Sources * Unless noted otherwise, the rehearsal numbers are those of the current Ricordi edition.
62. Edgar

62.A.I.1.b

3 pages of a double leaf (the last page is blank), 4° (32 × 28 cm) with 12 staves. At the bottom of the first page, in a different handwriting is the name “Teresita Colombelli.”

This is a sketch for the beginning of Act 1 (fig. 1+4 – fig. 3-1); probably the continuation of 62.A.I.1.a, and therefore probably written in March 1885.
For a commentary see Cesari 1994, p. 194, No. 1

62.A.I.24.a

Last in Sotheby’s auction of 4 December 1992, catalogue No. 572 IV.

Two sketches of 71 bars for the “Coro interno nella chiesa” in Act 1 (after fig. 24).
This also certainly stems from the earliest phase of composition, probably written around June 1885 (compare Carteggi 1958 No. 19; concerning the dating see NOTES).
For a commentary see Cesari 1994, p. 199.

62.A.I.24.b

1 leaf, 4° (32 × 27 cm) with 12 staves.

Sketch for the “Coro interno nella chiesa” in Act 1 (fig. 24+8 – fig. 25+2), with additional sketches of 2 + 3 bars for Edgar’s monologue (from fig. 36+19, shortened much later) and verbal annotations for the instrumentation.
62.A.I.24.a, this was probably written in June 1885.
For a commentary see Cesari 1994, pp. 194-95, Nos. 2-4.

62.A.I.29.a

1 leaf, 2° with 24 staves from the full score of Act 1, written on both sides, with the autograph page numbering “25” and “26."

The leaf corresponds to leaf 80 of 62.B.1, which bears the autograph pagination “17” and “18,” and differs only in the key signature (see also the description in Cesari 1994, p. 202). This certainly was a part of the original full score, probably written in the autumn of 1886, which was later changed again when Puccini removed this leaf along with some other pages he deleted.

62.A.I.36.a

1 leaf, 4° (31 × 27.5 cm) with 12 staves.

Sketch for Edgar’s scene (originally “Scena VII”) in Act 1: 8 bars of orchestral prelude (scribbled at the end of the second page, upside down) and 19 bars of the vocal line, without text (= 62.E.1 from letter B, cut from 62.E.4). This sketch certainly dates from autumn 1885.
For a commentary see Cesari 1994, p. 195, Nos. 5 and 6.

62.A.I.43.a

1 double leaf, 2° (38 × 26 cm) with 30 staves and the words “Proprietà del R. Stabilimento Musicale Tito di Gio. Ricordi — Milano” imprinted on the left margin. Only one page is used for this sketch of two 12/8 bars. The paper is prepared as a full score for orchestra and many voices, but Puccini only filled in four staves for the highest woodwinds (originally written as 2/4 bars) and the violins. At the end of the woodwind bars he wrote “etc”, and below: “magari Fine [I wish it were the end]” — probably intended as an ironic comment, when Puccini finally abandoned this sketch.

62.A.I.43.b

1 double leaf, 2° (38 × 26 cm) with 30 staves and the words “Proprietà del R. Stabilimento Musicale Tito di Gio. Ricordi — Milano” imprinted on the left margin.
On p. 1 Puccini sketched 3 bars of an incomplete full score draft from the beginning of the finale of Act 1 (corresponding to leaf 91r. in 62.B.1). This passage was already cut in 62.E.1 (see Cesari 1994, pp. 436-37).
p. 2 (upside down) contains a 2-bar sketch of an accompaniment; p. 3 bears a sketch for the first bar of the “Scena Prima” of Act 4 with the heading: “Fidelia sola Atto IIII°”; p. 4 is blank.

Temporarily and in content, the leaf is closely related to 62.A.I.43.a, written on the same type of music paper.

62.A.I.43.c

1 leaf, 4° (32.5 × 24 cm) with 10 staves, comprising a draft of 6 bars for the finale of Act 1 (fig. 43+4/ 15); the text is missing.

