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Sully Prudhomme, René François Armand, French poet and first Nobel Laureate for Literature (1839-1907).
Autograph letter signed and lithographed document signed. Paris, 26 Feb. 1895 and 27 April 1902.
8vo. 2 pp. on bifolium and oblong 12mo. To the brother of a recently deceased poet, declining the offer to take an active role in a posthumous edition. Prudhomme expresses his sympathy and accepts a dedication but cites his work on the preface for the posthumous edition of Paul Delair's poetry "Testament poétique, poésies posthumes" (Paris, 1895) and his poor health as reasons for declining the offer to participate: "Je suis profondément ému de la communication que vous avez eu la pensée toute sympathique de me faire. J’ai appris avec une peine très vive la fin de votre excellent frère. Ses vers m’avaient frappé par des qualités d’art très réussies et par leur accent si douloureux. Combien je me suis attendri et navré en lisant la pièce qu’il m’avait dédiée du bord de la tombe. J’accepte de grand cœur la dédicace du recueil de ses poésies que vous projetez de publier et je m’en remets entièrement à vous pour la disposition des parties de l’ouvrage. Je suis débordé par mes occupations et tout absorbé en ce moment par l’édition des poésies posthumes de Paul Delair; j’y fais une préface avec biographie et c’est un travail difficile et long, d’autant plus que je suis mal portant. Je ne peux donc pas, à mon grand regret, collaborer effectivement à la publication très intéressante que votre piété fraternelle vous fait entreprendre. Je m’y associe de tous mes vœux pour le succès dont l’œuvre est digne [...]". - The lithographed document is a voter invitation card ("carte d'électeur") issued in Paris on 27 April 1902 for the French legislative election. Prudhomme's information was filled out by an official and one corner was cut off as part of the electoral process. - Insignificantly stained.
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Vischer, Friedrich Theodor, Literaturwissenschaftler und Philosoph (1807-1887).
Eigenh. Brief mit U. Stuttgart, 20. X. 1886.
3 SS. auf Doppelbll. 8vo. An einen Verleger, der Vischer um bio- und bibliographische Daten gebeten hatte. Weil er verreist gewesen und überdies sehr beschäftigt sei, könne er nur kurze Angaben machen: "Die gewünschten Notizen kommen verspätet, weil ich auf einer Ferienreise abwesend war u. nach meiner Rückkehr zu vielfach beschäftigt bin. Auch jetzt kann ich nur kurze Angaben machen. Das Biographische finden Sie in: Mein Lebensgang, P. Lindau's Gegenwart [Wochenschrift für Litteratur, Kunst und öffentliches Leben] Nov. u. Dec. 1874. Hier sind auch die wichtigeren Schriften genannt", von denen er einige bis ins Jahr 1878 anführt. Er kündigt die Fortsetzung der "Kritischen Gänge" an, die "weil in anderem Verlag, unter anderem Titel 'Altes u. Neues'" demnächst erscheinen werden: "Soviel unter gehäuften Geschäften in Kürze. So manche, in den Krit. Gängen nicht gesammelte, kleinen Arbeiten kann ich nicht aufführen. Ob einige poetische Jugendversuche namentlich in 'Jahrbuch schwäbischer Dichter u. Novellisten', herausgeg. von E. Mörike u. W. Zimmermann 1836, erwähnenswerth sind, lasse ich dahingestellt […]". - Mit einer von anderer Hand stammenden Notiz zum Verfasser auf Bl. 1 oben und einem redaktionellen Vermerk in blauem Farbstift.
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Alard, Jean-Delphin, French violinist and composer (1815-1888).
Autograph letter signed. N. p. o. d.
