Add MS 47843

MEYERSTEIN BEQUEST. Vol. I (ff. 140). Letters and papers of musicians. Autograph unless otherwise stated. Contents:-

(1) Letter (f. 2) from Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach to -, criticising an aria and suggesting amendments; Hamburg, 20 Nov. 1780. German. Belonged to Julian Marshall and Edward Speyer (Sotheby's sale-cat., 24-25 June, 1940, lot 420). 18th-19th cent. annotations, '2a', in pencil, '27', '30', '29', in red ink, on f. 2; 'R.451', 'No. 13' on f. 1. ff. 1-3.

(2) Two letters, in French, from Hector Berlioz to:-(a) 'mon cher ami', thanking him for an invitation from Mme Didier; 1 Jan. 1860. f. 4;-(b) 'Monsieur Derffel' [Alfred Dörffel, the pianist and musicologist], referring to preparations for his Russian tour; 9 Oct. 1867. 'No. 3' in blue pencil on ff. 5, 5b. ff. 5-6b.

(3) Three letters from Muzio Clementi (formerly preserved with Add. MS. 47854) to:-(a) A lady, saying that he has sent her works by Cramer and himself and referring, with musical quotations, to arrangements for the piano of symphonies by Haydn and to his three last sonatas; London, 29 Mar. 1798. ff. 7-7b;-- b) Comtesse D'Antraigues saying that he has ordered a grand piano for the young Count and that he is leaving for Russia in the morning; Berlin, 14 Sept. 1805 (cf. the translation at f. 10). Italian. Endorsed (f. 9b) in pencil with the name of 'Mrs Gompertz'. ff. 8- 10;-(c) Miss Dean, returning some books and asking her to obtain a copy of La Fontaine's fables; n.d. (formerly mounted on f. 12, water-marked 1832). ff. 11-12.

(4) 'Mon entretien musical avec gluck', by André Ernest Modeste Grétry: a verbatim account of a conversation with Christoph Willibald von Gluck which took place probably in 1774 as Gluck is said to have been sixty (f. 15). Six folios (ff. 14-19b), measuring circ. 230 mm. x 175 mm., written on the right-hand side of the page only, the left being used for insertions and notes. The fragment is headed 'chap: 32.3^e .vol :' and is evidently a stray chapter from the autograph of 'Réflexions d'un solitaire'. Many chapters were missing from the manuscript of Vol. 3 when the work was published in Oeuvres Complètes de Grétry, 1919-1922, ed. L. Solvay and E. Closson, but see iv, App. pp. 413-417, where the conversation is printed not from the present manuscript but from a version published in Revue de Paris, April 1845, p. 620. Grétry was working on his 'Réflexions' from about 1801 to his death in 1813 and the work was originally written in eight notebooks which were dispersed after 1820 (Oeuvres, i, pp. v, vi; facsimile after p. xviii). The present fragment was owned by Edward Speyer (Sotheby's sale-cat., 24-25 June 1940, lot 426). See also Quaritch's cats., no. 578 (1940), item 291; no.

587 (1941), item 785; no. 607 (1943), item 12; A. Rosenthal cat., no. X (1948), item 180. ff. 13-22.

(5) Letter (ff. 25-25b) from Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann to Johann Friedrich Rochlitz, Editor of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung; Bamberg, 2 Feb. 1813. German. With a typewritten transcript (ff. 26-27). Hoffmann encloses a review of the Beethoven piano trios, op. 70, and an essay on 'Don Giovanni' (cf. the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, 3, 31 March 1813). Note on f. 25b 'werde ich ihm schicken', in answer to his request for an advance of money. 'R.454', 'No. 177' (f. 23). ff. 23-27.

6) Two letters of Johann Nepomuk Hummel to:-(a) J. A. Röckel, his brother-in-law, and his wife; Weimar, 29 June 1833. German. Hummel describes his journey home, a visit to Schloss Wilhelmsthal and the musical progress of their son, Eduard (note from the latter, f.29b). 'No. 152' (f. 28). ff. 29-30b;-(b) [Sir George Smart], introducing his nephews, Eduard and August Röckel, and asking him to further their musical careers in England; Weimar, 25 March 1835. Pencil number '30' on f. 31. ff. 31-31b.

(7) Two letters relating to Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy:-

(a) Letter from Mendelssohn to N. Simrock of Bonn, asking whether he may send a new book of 'Lieder ohne Worte' for publication; Frankfurt-am-Main, 1 May 1845. German. ff. 32-32b;-(b) Letter from Paul Victor Mendelssohn Benecke, Mendelssohn's grandson, to E. H. W. Meyerstein about his grandmother; Oxford, 3 July 1939. ff. 33-34.