Puccini used the verso for calculations of various numbers.
For a commentary see Cesari 1994, p. 195, No. 7.

62.A.II.1.a

Private collection of O.W. Neighbour, London.

1 leaf, 2° (38 × 26 cm; paper from the firm of Ricordi) with 26 staves written on both sides.

Autograph heading (part of which was probably written later): “Edgar Atto II Preludio G Puccini”.
8 bars full score of the beginning of Act 2, with an additional unknown prelude anticipating the theme of Tigrana’s drinking song, perhaps written at the beginning of 1887, but probably abandoned during the reworking shortly thereafter (see NOTES).Note: *For a commentary on this manuscript, I would like to thank Francesco Cesari, who was not aware of its existence when he wrote his dissertation in 1994. 

62.A.II.10.a

Second and third pages of a double leaf, 4° (33 × 24 cm) with 10 staves with the autograph heading: “Atto 2° Introduzione e Coro,” comprising a sketch for the beginning of Act 2, probably dating from November 1885. In 62.E.1 and 62.E.2 this is the beginning of the Scene 2, cut in 62.E.4.

For a commentary see Cesari 1994, p. 197, No. 13.
On the first page there are notations of scales in different note values, with a signature at the end that is probably Michele Puccini’s; the fourth page is blank.

62.A.II.10.b

Last in Sotheby’s auction of 4 December 1992, catalogue No. 572 II

1 page, 4° with 12 staves headed: “Atto 2° – Introduzione e coro ...”, signed and dated by the composer as: “G Puccini 24 9bre [November] 85."

For a commentary see Cesari 1994, p. 199.

62.A.II.10.c

Fragment of a leaf (originally certainly 4°, 33 × 24 cm) with 12 staves, written on both sides.

Across the leaf and in the margins Puccini scribbled the names: “Caro Franceschini”, “Lucca”, “Luigi Sardi”, “Filippani”, “Marianna”.
This fragment comprises a total of 23 bars of sketches for the original second scene of Act 2 (Tigrana’s drinking song with chorus, 62.E.1 from letter T, at the words “Palida morte”), cut in 62.E.4.
For a commentary see Cesari 1994, pp. 197-98, Nos. 14 and 15.

62.A.II.14.a

Last in Sotheby’s auction of 4 December 1992, catalogue No. 572 III.

2 pages, 4° with 12 staves (see 62.D.2).

Sketch for Tigrana’s aria in Act 2 “Ah vieni ... dal labbro mio suggi dunque l’obblio”, probably written soon after 62.A.II.10.c at the end of November 1885. For 62.E.2, the aria was reshaped into a duet for Tigrana and Edgar.
For a commentary see Cesari 1994, p. 199.

62.A.II.20.a

First leaf of a double leaf, 4° (33 × 24 cm) with 12 staves written on music paper from the firm of Ricordi; the second leaf is blank.

Sketch for the orchestral accompaniment for the encounter between Edgar and Frank in Act 2 (fig. 20+1 – fig. 21+8), probably written in December 1885.
For a commentary see Cesari 1994, p. 198, No. 20.

62.A.II.20.b

First leaf of a double leaf, 4° (33.5 × 24 cm) with 12 staves; the second leaf is blank.

Sketch of 16 bars (followed by 6 cancelled bars) for the trio of Tigrana, Edgar, and Frank in Act 2, Scene 4 (probably from letter L+6 in 62.E.1; cut from 62.E.2), certainly written in December 1885.
The passage is derived from the Preludio sinfonico (32).
For a commentary see Cesari 1994, p. 198, No. 16.

62.A.II.20.c

First leaf of a double leaf, 4° (33 × 24 cm) with 12 staves, consisting of a draft of 16 bars for the trio of Tigrana, Edgar, and Frank in Act 2 Scene 4 (from letter D+5 in 62.E.1; cut from 62.E.2), certainly written in December 1885. 62.A.III.3.a is written on the second leaf.

