Ludwig van Beethoven: Letters to Dr. Johann Bihler; [1813, 1817]
Scope & Content:
Autograph. These letters consist of very brief notes, the first simply of greeting, the second giving Bihler the address in Vienna at which he might visit ‘this poor, persecuted and despised Austrian musical drudge’.
Jacques Offenbach: Sketches for unidentified works
Scope & Content:
Autograph. Written in ink, with some pencil, mostly on single staves but with some sections in score on up to four staves. In a sketch-book made from leaves or bifolia roughly sewn. Apparently first used, in what is now reverse order, for a sequence of instrumental waltzes, very incompletely ske...
Richard Wagner: ‘Der fliegende Holländer’ (WWV 63), opera in three acts (libretto, the composer), 1840-1841: copyists’ full score of Overture with autograph annotations, revised ending to Overture and to Act III in autograph full score; 1853, 1860
Autograph. Written in ink, on systems of two staves. Tempo direction ‘Moderato, con moto [quaver]’. Title and ‘composé pour l’Album Bellini par Ant. Rubinstein’ at head of recto. The first 15 bars are numbered by the composer, and the numbers used to indicate a repeat of the passage towards the ...
Friedrich Nietzsche: ‘Nachklang einer Sylvesternacht’ for piano duet
Scope & Content:
1-7 November 1871. Written in dark brown ink on systems of two staves, the two parts on facing pages. Autograph fair copy. Music occupies ff. 2v-13r. Opening tempo direction ‘Langsam’. Title-page (f. 2r): ‘Nachklang einer Sylvesternacht / mit Prozessionslied, Bauerntanz und Mitternachtsglocke / ...
Johann Strauss, the elder: ‘Redoute-Quadrille’, op.158
Scope & Content:
Possibly not autograph. Full score. Written in ink on systems of 16 staves. Music begins f. 1v. Scored for piccolo, flute, 2 clarinets, oboe, bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, bass drum, side drum, 2 trombones, and strings. An extra stave is added in ink and pencil beneath the system on f. ...
Ruggero Leoncavallo: ‘Cortège de Pulcinella’, ‘marche humoristique’ for orchestra
Scope & Content:
Autograph full score. Written in violet ink on systems of 24 staves. Scored for piccolo, flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, percussion (tambourine, castanets), 3 trombones, tuba, harp and strings. Calligraphic title-page (f.1) in French, perhaps in another han...
Autograph full score. Written in ink on systems of thirteen staves. Tempo directions: ‘Introduction Andante’ (f. 1r), ‘All[egr]o’ (f. 1v), ‘Trio’ (f. 2r) and ‘Finale’ (f. 3r). Scored for 3 violins, bass, flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, horn, post-horn, trombone, tympani and cymbals (‘Schellen’)....
