Italian composer (1863–1945) whose 1890 masterpiece ‘Cavalleria rusticana’ takes a place among the most beloved staples of the operatic repertoire. Autograph musical manuscript, four pages on two sheets, 11.75 x 9, dedicated, titled, and signed on the cover sheet by the young composer: "Alla gentillissima signorina Carlotta Toccafondi - Mesto Ricordo - Notturno per Pianoforte, composto da Pietro Mascagni, alumno dell' Istituto Musicale Cherubini, Livorno." Mascagni again pens the dedication, title, and his name at the head of the piece, signing and dating it at the conclusion, "Livorno, 16 Settembre 1880, P. Mascagni." Not yet 17 years old, the young composer pens 67 bars of music in E-flat for his lover, Carlotta Toccafondi, with whom he studied at the Cherubini Conservatory of Music. This is a special composition composed by Mascagni after graduating from the conservatory, while continuing his studies at the Milan Academy. In the piece, "Mesto Ricordo [Sad Memory]," he expresses the good times together and the sadness of separation upon parting from his lover. In fine condition, with hinge separation and scattered light foxing.
