F. Lucca

History

Lucca of Milan was active from 1840 to 1888.

Francesco Lucca (1802-1872) was an apprentice under G. Ricordi for 6 years; when he returned to Italy after travelling from 1822-1825, he started an engraving workshop in Milan in 1825. The earliest samples were much admired for their clarity and accuracy. Near the end of 1841, he returned to Ricordi to work opposite La Scala; in January of that year he had announced that he had the reproduction and transfer rights to Donizetti's Adelia and La favorita. He then took over a part of the agency for Nabucco with Ricordi. Lucca brought out several subsequent operas of Verdi, including Il corsaro, Attila, and I masnadieri, but Verdi moved to Ricordi after a quarrel, which generated tension between the two firms. in 1840, Lucca had gotten Der Freischutz, and had it translated under the title "Il magico bersagliere." Lucca had success with operas by Mercadante, Pacini, and others. Lucca printed these using treble and bass clefs only, for the first time.

His wife Giovannina Strazza (1814?-1894) joined the business around 1850, and acquired the rights for Italy of Gounod's Faust, and other major works. In 1868, she purchased the exclusive Italian rights for the entirety of Wagner's works. After Francesco's death, she took over the firm entirely. Major expansions caused Verdi to advise Ricordi to acquire Lucca, which they did in 1888, at a price of 1,000,000 Lire. This expanded Ricordi much, giving them around 47,800 new titles.

Important acquisitions

• 1871 and 1875: Berletti
• 1874: De Giorgi
• 1878: Canti
• 1886: Vismara

Editions

Plate Numbers

IMSLP Entries

Sources Consulted

• 1. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie.

New York and London: Macmillan Publications, 1980.

• 2. Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart. 2., neu bearb. Ausg. ed. Ludwig Finscher.

Kassel: Bärenreiter, Stuttgart: Metzler 2006. Personenteil Bd. 11, S. 541-543

Authority control

VIAF (Stabilimento musicale di F. Lucca)