For a commentary see Cesari 1994, p. 198, No. 17.

62.A.II.6.a

1 leaf, 4° (33 × 24 cm) with 12 staves.

The recto is comprised of a sketch of 8 bars for Edgar’s solo at the beginning of Act 2 (“Non più dai tuoi sguardi”, from fig. 6, but in 9/8 and not in 12/8 as in the definitive version), probably written in November 1885.
The verso bears a sketch of 20 bars of a melody, which either does not pertain at all to this part of the opera, or was not used.
For a commentary see Cesari 1994, pp. 195-96, Nos. 8 and 9.
Apart from the text written below the music on the recto, the whole leaf does not appear to be in Puccini’s handwriting and it is possible that he was using a work by his brother Michele here.

62.A.II.9.a

First page of a leaf, 4° (33 × 24.5 cm) with 12 staves; the verso is blank.

This is a sketch of 8 bars, 4 of which are cancelled, for the beginning of Edgar’s aria “O soave vision” in Act 2 (near fig. 9); probably written in November 1885.
For a commentary see Cesari 1994, pp. 196-97, No. 10.

62.A.II.9.b

First page of a leaf, 4° (33 × 24.5 cm) with 12 staves. The recto bears a sketch of 8 bars for the beginning of Edgar’s aria “O soave vision” in Act 2 (fig. 9-1/+8); probably written in November 1885. The verso bears a 1-bar sketch for an unknown purpose.

For a commentary see Cesari 1994, p. 197, Nos. 11 and 12.

62.A.II.9.c

Last in Sotheby’s auction of 4 December 1992, catalogue No. 572 IV.

2 pages, 4° with 12 staves, described in Sotheby’s catalogue as “an unidentified passage, setting the words ‘... d’ogni soave affetto ...’".

Identified by Cesari 1994, p. 199, as a previous version of a verse from Edgar’s aria “O soave vision” in Act 2.

62.A.III.1.a

Private collection in Italy.

2 double leaves (6 pages of music with a gap after the fourth page), 4° with 24 staves, A flat major, 2/4.

Incomplete full score sketch for the start of an orchestral piece — possibly what Puccini refered to as the “pezzo sinfonico” originally planned for the beginning of Act 3 to describe the battle (“la battaglia”). Some discussion about that is found in Fontana’s letters to Puccini between August 1885 and March 1886, when Puccini obviously abandoned the idea; see Quaderni 1992 II, Nos. 15-17, 20, 37, 44.
In any event, this sketch must be dated earlier than the beginning of the notation of the complete full score of Edgar, for in the orchestration of the sketch, the indication “Ophicleide” is used for the lowest brass instrument. Puccini usually used an ophicleide in his previous works, but never again once he began the complete score of Edgar.
The character of the music is clearly that of a funeral march, but its themes are not con- nected with any other music by Puccini; the principal subject is played by a “Cornetta.”

62.A.III.3.a

Fourth page of a double leaf, 4° (33 × 24 cm) with 12 staves; the third page is blank. 62.A.II.20.c is written on the first leaf.

Sketch of 7 + 8 bars (two different versions) for the subject of the funeral march at the beginning of Act 3 (from fig. 3+2) with verbal indications concerning the working out and the instrumentation.
Probably written at the beginning of 1886.
For a commentary, see Cesari 1994, p. 198, Nos. 18 and 19.

62.B.2

Changes for the prelude to Act 4 and for the finale of Act 1.
3 autograph pages, 2° (Type B paper, the same used for 62.B.1), and 6 pages from a copyist’s score; with one additional page in Puccini’s hand with instructions for the working out of the “Finale I°” and for the insertion of the prelude. Much later, the recto leaves were stamped at the upper right with the numbers 308-312.