(8) Letter from Constanze von Nissen, widow of W. A. Mozart, to - Sattler, Landgerichtsassessor of Altdorf; Salzburg, 30 April 1835. German. She refers to attempts to recover money from Dr Feuerstein, and asks his advice about making copies of her husband's biography available to a Nürnberg book dealer. She sends him as thanks a Mozart manuscript (now Add. MS. 47861 A, f. 10, formerly framed with the present letter). ff. 35-36.

(9) Manuscripts and papers of, or relating to, Carl Maria von Weber:-(a) Ten letters of Weber, mostly to Johann Friedrich Rochlitz, Editor of the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung, but f. 49 is to J. F. Naue, Music Director at Halle, f. 55 to J. R. Planché, and f. 58 (a signed copy) to the Secretary(?) of the Royal Society of Musicians; 14 Apr. 1812-17 Apr. 1826. German (ff. 37- 53) and English (ff. 55-58b). Partly published by M. M. von Weber, Carl Maria von Weber, Leipzig, 1864, i, pp. 352-353, 387-388, 505-508, ii, p. 588. English translations or summaries of some of the letters are at ff. 41, 51, 105. ff. 37-58b;-(b) Weber's engraved card, n.d. f. 59:-(c) Essay by Weber on his cantata, 'Kampf und Sieg'. Copy with autograph corrections; 26 Jan. 1816. According to Professor F. W. Jähns (cf. f. 95b) the essay was sent to Rochlitz for publication in the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung. Published in Hinterlassene Schriften, 1828, ii, pp. 161-169; M. M. von Weber, op. cit., 1866, iii, pp. 94-99. ff. 60-60b;-(d) Printed invitation to Weber's funeral on 21 June 1826 from Thomas D'Almaine, Secretary to the Committee in charge. Addressed to Dr P. M. Kind, who attended Weber in his last illness. ff. 61-62b;-(e) Three letters of Franz Anton Weber, father of the composer, to J. F. Rochlitz, relating to his son's setting of Rochlitz's 'Der Erste Ton'; 5 Apr., 1 May, 1808, 2 May 1811. German. Published by M. M. von Weber, op. cit., i, pp. 164-166, 297-298. See Add. MS. 47861B for an autograph manuscript of part of Weber's 'Der Erste Ton'. ff. 63-66b;-

(f) Letters of Professor F. W. Jähns, author of Carl Maria von Weber ... Chronologisch-thematisches Verzeichniss, Berlin, 1871, to Charles Hargitt of London, relating to the preceding Weber manuscripts (acquired by Hargitt at Sotheby's, sale-cat., 12 July 1872, lot 209), describing masses by Weber and Reissiger (ff. 96, 100-101b), sending him autograph manuscripts of Schubert (ff. 85-86, 89b-90), etc.; 1872-1884. The miscellaneous papers include a questionnaire (ff. 69-70b) on his Weber manuscripts completed by Hargitt, and photographs of portraits of Weber, his house at Klein Hosterwitz, etc. (ff. 72, 76-81, 99). ff. 67-103;-(g) Miscellaneous notes and papers relating to the Weber manuscripts including English summaries by Charles Hargitt (ff. 105-106) and papers relating to the acquisition of the manuscripts by E. H. W. Meyerstein from R. Hall (cat. no. 136 (1936), item 581). ff. 104-118.

(10) Miscellaneous papers relating to Add. MS. 47844. ff. 119-123b.

(11) Engraved portraits of:-(a) Ludwig van Beethoven. By Riedel after Louis Letronne, 1815. Formerly mounted on f. 125 which is numbered 'LXXXIV'. ff. 124-125;-(b) Muzio Clementi. By H. Cook after J. Lonsdale, circ. 1833. f. 126;-(c) John Field. By Carl Mayer of Nürnberg, n.d. Endorsed in pencil, 'K.IX.Nro. 39'. Formerly mounted on a flyleaf in Add. MS. 47855. f. 127.

(12) Miscellaneous papers:-(a) Fragment of a document signed by members of the Comédie Française; late 18th cent. f. 128;-(b) Treatise on bleaching; 19th cent. German. With references to Berthollet, Morveau and other chemists. F. 137 refers to the medicinal use of hydrochloric acid. ff. 129-137b;-(c) Poem (imperf.), beg. 'Wer wird sich nicht innig freuen'; 20th cent. German. Written in pencil. f. 138;-(d) Fragments of salecatalogues. ff. 139-140b.

includes:

