Tornaghi to Bottesini (Paris, 3 Apr 1860)

50 Rue Faubourg Montmartre Carissimo Tornaghi, While I was working cheerfully on the modifications to my opera, news arrived from the Baritone Storti declining the role, it has unexpectedly destroyed my good mood and now I have begun to curse. What would you have me do? Beg Signor Storti on my knees? And if he doesn't know how to perform the role, why force him to? Perhaps it has something to do with the envious musical intelligentsia of Milan. I will arite to Storti anyway: I knew him at Naples when he made his debut, nothing very brilliant (between us). I will also write to Marzi. By God, ... my Assedio di Firenze. Imagine if the baritone Graziani were to come to expressly to sing it, he loves it so much. ... When I tink of the music that one sees being performed these days, I feel capable of doing something myself, and finding the enormous difficulties that are always up against me, I promise you that I would much prefer to be a cobbler. I am prepared to lose even all my Contrabasses, if performing l'Assedio di Firenze is not a bright success. Leave me to pour out my heart. Isn't true that it is really a sad condition? ... Try then to propose acceptable my Assedio. I prefer it to everything I have written; the subject is adapted to the happy circumstances of Italy. I will give part of the rights to Marzi, but that by God justice is done to me once. I want to be damned if ... I have changed many things in Diavolo della Notte. I cannot remove the ?binding? scene, but I have shortened it so much that it will pass by in a flash, and only with the women ... I have put a Notturnino in place of the Duetto between the Duke and Valeria. In all it is much better. As soon as I have orchestrated it, I will send it to you with the necessary annotations. Give my greetings to Tito, and I hope that your greeting will put everything right. ~Conservami~, think of the situation in which I find myself, furious to do something, and not being able to succeed. Credimi sempre Il tuo aff.mo Gio. Bottesini

Italian Original

Source: Property of Editore Ricordi, Milan

Published in: Inzaghi: Giovanni Bottesini p122, carteggio 21