Sotto il cielo d'Italia. Venti Composizioni per Canto con accompto. di Pianoforte

Firenze: Genesio Venturini [PNs 81[-86=87]; 63 [-68=69]; 53 [-58=59]; 403], 1880. Folio (35.6 cms.). Full black morocco with highly decorative gilt embossing to both upper and lower boards, presentation "Al commendatore Ubaldino Peruzzi" prominently stamped in gilt to upper, spine in decorative compartments gilt, titling gilt, inner dentelles gilt, all edges gilt. 1f. (recto illustrated title printed in blue, gold, and red, verso blank), 1f. (recto title index of 20 songs, verso blank), [i] (blank), 6-119, [i] (blank) pp. Engraved. Title illustrated with small circular engravings of views of 10 Italian cities: Roma, Firenze, Milano, Palermo, Genova, Bologna, Pisa, Venezia, Napoli, and Torino.

In a fine presentation binding.

Authors of song texts include C. Benelli, Marianna Giarré Billi, de Lorenzini, Carlo Nini, C. d'Ormeville, Barone Savio, and D. M. De Siena.

With armorial bookplate (possibly of Ubaldino Peruzzi) and later bookplate of Dr. Andrew J. Werner to front pastedown.

Binding slightly worn and scuffed; ca. 1 cm. lacking from both head and tail of spine; hinges cracked. Some minor foxing; several pages with lightly-penciled fingering. A very good wide-margined copy on quality paper. Rare. We have not located any other copies of this collection of songs.

Hackensöllner, a Viennese pianist and composer, was active in Florence, where he married Italian soprano Marianna Barbieri-Nini (1818-1887) after her first husband, Count Nini of Siena, died.

Ubaldino Peruzzi (1822-1891) was an Italian politician of the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Kingdom of Italy. He was twice mayor of Florence and a recipient of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus; his paternal grandmother was a member of the Medici family.