• f. 2 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, composer: Letter to -: 1780.: Germ.
• f. 3b Julian Marshall, art collector and author: Note by: n.d.
• f. 4 Louis Hector Berlioz, composer: Letter to -: 1860.: Fr.
• ff. 5b-6b Louis Hector Berlioz, composer: Letter to A. Dörffel: 1867.: Fr.
• f. 7 Muzio Clementi, composer: Letter to -: 1798.
• f. 8 Muzio Clementi, composer: Letter to Comtesse d'Antraigues: 1805.: Ital.
• f. 11 Muzio Clementi, composer: Note to Miss Dean: n.d.
• ff. 14-19b André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry, composer: Fragment of 'Réflexions d'un solitaire': early 19th cent.: Fr.: Autogr.
• f. 21 Albi Rosenthal, bookseller and collector: Letter, etc., to E. H. W. Meyerstein: 1940, 1948.
• ff. 25-25b Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, composer and author: Letter to J. F. Rochlitz: 1813.: Germ.
• f. 29b Eduard Röckel, nephew of J N Hummel: Note to his father: 1833.: Germ.
• ff. 29-30b Johann Nepomuk Hummel, composer: Letter to J. A. Röckel: 1833.: Germ.
• ff. 31-31b Johann Nepomuk Hummel, composer: Letter to Sir G. Smart: 1835.
• ff. 32-32b Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, composer: Letter to N. Simrock: 1845.: Germ.
• ff. 33-34 Paul Victor Mendelssohn Benecke, son of C V Benecke: Letters to E. H. W. Meyerstein: 1939, 1941.
• ff. 35-36 Constanze von Nissen, wife of (1),JC W A Mozart and (2) G N von Nissen: Letter to - Sattler: 1835.: Germ.
• ff. 37-40b, 45-48b Baron Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber,; composer: Letters to J. F. Rochlitz: 1812-1818.: Germ.
• ff. 43, 53 Baron Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber,; composer: Letters to -: 1813, 1823.: Germ.
• f. 49 Baron Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber,; composer: Letter to J. F. Naue: 1822.: Germ.
• ff. 55-56b Baron Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber,; composer: Letter to J. R. Planché: 1825.
• f. 58 Baron Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber,; composer: Letter to the Sec. of the Royal Society of Musicians (?): 1826.: Copy. Signed.
• f. 59 Baron Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber,; composer: Engraved card: n.d.
• ff. 60-60b Baron Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber,; composer: Essay on his cantata, 'Kampf und Sieg': 1816.: Germ.: Copy, with autogr. corrections.
• ff. 61-62b Baron Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber,; composer: Invitation to his funeral: 1826.: Printed.
• ff. 63-65b Franz Anton Weber, father of C M F E von Weber: Letters to J. F. Rochlitz: 1808-1811.: Germ.
• ff. 67-103 Friedrich Wilhelm Jähns, singing teacher and composer: Letters, etc., to C. Hargitt: 1872-1884.: Mostly signed copies, with autograph annotations.
• f. 121 Richard Alexander Harman, musicologist: Letter to E. H. W. Meyerstein: 1950.
• ff. 122-123b Jeremy Noble, music critic and broadcaster: Letter and postcard to E. H. W. Meyerstein: 1951.
• f. 124 Ludwig van Beethoven, composer: Portrait: 1815.: Engr. by K. T. Riedel after L. Letronne.
• f. 124 Art. Portraits: L. van Beethoven; engr. by K. T. Riedel, after L. Letronne: 1815.
• f. 124 René Louis Letronne, painter: Portrait of L. van Beethoven: after 1815.: engr.
• f. 126 Henry R. Cook: Portrait of M. Clementi engr. by, after. J. Lonsdale: circ. 1833.
• f. 126 Muzio Clementi, composer: Portrait: circ. 1833.: Engr. by H. Cook after J. Lonsdale.
• f. 126 James Lonsdale, painter: Portrait of M. Clementi engr. after: circ. 1833.
• f. 126 Art. Portraits: M. Clementi; engr. by H. Cook, after J. Lonsdale: circ. 1833.
• f. 127 Art. Portraits: J. Field, d. 1837.: Engr. by C. Mayer.
• f. 127 John Field, composer and pianist: Portrait: n.d.: Engr. by C. Mayer, 19th cent.
• f. 127 Carl Mayer: Portrait of J. Field, by: bef. 1837.: engr.
• f. 128 Thomas Caumont, actor: Signature: late 18th cent.
• f. 128 Abraham Joseph Bénard, alias 'Fleury'; actor: Signature: late 18th cent.
• f. 128 Joseph Jean Baptiste Albouy, alias Dazincourt; actor: Signature: late 18th cent.
• f. 128 Jean Amable Foucault Saint-Prix, actor: Signature: late 18th cent.
• f. 128 Jean Baptiste Fauchard de Grandmesnil, actor: Signature: late 18th cent.
• ff. 129-136b Natural Science: Treatise on bleaching: 19th cent.: Germ.
• f. 138 Poetry GERMAN: Religious poem: 20th cent.: Imperf.