Small 8vo. 1 p. on bifolium. To a M. Glandaz, possibly the lawyer Sigismond Glandaz, expressing his regret at not having met the recipient contrary to his expectations and inquiring how many tickets he might need for Alard's next concert: "Vous êtes venu hier chez moi et j'ai eu le regret de ne pas m'y trouver. Je comptais vous voir aujourd'hui comme d'habitude et j'ai été trompé dans mon attente, j'espère que ce n'est pas une indisposition qui vous a empêché de venir. Je voulais vous dire aussi, que nous commençons dimanche prochain nos séances et que je ne me rappelle pas combien de places vous désirez avoir, je vous priais donc de me jeter un petit mot afin que je v.s les garde [...]". - From the age of twelve Alard studied under François-Antoine Habeneck at the Paris conservatory. During his studies he once played before Niccolò Paganini, who was enthusiastic. Jean-Delphin Alard rose to be one of the foremost violin virtuosos of his time and composed many celebrated pieces for his instrument. From 1845 to 1870, Alard taught at the Paris conservatory. His most important student was Pablo de Sarasate. - On stationery with an embossed mandolin. Traces of former mounting.
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Armingaud, Jules, French violinist (1820-1900).
Autograph letter signed. [Paris], 2. I. 1879.
12mo. 1 p. on bifolium. To an unnamed recipient who had inquired after the price of Armingaud's lessons in piano accompaniment: "Le prix de mes leçons d'accompagnement est de 20 f. et j'irai volontiers chez la personne dont vous me parlez, si toutefois elle n'habite pas un quartier trop éloigné [...]". - Largely forgotten today, Armingaud was an acclaimed violinist in the Orchestre de l'Opéra national de Paris. With his string quartet "Société Armingaud et Jacquard" he popularized Beethoven's chamber music in Paris. - Clipped at the upper border but no loss to text. With traces of former mounting.
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Auguste-Joseph Franchomme, French cellist and composer (1808-1884).
Autograph letter signed. N. p., 13. II. 1862.
8vo. 1½ pp. on bifolium. To the composer Félix Raimbert, inviting him to a concert at the Salle Pleyel: "En effet nous donnons dimanche prochain chez Pleyel notre troisième séance de musique de chambre. Je suis heureux de l'espoir que vous me donnez de vous y voir, j'aurai bien de la joie à vous serrer la main. En atttendant, je vous remercie de notre bon souvenir et vous prie de croire, mon cher Monsieur Raimbert [...]". - Franchomme was the foremost cellist of his time and composed a large œuvre for his instrument. He is particularly known as a close friend and collaborator of Frédéric Chopin: in 1833 they published the Grand Duo concertant for piano and cello (B. 70). Franchomme was also the dedicatee of Chopin's Cello Sonata in G minor (Op. 65). The all but forgotten composer Félix Raimbert dedicated a "Boléro composé pour le piano" to Franchomme's daughter Cécile. - Some foxing. Traces of former mounting.
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Baillot, Pierre, French violinist and music teacher (1771-1842).
Autograph letter signed. N. p., "Mercredi 11. Janvier" [ca. 1836-1842].
8vo. 1 p. on bifolium. To the Polish pianist Antoine de Kontski, thanking him for tickets to a concert of the brothers Kontski but declining the invitation due to scheduling conflicts: "J'ai reçu hier la lettre que Monsieur de Kontsky m'a fait l'honneur de m'écrire le 7. du Ct. en m'addressant des billets pour le concert qu'il doit donner ce soir; Je le prie de m'agréer tout mes remerciements; il m'aurait été bien agréable d'aller l'entendre ainsi que Messieurs ses frères, mais je ne suis point libre aujourd'hui; je ne pourrais donc profiter de son aimable prévenance, Je lui en exprime tous mes regrets sincères et je saisirai la plus favorable occasion de m'en dédomager [!] en allant applaudir à ses talens [...]". - Originating from Kraków, the family of Antoine de Kontski had moved to Paris in 1836. The eldest brother Karol (1815-67) was a violinist, later joining the orchestra of the Opéra comique. Stanislaw (b. 1820) was a pianist, while the youngest, Apollinaire (1825-79), was an internationally acclaimed virtuoso violonist and composer who had studied under Paganini and later became the first director of the Warsaw Institute of Music. - One of the foremost violinists of his time, Pierre Baillot is today best remembered as a violin teacher. Together with Pierre Rode and Rodolphe Kreutzer he co-authored the highly influential official violin method for the Paris conservatory. Baillot is considered the last distinguished representative of the great classical school of violin playing in Paris. In his instructional "L'Art du violon" (1834) he acknowledges the transition to the virtuoso style of interpretation, most famously embodied by Niccolò Paganini, and characterizes the specific differences in style and technique. Antoine and Apollinaire de Kontski, the most successful of the brothers, were famous for their virtuoso style, though sometimes criticized for their showmanship. - Well preserved. Traces of former mounting and minor browning to the upper border.