The page numbers mentioned in this manuscript refer to 62.E.1. The changes, which may have been made in two phases, were certainly implemented in the summer and/or autumn of 1891 (see Cesari 1994, pp. 276–77; see also Cesari in Quaderni 1992, p. 98, footnotes 5 and 6).

62.B.3

Preludio to Act 1 (originally to Act 4).
22 pages numbered in Puccini’s hand, 2° (35.5 × 27 cm) with 20 staves, 108 bars in all. The first page bears the autograph heading: “Preludio / atto I° / Edgar,” signed and dated at the end: “GPuccini / Madrid / 26 Febbrajo / 92.”

This manuscript consists of the version of the prelude originally written for Act 4 before that act was completely eliminated, revised for its use as prelude to Act 1 (see NOTES). It was described for the first time in Approdo musicale 1959, pp. 51-52. A detailed description, with a commentary on its origin is given by Cesari in Quaderni 1992.

62.B.4

Private collection of Helmut Nanz, Stuttgart.

1 double leaf, of which only the first two pages were used for notation, with one additional page inserted, 2° with 20 staves comprising 21 bars with the autograph heading: “Perorazione atto 3° (ottoni) / (il resto come sta) [end of Act 3 (brass) / (the rest as it is)]”.

This is a score for the brass instruments at the end of Act 3 (described in: Musikerautographen in Sammlung Helmut Nanz. Katalog, Tutzing: Schneider, 1998, pp. 82-83, and earlier in Musikantiquariat Schneider, Tutzing, catalogue No. 203, 1976, p. 56, No. 75, erroneously thought, however, to belong to Madama Butterfly, 74). 
These 21 final bars correspond to the version in 62.E.2 (from fig. 54+2), for they already contain the three additional bars added there, but no indication of the cut as in 62.E.4. The manuscript dates from the beginning of 1892 at the latest, for it is probably a correction for the production of the copyist’s full score 62.E.2a.

62.B.5

Autograph changes indicated in a copy of 62.E.2.

This printed piano-vocal score has no title pages and no blind stamp, which leads one to assume that Puccini obtained it from Ricordi before the bound edition was available (i.e. in February 1892 at the latest).
Puccini entered many significant large and small changes in this score, to some extent surpassing his revision of 1905 (62.B.6), partially confirming it, and in other ways establishing a version of the opera that is only present in this score. (Some of those revisions were first reported by Kaye 1987; see also the description in Cesari 1994, pp. 201-02.) It cannot be unequivocally decided exactly when Puccini made these changes, but they were certainly effected long before the definitive revision, perhaps for the performances of the opera in Ferrara, Madrid, and Brescia between January and August 1892, or in connection with productions planned for 1896 or 1898 (see NOTES).

62.B.6

Full score of the reworking for the definitive version, referred to in I-Mr as “versione definitiva."
307 leaves, 2°, with stamped pagination added much later.

The basis of this score is comprised of leaves from one or possibly two copyist’s scores of Puccini’s original full score (or, in any case, written by at least two different copyists). In all probability the majority of the leaves were derived from one of the full scores rented out for performances in the version corresponding to 62.E.2, except that the original prelude to Act 4 was not moved to the beginning of Act 1.Note: *This means that the substitution of the Preludio was not reflected in the early performance material, but was done ad hoc at the performances.
The pages from the copyists’ full score are most likely part of the first three acts Ricordi gave Puccini in January 1901, together with the autograph manuscript of Act 4. In addition, Puccini incorporated a small part of his autograph manuscript of Act 2, which he received from Ricordi in January 1905 (see the memorandum inserted in 62.B.1).
The numerous autograph corrections pertain to the instrumentation, some alterations of the text, and cuts (see also the description in Cesari 1994, pp. 192-93). At junctures with larger modifications, Puccini inserted new autograph leaves.

The following types of music paper can be distinguished:

62.D.2

62.D.3

62.D.4

62.D.5

62.D.6