[Carta intestata]

Telephone

Willesden 2024.

43, Mowbray Road,

London, N. W. 6.

30th July 1950

Caro Dottore,

Yesterday I returned to G. Ricordi, Via Berchet by registered post the corrected proofs of my 50 Vocalizzi (E.R.945). I think they will look nice in the finished form, and I am going to push the sales all I can; after all they are quite unique and of proven value.

Now there is just one thing in their connection that I want to get off my mind; merely a question of a few words in the “Prefazione” and at bottom of last page. Let me explain:

In Paragraph 5 of the “Prefazione” I wrote in my manuscript:

“Per ogni esercizio si dà solo un modello; il cantante potrà facilmente trasportarli nei toni voluti. Gli esercizi vanno cantati nei vari toni, procedendo per semitoni. ecc. ecc.”

Then at bottom of the last page (N.13) I wrote: “poi, per i successivi trasporti nei vari toni,” ecc.

When the “bozze” came from your works I noticed that the three words “nei vari toni” had been altered on last page “nelle varie tonalità”. But they had not altered anything in the “Prefazione” regarding “toni voluti” and “nei vari toni”, (as transcribed above).

Having been over here for 25 years I have naturally lost much of “thinking in Italian” as I used to do. Here in England we say “transpose into the different keys” while in Italian I feel sure one says “si cambia tono”. And doesn’t one also say “nel tono di do maggiore” ecc.? (And not tonalità di do maggiore?)

However, I began to have doubts as to right and wrong so I corrected that part of the Prefazione mentioned above, so that it reads (Paragraph 5):

“Per ogni esercizio si dà solo un modello; il cantante potrà facilmente trasportarli nelle tonalità volute. Gli esercizi vanno cantati nelle varie tonalità, procedendo per semitoni” ecc. ecc.

As you will know, I mean to convey that every exercise should be transposed up a semitone at a time and so go from Do maggiore to Reb maggiore, poi Re, poi Mib maggiore, and so on. Therefore I mean a change of key or scale. Is not “tono” correct in this case?

However, you will know what is right, and advise accordingly. Let me apologize for giving you this trouble over a detail, but I do like precision, and so do you I know.

Hope this finds you and your family all well. We really must meet when next you visit London. ELEVEN years have gone by since we last met. What a slice off one’s life this war was! Well, please accept my very grateful thanks for authorizing the new publication of the Vocalizzi. I feel more than sure Ricordi will not be a loser on them-

All the best, Saluti da noi tutti.

Sincerely,

E. Herbert-Caesari