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Balfe, Michael William, Irish composer, singer and theatrical producer (1808-1870).
Autograph letter signed. Dublin, 23 May 1842.
8vo. 3½ pp on bifolium. To Madame Zimmermann: "I suppose that you will be surprised to receive a letter from me from this place, but here I am in the midst of my family, uncles, aunts, sisters, cousins, &c &c. whom I have not seen for years. I assure you that although I am in my birth place, my heart yearns for Paris and the good friends whose kindness I never can forget [...]".
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Batta, Alexander, French cellist and composer (1816-1902).
Autograph letter signed. 5 rue neuve des Martyrs [Paris], n. y.
Small 8vo. 1 p. With autograph address and traces of seal. Asking a M. Asseline, possibly the politician Louis Asseline, for an admission ticket to the then-private Parc Monceaux (here, Parc de Mousseaux) in Paris: "on m'a assuré qu'en me addressant à vous, il me sera facile d'obtenir une carte d'entrée pour le Parc de Mousseaux. Puis je espèrer que vous voulez être assez bon pour prendre la peine de me faire savoir si mon désir peut être satisfait, et si je ne commets pas une indiscrétion [...]". - Alexander Batta was among the first cello virtuosos of his time. A series of concerts with Franz Liszt at the piano and Chrétien Urhan playing the violin in 1837 brought him early fame. Among his many friends and admirers were Hector Berlioz, Gioacchino Rossini, Honoré de Balzac, Eugène Delacroix, and Camille Corot. - Traces of former mounting. Minimally browned.
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Brambilla, Marietta, Italian opera singer (1807-1875).
Autograph letter signed. No place or date.
8vo. 1 page on bifolium. With autograph address verso. To Auguste-Eugène Vatel (d. 1855), the director of the Théâtre Italien, hoping to obtain seats for "L'elisir d'amore" that same night: "Je vous prie istament de ne pas m'oublier pour ce soir, ayez la bonté de me donner quelques places bien bonnes, car c'est pour moi même. Je désire vivement entendre l'Elisir. J'espère dans votre bonté [...]". - With a provenance note on verso referencing the French auctioneer Determes: "donné par M. Determes". Former collector‘s number "21" in pencil. Traces of former mounting on verso; traces of old folds; slightly foxed.
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Castellan, Thérèse, French violinist (1845 - after 1890).
Autograph letter signed. N. p. o. d.
8vo. 2 pp. on bifolium. To an unidentified musician, thanking her for a successful concert and affirming her wish to continue their collaboration: "Je m'empresse de vous exprimer mes plus vifs remerciements pour la lettre que vous avez eu la bonté de m'écrire dans laquelle vous me dites que l'on vous a dit beaucoup de bonnes choses sur mon compte depuis votre charmante soirée; j'en suis d'autant plus flattée, que c'est par vous, chère Madame, que je reçois les éloges. Avoir l'honneur de jouer avec vous c'est déjà du succès. C'est pourquoi je suis si heureux de pouvoir continuer nos séances musicales [...]". - This beautiful letter is highly informative of Thérèse Castellan's trajectory as a female musician in a male-dominated field. In 1861 she won first prize at the Paris Conservatory playing a concert by Rodolphe Kreutzer, which started off her career as a soloist. Throughout the following three decades, Castellan often played in private settings for the European high nobility and bourgeoisie. She lived mostly in London but also toured successfully in Europe and the U.S., playing with musicians such as Adelina Patti, Christine Nilsson, and Pablo de Sarasate. - Traces of former mounting and minor browning to the upper border.
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Caters, Marie-Isabelle de, French opera singer (1831-1881).
Autograph letter signed. No place, "Vendredi".
