Sources * Unless stated otherwise, in all of the following rubrics the rehearsal numbers refer to the current Ricordi edition.
78. La Fanciulla del West

78.A.1

Composition draft of Acts 1 and 2, consisting of 353 pages, 4°, diverse types of music paper with 10 or 12 staves (14 of those pages are blank and 10 are in a different handwriting [Carignani’s?], some of which also bear Puccini’s corrections). There are diverse autograph numberings of leaves, double leaves, and pages, as well as a (later) continuous pagination of 1–213 (Act 1) and 1-148 (Act 2, with a few unnumbered pages) in a different handwriting.
On the first page of Act 1, there is the autograph heading: “La Girl / 24 maggio [1]908 / milano”; on p. 7 of the continuous numeration within the prelude to the opera Puccini wrote: “The Girl milano 1.3.08 GP”; on the last page of the first act, at the end of the music he wrote: “Fine atto I° / 28.4.09 / GPuccini."
Act 2 has a continuous autograph pagination from 1 to 163. It is clear that several previ- ously extant pages are missing, namely: pp. 45/46 (= fig. 23+5 – fig. 24+5), pp. 115-135 (= fig. 53+7 – fig. 61+2), pp. 138-143 (= fig. 62+3 – fig. 64+9), pp. 153/154 (= fig. 70+1 – fig. 72-3), pp. 156/157 (= fig. 72+7 – fig. 74-2), pp. 160/161 (= fig. 75+4/15, see 78.A.2).
On p. 22, there is the autograph date “8 agosto [1]909” (at fig. 12-3); on p. 39 a correction is dated “8 ag[osto]. [1]909” (at fig. 22-5); on p. 73 “Febbraio [1]910” (at fig. 32); on p. 74 “Vive / 24.9.09” (after fig. 32 in a passage already deleted in 78.B.1). The late dating of the correction on p. 73 apparently means that it had been carried out in connection with the orchestration.
The composition draft of Act 1 is complete, with the exception of the orchestral prelude (up to fig. 5), which Puccini sketched in May 1908 (see also 78.A.I.1.a) — proven not only by the initial date, but also by the fragmentary state of the first 12 pages of this manuscript. The prelude was probably finally written in its entirety when Puccini orchestrated the music in January 1910. The manuscript also contains smaller passages, which no longer exist in the autograph full score 78.B.1.
Act 2 is not complete. Moreover, the calligraphy is more hastily written than the notation of the first act. Often only the vocal parts are present, with a simple outline of the accom- paniment. Also there are many more corrections and deletions of entire pages. The manuscript breaks off with fig. 76-1, at the beginning of the card game. The gaps in the autograph and non-autograph pagination make one believe that the manuscript was once more complete than its extant state. This is also indicated by the fact that there is an additional leaf at the end, comprising an autograph title page headed “Atto 3°."
The manuscript includes yet another additional leaf consisting of unidentificated sketches. At the top of that leaf, Puccini wrote the address of a certain “Minetti, Via Andegari 8” (probably the garage for auto repairs in Milan occasionally mentioned in Puccini’s letters). The non-autograph pages are probably Carignani’s copies of the corresponding passages, which may have been necessary because the autograph pages had become too difficult to read from too many corrections.

78.A.2

Bundle of 25 leavesNote: *An additional leaf preserved with this assortment of sketches actually belongs to Turandot (see 91.A.I.2.a). with sketches for diverse passages of the opera. The leaves mainly originated from an early state of the composition. In many cases, there are substantial differences from the definitive version, and many of them are also obviously based on an earlier version of the libretto.

78.A.3

Last in Stargardt’s auction of 16/17 February 1971, No. 67.

28 pages, 4°, comprising sketches for four different passages of Act 1 (8 pages with 44 bars) and four different passages of Act 3 (8 pages with 45 bars), including the last eight bars of the opera. The other 12 pages consist of sketches that were presumably rejected and unused in the opera. Some of these pages might now be part of 78.A.2.
Since Stargardt’s catalogue does not describe the sketches in detail, a more precise identification has not been possible.

