A largely unpublished archive of manuscripts from Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi is set to cross the block in London.

The collection has only recently come to light.

Verdi wrote these letters to collaborator Salvadore Cammarano 

All of the 36 letters within the collection date from 1844-1851 and are addressed to Salvadore Cammarano, a librettist with whom Verdi collaborated on a series of four operas.

Of particular interest is a discussion (dating to 1850) on staging an adaptation of King Lear, which ultimately never came to pass.  

Verdi writes of his wariness at even attempting the task: “The alarming thing is the yawning chasm between Shakespeare's colossal play and my miserable sketch.

“There everything is great, here everything seems puny in comparison.

The lot is expected to make up to £300,000 ($387,150) in the sale of an important music collection at Sotheby’s on October 26.

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