Flutes (also Piccolo), Oboe, 2 Clarinets, Bassoon, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets, Trombone, Timpani, Triangle, Drum, Bass drum, Cymbals, Celesta, Harp, Strings; Backstage: Low Bell [Campana grave].
It is remarkable that this reduced orchestration was published so many years after Puccini’s death. Around the same time Ricordi also issued reductions of La Bohème (67.E.5i) and the other operas of Il Trittico (84ⁱ.E.3e and 84ⁱⁱ.E.3e). During Puccini’s lifetime, similar orchestral reductions for small theatres only existed for Madama Butterfly (74.E.7b) and La Fanciulla del West (78.E.3b).
84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2g
Partitura (nuova edizione riveduta e corretta).
Copyright 1918.
Ricordi, Milan, 1957.
PN P.R.114, 157 pages, 4°.
Printed from the plates of 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2d with only a few minor corrections of publisher’s errors.
84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2h
Second English edition:
English version by Anne and Herbert Grossman.
Copyright 1918, 1919, 1959.
Ricordi, New York, 1959.
PN NY 2044, 180 pages, 4°.
English and Italian text.
This score was also printed later with different letters added to the plate number and with other indications of the publisher. Apart from these variants in the plate numbers and the new translation, the edition is identical with 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2e.
Copies| I-Lgp Biblioteca del Centro Studi Giacomo Puccini, Lucca |
84iii.E.2h |
Ristampa 1972 | |
| GB-LblThe British Library, London [formerly the British Museum] | F.860.t |
registered 12 November 1959 |
|
| US-WcLibrary of Congress, Washington, DC | M 1503.P977G55 1959 |
registered 19 November 1959 |
84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2i
Third Italian edition:
A cura di Mario Parenti (1962).
Copyright 1918 and 1930.
Ricordi, Milan, 1962.
PN 121158, 180 pages, 4°.
Italian and English text.
The music and the Italian text are printed from the corrected plates of 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2e with a number of new corrections of certain details, but with some careless mistakes as well. Strangely enough, Ricordi used the original plate number of the English edition and the old translation by Percy Pitt (like 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2e) for this edition.
84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2k
Third English edition:
Copyright 1959 ... per la traduzione inglese ... Copyright renewed 1987.
Ricordi, Milan, 1987.
PN 132848, 180 pages, 4°.
English and Italian text.
Apart from the new plate number (which, according to MRL, was assigned by the end of October 1978), this edition is identical with 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2h, including the English translation by Anne and Herbert Grossman.
84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2l
Second German edition:
Deutsche Übertragung von Gunter Selling.
Copyright 1918 and 1930; Copyright für die deutsche Übertragung 1988.
Ricordi, Milan etc., 1989.
PN 134875, 180 pages, 4°.
German and Italian text.
According to MRL, the plate number was assigned in January 1989.
Apart from the new German text, the edition agrees completely with 84ⁱⁱⁱ.E.2i.