78.A.I.1.a

2 pages, 2° with 12 staves comprising a sketch of the first 13 bars of the opera (different from 78.A.1). The autograph heading states: “La Girl. maggio / [1]908 / milano / GPuccini.”

78.A.I.2.b

Private collection in Monaco

1 leaf, 4° with 10 staves.
The recto contains sketches of 2 + 8 bars for the beginning of Act 1. The first two bars are the same as the last two bars of 78.A.I.2.a (= fig. 2+12/13), so chronologically this sketch is probably closely related to that one. The following 8 bars in 6/8 bear the autograph indication: “Gioco” and therefore probably pertain to the card game in Act 1. None of these were used in the opera in the same way, so this leaf probably belongs to the earliest sketches.

78.A.I.12.a

1 leaf, 2° with 12 staves comprising 10 bars and the autograph indication “Frammento [fragment] / atto I° La Figlia del West” signed at the end and dated by the composer: “Torre del Lago / 12.1.09.”

This is a fair copy of the passage in Act 1 (fig. 12+2 – fig. 13+3) made for a collection of autographs sold to benefit the victims of the Messina earthquake on 28 December 1908, which claimed 83,000 lives.
The vocal parts correspond exactly to the definitive version. The accompaniment is still substantially different but agrees with the composition draft 78.A.1.

78.A.I.22.a

2 pages, 4° (33 x 24.5 cm). 

This was a sketch for the Jake Wallace episode at the beginning of Act 1 (fig. 22+1 – fig. 23+2), presumably from November 1907 (see NOTES).

78.A.I.24.a

Fragment of a leaf comprising a sketch for Act 1 (fig. 24+6/13), possibly written as early as November 1907.

78.A.I.26.a

Private collection of Peter Ross, Bern

1 leaf, 4° (33 × 24 cm) with 10 staves comprising a sketch of 13 bars of an accompaniment without the vocal lines for the first act (fig. 26+4 – fig. 27-1), presumably written as early as November 1907.

78.A.I.49.a

1 leaf, 2° with 12 staves.

Sketch with numerous corrections for Act 1, fig. 49-3 – fig. 50+7, described in the Catalogue No. 11 [2002] of Kotte Autographs.
The leaf probably dates from Puccini’s work on the continuous composition of Act 1 in March and/or April 1908.

78.A.I.50.a

Last (1998) at the music antiquarian J&J Lubrano, Great Barrington, Massachusetts; formerly at Sotheby’s auction of 26 May 1994, No. 393 (see 78.D.7)

1 leaf, 2° with 12 staves. 

Musical ideas probably notated by Puccini during his continuous work on the composition of Act 1 in March and/or April 1908. The leaf contains the following four sketches for Act 1:

78.A.I.57.a

Last at Bolaffi's auction of 10 December 2008, Turin, No. 70 (see 78.D.17)

Sketch of 19 bars for old fig. 57 - fig. 59+4.

78.A.I.59.a

Private collection in Italy

1 leaf, 2° (38 × 27.3 cm) with 12 staves.
Sketch of 11 bars for fig. 59-1 – fig. 60-5 in Act 1. This is another sketch for the same passages as 78.A.I.50.a/2 and 78.A.I.50.a/3, altered extensively, with several modifications of the voice parts.

The leaf probably dates from Puccini’s work on the continuous composition of Act 1 in March and/or April 1908.

78.A.I.73.a

1 leaf, 2° with 12 staves.
Composition draft with numerous corrections for Act 1, fig. 73+6 – fig. 75+2 (described in the catalogue 109, 1979, of the music antiquarian Macnutt, No. 65).

The leaf probably dates from Puccini’s work on the continuous composition of Act 1 in March and/or April 1908.

78.A.I.63.a

Last at Sotheby's auction of 20 May 2014, no. 203 (the catalogue includes a facsimile of p. 1).

2 pages, 2° with 12 staves, fig. 63+5 ff., 19 bars.

Probably composed in the summer of 1909.

78.A.I.75.a

Private collection in Italy.

1 leaf, 2° with 12 staves.
Sketch for Act 1, fig. 75+3 – fig. 78+1, so immediately following 78.A.I.73.a.

The leaf probably dates from Puccini’s work on the continuous composition of Act 1 in March and/or April 1908.

