ID 1349793
Lot 69 | Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)
Estimate value
£ 25 000 – 35 000
Autograph music manuscript of the aria 'è la vita un mar d'affanni', Rome, 5 November 1844
For voice and piano, 13 bars, in four systems of three staves over 1½ pages, 182 x 242mm, in a gathering of fives leaves extracted from an album, also containing arias by Edoardo Vera and [Fabio] Campana. Later marbled paper wrapper. Provenance: Cristina Ferretti (daughter of the librettist Jacopo Ferretti: owner of the album); Sotheby's, 6 December 1991, lot 223 (unsold).
'Life without love is a sea of troubles': an early Verdi aria. The album leaf is dated in Rome two days after the premiere of I due Foscari: Verdi was in the city with his librettist, Francesco Maria Piave, who may have introduced the composer to his fellow librettist, Jacopo Ferretti, the author of La cenerentola for Rossini and of librettos for five operas by Donizetti. The words for this brief aria may be by Piave himself. The aria does not appear in the bibliographies by Hopkinson or Chusid, and this may be the only manuscript source.
| Artist: | Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901) |
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| Place of origin: | Italy, Europe |
| Auction house category: | Letters, documents and manuscripts, Books and manuscripts |
| Artist: | Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901) |
|---|---|
| Place of origin: | Italy, Europe |
| Auction house category: | Letters, documents and manuscripts, Books and manuscripts |
| Address of auction |
CHRISTIE'S 8 King Street, St. James's SW1Y 6QT London United Kingdom | |
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| Phone | +44 (0)20 7839 9060 | |
| Buyer Premium | see on Website | |
| Conditions of purchase | Conditions of purchase |






![Francesco Maria Piave (1810-1876) – [Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)]](/assets/image/picture_4361092/ce8e2/9bf0c3aa8d8cf02c8a808d9e3da16cac1733871600jpg__fix_162_205.jpeg)






