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Maurice Ravel: ‘Boléro’, ballet for orchestra, 1928: version for piano duet
Scope & Content:
Autograph score. Written in ink, on systems of five staves (centre stave blank). Headed ‘Bolero’, with tempo direction ‘Tempo di bolero moderato assai [crotchet] = 76’ (f. 1r). The Secondo part is marked ‘Sordina’ at the beginning, and ‘senza sord.’ two bars after cue no. 4 (f. 2v). There are ma...
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 ...
Franz Schubert: Folder in which Zweig MS 81A (Schubert’s autograph of ‘An die Musik’) was mounted before its presentation to the British Library
Scope & Content:
As follows: f. 1. Portrait of Schubert, lithograph by Josef Teltscher, 1826, published by Mansfeld & Co.; [1829]. The first of the two versions issued by Mansfeld & Co., with below the image a reproduction of Schubert’s signature and the words ‘Ehrenmitglied der Musik-Vereine zu Grätz un...
Gaspare Spontini: ‘Olympie’, opera in three acts, second version (libretto by Dieulafoy and Briffaut after Voltaire, revised by E.T.A. Hoffman), 1821: chorus ‘Ciel! Il expire’ with following recitative for the Hièrophante and Cassandra, from Act III, scene viii
Scope & Content:
Autograph full score. Written in ink on systems of up to 16 staves. Tempo direction ‘Andante un poco sostenuto’ (f. 1r). Staves extended into the right margin by the composer on f. 2r. The recitative is given in a shorter version than that found in the published score, and the parts for the two ...
Igor Stravinsky: ‘Pulcinella’, ballet with song in one act (music after Pergolesi and others, scenario Serge Diaghilev, Leonide Massine and the composer), for small orchestra and soprano, tenor and bass soloists: notebook containing drafts and sketches
Scope & Content:
Autograph. In short, condensed and full score. Written in black ink and pencil, with additions and annotations in red ink and blue crayon, on systems of two to twelve staves; staves are ruled individually as required on each page. Where pages contain more than one system the music is often writt...
Richard Wagner: Overture in C, ‘Polonia’ (WWV 39), 1836: piano reduction, with sketch for song ‘Les adieux de Marie Stuart’ (words J.P. de Béranger) for voice and piano (WWV 61); [early 1840]
Scope & Content:
Autograph. Written in ink on systems of two staves. As follows: ff. 1r-4r. Overture, headed ‘Polonia. Ouverture.’ (f. 1r); tempo directions ‘Sostenuto - Tempo 1mo (f. 1r) - Allegretto - Allo: molto vivace (f. 1v) - Allegretto (f. 3v) - Presto’ (f. 4r). Copying instructions for bars or sections t...
Richard Wagner: Papers and transcriptions relating to Zweig MS 106
Scope & Content:
Written in dark blue or black ink. As follows: f. 1r. Note on Zweig MS 106, and attestation that it is in Wagner’s hand, signed Wilhelm Tappert; 1 Dec. 1889. ff. 2r-6v, 7. Score of Overture, with I and II violins, cello and bass parts only; a shortened [or incomplete] version, apparently sco...
Richard Wagner: Sketches for ‘La tombe dit à la rose’ (WWV 56), ‘Extase’ (WWV 54) and ‘Attente’ (WWV 55), for voice and piano (all to words by Victor Hugo)
Scope & Content:
Autograph. Written in ink on systems of one or two staves. Folio 1r has many trial strokes with a rastrum. As follows: f. 1r. Vocal line and text of ‘La tombe dit à la rose’; written with the page inverted. Interspersed with untexted sketches on a single stave for ‘Attente’, using the page the...
Richard Wagner: Transcriptions of ‘La tombe dit à la rose’ and ‘Extase’ from Zweig MS 110
Scope & Content:
Written in dark blue ink. The hand is the same at that in Zweig MSS 105 and 107, ff. 2-11. As follows: ff. 1r, 2r. Texts of the two poems. f. 3r. Transcription of ‘La tombe dit à la rose’. On systems of three staves, but the accompaniment not filled in. ff. 3v-4v. Transcription of ‘Extase’...
Richard Wagner: ‘Descendons gaiement la courtille’ (text Dumersan?) (WWV 65), chorus for insertion in the vaudeville La descente de la courtille by Marion Dumersan and Dupeutys
Scope & Content:
Autograph. Draft in piano vocal score. Written in ink on systems of two and three staves. Two-part chorus, written on a single stave labelled ‘Choeur.’ against the first system on f. 1r, the other two staves designated ‘Orchestre.’. Indications of orchestration are also given in this system. Tem...