78.A.I.87.a

1 leaf of plain paper, 4°.
Only the recto contains writing, consisting of staves drawn by Puccini with 8 bars of an impromptu sketch headed “Tempo di valzer boston / con accompa[gnamento] zoppo [limping]”; the key of C is indicated by the words “in do”, written to the left of the first staff; the first 4 bars are marked with a repeat sign, by the words “va in Mib [change to the key of E flat]” (which he does for the next 4 bars); at the end is the indication: “poi ritorno / in do — / e insistere / con gusto / sul re [?] [then return / (to the first bar), in C — / and tastefully persist / on D].”

At the end of the page (upside down) there is a sketch of 3 ^_3/4 bars with the indication “mi minore / Lento”; the word “doloroso” is also present.
InI-Baf, the leaf is collated with Puccini’s sketches for Madama Butterfly preserved in that collection (see 74.A.3).

78.A.I.88.a

Private collection in Italy.

1 leaf, 2° with 12 staves comprising a sketch for Act 1 (fig. 88-7 – fig. 88+4).

It probably originated during Puccini’s work on Act 1 in the first months of 1908 (see 78.A.1).

78.A.I.96.a

1 leaf, 2° with 12 staves comprising a sketch for the orchestral introduction to the duet for Minnie and Johnson (fig. 96) bearing Puccini's inscription "oro barile."

78.A.I.103.a

Private collection in Italy

Fragment of a leaf, torn in the middle, but certainly originally 2° with 12 staves comprising a sketch for Act 1 (fig. 103+5/11). 

It probably originated during Puccini’s work on Act 1 in the first months of 1908 (see 78.A.1).

78.A.I.103.b

Private collection in Italy

Fragment of a leaf, torn in the middle, but certainly originally 2° with 12 staves comprising a sketch for Act 1 (fig. 103+8/11, nearly identical with 78.A.I.103.a). 

It probably originated during Puccini’s work on Act 1 in the first months of 1908 (see 78.A.1).

78.A.I.105.a

Last at the music antiquarian Schneider, Tutzing

Schneider’s catalogue No. 270, 1983, p. 54, No. 162, described this manuscript as follows: “Sketches for Minnie’s scene in the 2^nd Act [actually Act I] ... , beginning on p. 131 of the piano-vocal score (the original words ‘cane parlanti’, were changed to what is now ‘so ma ho’) to p. 134, bar 3.”Note: *“Skizzen zur Szene der Minnie im 2. Akt [richtig: 1. Akt] ..., beginnend auf S. 131 im Klavierauszug (‘cane parlanti’, heute geändert in ‘so ma ho’) bis S. 134, 3. Takt.” The same description was previously in Schneider’s catalogue No. 206, 1976, p. 34, No. 46. According to this description, the sketch concerns the passage near the end of Act 1, fig. 105+4 – fig. 107+9.

78.A.I.107.a

Last at Sotheby's auction of 9 June 2010, No. 71. Previously at the antiquarian Kotte Autographs, Roßhaupten

2 pages, 2° with 12 staves.

78.A.I.115.a

1 leaf, 2°, comprising the last page of the full score of Act 1 (on music paper like 78.B.1), with a certificate of authenticity written by Carlo Carignani, probably the former owner of this manuscript. Puccini presumably eliminated the leaf from 78.B.1 because of its numerous corrections. It was replaced there by the new leaf 136. Since this was dated 21 January 1910, 78.A.I.115.a might have been written just shortly prior to that. The page does not yet convey the definitive version, for example, Minnie’s last words “ Un viso d’angelo!” (fig. 115+6) are missing.

78.A.II.20.a

2° (37.5 × 27 cm) with 12 staves comprising 27 bars + 6 cancelled bars of a sketch for a passage in the second act (fig. 20+9 – fig. 22-5) with numerous corrections and a few variants from the version preserved in the continuous composition draft of that act (see 78.A.1). 

Presumably this sketch originated in the summer of 1909 (see NOTES).Note: *It was described in Catalogue No. 206, 1976, of the music antiquarian Hans Schneider, Tutzing, p. 34, No. 49. 