12mo. 3½ pp. on bifolium. On mourning paper. To "Juliette", probably the sculptor and pianist Juliette Dubufe, née Zimmermann (1822-55), proposing several pieces for her duet with Jean-Baptiste Faure (1830-1914), including duos from Don Giovanni and Le Nozze di Figaro, asking her to make the final decision and to set a date for rehearsals: "Proposez à Faure ces Morceaux - d'abord le petit duo de Don Juan que je veux absolument chanter avec lui, le petit duo des Noces de Figaro en Italien [...] Enfin décidez avec lui et je serai enchantée de répéter le jour qui lui conviendra le plus [...]". - Further, about having a bad cough, which is why she is not sure her voice will be on point for the performance, and about her intentions to attend a ball at Rose Marguerite Halphen‘s, the wife of the French mathematician Georges Henri Halphen (1844-89), the following Saturday, where she might dance until morning, promising to ice her throat and to do her best to please her co-singer the following day: "Je n'aurai pas tous mes moyens, je vous en préviens attendre que je tousse comme une malheureuse, et que j'aurai la faiblesse d'aller au bal costumé de Mme G Halphen Samedi et que dansant probablement jusqu'au matin ma voix ne sera pas claire le soir, j'avalerai des galces et je ferai mon possible pour plaire surtout à celui qui a la bonté de chanter avec moi [...]". - With the former collector's number "20" in pencil. Traces of former mounting on verso; traces of old folds; slightly foxed.
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Garaudé, Alexis de, French composer (1779-1852).
Autograph letter signed. N. p. o. d.
8vo. 1 p. on bifolium. With autograph address verso. To Grzegorz Kontski, father of the pianist Antoine de Kontski, concerning a concert with Garaudé's later wife and student Jeanne Digout de Bincourt and his son Alexis (1821-54). Garaudé cancels an engagement of Kontski's son, probably Antoine's younger brother Stanislaw, as Mademoiselle Bincourt is "extremely timid" and he is "certain that she would sing poorly" were there to be "slightest inquietude about her accompanist". Garaudé does not wish to question the talent of Kontski's son but "does not believe that he is already in possession of the experience necessary to accompany Italian canto well". It is therefore "indispensable" that his son Alexis "accompany the air and the duo". - Alexis de Garaudé is best known as an author of educational books on singing and solfège, some of which are still in print. His son Alexis, who died young, started a promising career as a pianist and composer, winning the second Grand Prix de Rome in 1841 and publishing a successful piano transcription of Meyerbeer's "La Marche du sacre du Prophète". - Several tears, traces of former mounting, and minor browning to the upper border.
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Garcia, Eugenie, German singer (1818-1880).
Autograph letter signed. No place or date.
8vo. 1½ pp. on bifolium. On stationery with relief border. To Baronnesse Henry, making sure that staying at her house will not interfere with her projects, asking her to tell her quite frankly if this were the case, but hoping to continue their friendly relations nonetheless: "Je ne voudrais, Madame, vous déranger en aucune façon dans vos projets. Si ma presence dans votre maison peut en quelque chose les entraver, je vous prie de me le dire tout franchement. Dans tous les cas je serai charmée de continuer des relations qui m'ont toujours été si agréables [...]". - With the former collector's number "25" in pencil. Traces of former mounting on verso; traces of old folds; small flaw to upper margin.
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García, Manuel (II) Patricio Rodríguez, Spanish opera singer (1805-1906).
Autograph letter signed. No place, 15 June (no year).
8vo. 1 page on bifolium. With autograph address verso. To the French auctioneer Determes about recently acquired 200 bottles of wine, which his son, the singer Gustave García (1837-1925), shall collect on his behalf: "Ne pouvant pas aller moi même, je prie Monsieur le Commisaire d'avoir la complaisance de donner au porteur, qui est mon fils, les 200 bouteilles de Vin […]". - The baritone Manuel Garcia was the son of the tenor, singing teacher and impresario Manuel del Pópulo Vicente Rodriguez García (Manuel García I, 1775-1832). His sisters were Maria Malibran (1808-36) and Pauline Viardot (1821-1910). In 1854 he invented the first laryngoscope. - With a provenance note on verso: "donné par M. Determes". Former collector‘s number "24" in pencil. Traces of former mounting on verso; traces of old folds; a tiny tear in right margin; slightly foxed.