78.A.II.26.a

Last at Sotheby's auction of 27 November 2017, No. 56. Previously in private collection of Friedrich Georg Zeileis, Gallspach, Austria (acquired in 1976 from Rita Puccini, see Zeileis 1992, 135).

1 leaf (only 1 page contains writing), 2°, used to notate 5 bars (fig. 26+5/10) of the autograph full score of Act 2. In the middle of the page is the heavily scrawled explicative “Merda [Shit]”, for as he was working Puccini obviously decided to substantially change nearly all of the orchestration at this juncture. He tore the leaf and began rewriting it on a new double leaf, now in 78.B.1 with the autograph numbering “16.”

78.A.II.53.a

1 leaf, 2° (35.5 × 25.5 cm) with 12 staves comprising a sketch of 10 bars for Act 2 (fig. 53-2/+8), presumably from the summer of 1909.

78.A.II.55.a

Last at the music antiquarian Schneider, Tutzing, Catalogue No. 274, 1983, p. 44, No. 107

2 pages, 2°, described by Schneider as a sketch of a passage in Act 2 (fig. 55+7 – fig. 56+3), presumably written in the summer of 1909.

78.A.III.3.a

Last in Stargardt's auction of 23/24 March 2004, No. 929 (see 78.D.15)

1 page, 2° with 12 staves comprising a sketch for Act 3 (fig. 3-2/+9), presumably written in November 1909. 

78.A.III.4.a

1 leaf, 2° (35.5 × 25.5 cm) with 12 staves comprising a sketch of 20 bars for Act 3 (approximately from fig. 4-2), presumably written in November 1909.

78.A.III.8.a

1 leaf, 2° (35.5 × 25.5 cm) with 12 staves comprising a sketch of 8 bars for Act 3 (near fig. 8+14), presumably written in November 1909.

78.A.III.10.a

Last (1998) at the music antiquarian J&J Lubrano, Great Barrington, Massachusetts; formerly in Sotheby’s auction of 1/2 December 1993, No. 466 (see 78.D.10)

2 pages, 2° with 12 staves comprising a sketch for Act 3 (fig. 10+4/9), after which there is the autograph inscription: “La Fanciulla / del West / Giacomo Puccini / luglio [1]910."

This manuscript probably originated much earlier, in November 1909 (see NOTES). The date on the manuscript probably indicates the month Puccini presented it to an unknown recipient.

78.A.III.11.a

Private collection in Italy

78.A.III.12.a

Last in Stargardt’s auction of 13/14 May 1965, No. 605 (see 78.D.11)

1 page, 4° with 12 staves comprising a sketch for Act 3 (fig. 12-1/+3). At the bottom, there is the autograph inscription: “La Fanciulla / del West / Giacomo Puccini / luglio [1]910.” This manuscript probably originated much earlier, in November of 1909 (see NOTES). The date on the manuscript probably indicates the month Puccini presented it to an unknown recipient. 

This music immediately follows 78.A.III.11.a.

78.A.III.12.b

1 leaf, 2° (37.5 × 27.5 cm) with 12 staves comprising a sketch of 11 bars for Act 3 (from fig. 12+4), presumably written in November 1909.

This music immediately follows 78.A.III.12.a.

78.A.III.24.a

Missing (formerly in I-TLp; see 78.D.12)

1 page with sketches for Act 3 (near fig. 24). These barely decipherable sketches relate to the music shortly before Johnson’s aria, “Ch’ella mi creda,” and probably date from November 1909 (see NOTES).

For many years, the manuscript was part of the exhibit at the Puccini museum, however it has been missing (at least) since November 1998.

78.A.III.44.a

Private Collection in Italy

78.A.III.44.b

Private collection of Paul Ruppert, Wetzikon, Switzerland (see 78.D.16)

2 pages, 4° with 12 staves, header "Scena evangelica," comprising a sketch for the end of the opera (old fig. 44+2). 

Since it contains indications of instruments, this sketch probably dates from July 1910 (see NOTES).

78.A.III.13.a

1 leaf, 2° (37.5 × 26 cm) with 12 staves comprising a sketch of 13 bars for Act 3 (from fig. 13+7), presumably written in November 1909.