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Gaveaux-Sabatier, Emilie, French singer (1820-1896).
Autograph letter signed. No place or date.
8vo. 1 page on bifolium. With autograph address on verso. To the Polish pianist and composer Antoine de Kontski (1816-99), declining his invitation, as she has to leave the same night for a performance in Sens: "Croyant aller le 20 à Sens, Je me suis engagée pour chanter le lendemain dans une Matiné qu'on doit donner à quelques lieux de là; il me sera donc impossible d'assister à votre Concert puisque je serai forcée de partir le même soir […]". - With the former collector's number "29" in pencil. Traces of former mounting on verso; traces of old folds.
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Géraldy, Just, French singer and composer (1808-1869).
Autograph letter signed. [Paris,, before 1851].
12mo. 4 pp. on bifolium. With autograph address and traces of seal. To the Polish pianist and composer Antoine de Kontski (1816-99), recommending a Mademoiselle Minière as a piano student. Géraldy lauds her talent and potential but asks for a reduced fee on her behalf: "Permets-moi de te recommander chaudement une ancienne amie de ma famille, Mlle Minière qui possède déjà un fort joli talent sur le piano, et que tu n'auras pas de peine à amener à de beaux résultats. C'est du reste une travailleuse assidue et elle est fort bien organisée pour la musique. Je te demande donc pour elle un intérêt tout particulier. Certain que je suis d'avance qu'elle s'en rendra parfaitement digue en tous points. Seulement ses moyens financiers sont un peu restraints, et elle a pensé qu'en s'adressant à moi elle obtiendrait bien mieux ce qu'elle désirait, c'est à dire un prix plus modéré que tes autres élèves [...]". - While Just Géraldy is today largely forgotten, the letter bears testimony to Antoine de Kontski and his life in Paris. Both men must have been close friends, as Géraldy addresses de Kontski informally. After studying under John Field in Moscow and in Vienna, de Kontski moved to Paris, where he worked as a piano teacher. From 1851 to 1853 he served as court pianist to the King of Prussia in Berlin; later residences of the internationally successful pianist include St. Petersburg, London, and the U.S. - With traces of former mounting and small tear from breaking the seal. Well preserved.
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Godefroid, Félix, Belgian harpist and composer (1818-1897).
Autograph letter signed. N. p. o. d.
12mo. 1 p. on bifolium. To the flutist Victor Coche (1806-81), agreeing to perform in a concert: "Je suis à vous pour la soirée du 3 février [...]". - Hailed as the "Paganini of the harp", Godefroid was an acclaimed virtuoso, giving concerts throughout Europe and composing virtuoso pieces for his instrument. - With traces of former mounting, a tear to the blank conjugate leaf, and some foxing.
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Gouffé, Achille Henri Victor, French double bass player (1804-1874).
Autograph letter signed. [Paris], 24. VIII. 1831.
8vo. ½ p. on bifolium. With autograph address and traces of seal. To a M. Duchanoy, declining an invitation because of the visit of a M. Brochant: "Nous recevons à l'instant la visite de Brochant qui nous annonce qu'il a retenu nos places pour lundi prochain, il nous sera donc impossible de nous rendre à votre aimable invitation. J'avais fait part a Brochant de votre offre obligeante de commencer nos chasses [?] par Aulnay, mais des engagements autérieures le forcent de partir directement pour ses fermes [...]". - Gouffré was a double bass player in the orchestra of the Paris Opéra. He features prominently in Edgar Degas' famous 1869 painting "The Orchestra of the Opera" (in the Musée d'Orsay). - Traces of former mounting and tears from breaking the seal. Minor browning to the borders and a stain from sealing wax touching the text.
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Grisi, Giulia, Italian soprano (1811-1869).
Autograph letter signed. No place, "Dimanche".
8vo. 1 page on bifolium. To Auguste-Eugène Vatel (d. 1855), the director of the Théâtre Italien, hoping to obtain a box for the same night: "Si par hazard il vous restait une loge, n'importe où, j'aurais à la placer pour ce soir et je vous en serai bien obligée […]". - With a provenance note on verso referencing the French auctioneer Determes: "donné par M. Determes". Former collector‘s number "19" in pencil. Traces of former mounting on verso; traces of old folds.
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Lablache, Luigi, Italian opera singer (1794-1858).
Autograph quotation signed. Paris, 13. III. 1847.
8vo. 1 page on bifolium. In Italian to M. Delgas: "Eccovi ciò che mi domandate: che cosa straordinaria! non è vero?". - With a provenance note on verso referencing the French auctioneer Determes: "donné par M. Determes". Former collector‘s number "21" in pencil. Traces of former mounting on verso; traces of old folds; slightly foxed.
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Lefébure-Wély, Louis James Alfred, French organist and composer (1817-1869).
2 autograph letters signed. N. p., 19 April 1842 and n. y.
8vo. Together 2½ pp. The dated letter, written to an unnamed friend, was sent with tickets to a concert that the recipient had promised to attend: "Je viens vous rappeler la promesse que vous m'avez faite d'assister à mon concert, permettez moi donc de vous prier d'accepter quelques billets que je me fais un grand plaisir de vous offrir [...]". - The second letter to an unnamed female recipient, probably Lefébure-Wély's mother or another close relative, is humorously introduced as the "orthography of a student of the École des frères after 4 years, 4 months, 4 days, 4 hours, and 17 minutes of assiduous work" and continues in an imaginary phonetic French with an invitation to lunch: "Madam, je çuis onteu devoufer dégeuner aucito çamedit, met sais de votref aute, vous me gâté ci facileman qu’œuf se la me cèmble trait bon hé qu’œuf jàbus e. brefe [...]". A small ink drawing of a barrel organ near the bottom of the second page completes this charming document from Lefébure-Wély's youth. - Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wély assisted his father as the organist of Saint-Roch in Paris from the age of 8. When he was 14 his father died, and he succeeded him as official organist of Saint-Roch. In 1832 he entered the Paris Conservatoire, studying organ and composition. As a performer, Lefébure-Wély played a major role in the development of the French symphonic organ style and was rated above eminent contemporaries including César Franck. - Dated letter somewhat brittle, with foxing and several tears. Both letters with traces of former mounting.
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Massart, Louise Aglaé, French pianist and composer (1827-1887).
Autograph letter signed. Villerville (Calvados), "Lundi 9 Août" [1872].
8vo. 3½ pp. In French. Charming letter to a piano student, apologizing for not having responded earlier and giving a detailed account of current events. Massart admits that she has "neither melted away, alas, nor submerged", although it would have have been "an excellent excuse for my negligence". In fact, she "suffered from neuralgia", was "highly occupied with persistent students", and helped her husband, the violinist Lambert Joseph Massart, with the organization of a competition at the conservatory, which had been "a complete success" at "the price of our sweat". Massart continues to announce a trip to neighbouring Trouville-sur-Mer to meet President Adolphe Thiers: "I am exhilarated to be seeing the President of the Republic in a swimsuit and to float next to him". In closing, she complains of her students' laziness and apologizes for being unable to send a portrait photograph which the recipient had requested: "You will have to content yourself with a profile. It is a shame because I look friendly and I would have wanted to send you a serious and severe attitude". - Whether Massart's announcement of a meeting with Adolphe Thiers was a joke cannot be determined. Nevertheless, the remark dates the letter to 1872, when Thiers spent his summer holiday in Trouville at the Chalet Cordier during his presidency (1871-73). - Louise Aglaé Massart studied at the Paris conservatory from 1838 and won a prize in 1840. Following her first public appearances, she was named court pianist to Helene of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess of Orléans. In 1849 Massart married Joseph Lambert Massart, a renowned violinist and professor at the conservatory. Both Louise and her husband, co-founders of the Société Philharmonique, were close friends with Hector Berlioz. As a pianist, Louise Aglaé Massart was an active interpreter of chamber music. From 1856 to 1867 she played in the "Société Armingaud et Jacquard", concentrating on the chamber music of Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Schumann. In 1874 Massart took over the piano class of Louis Farrenc at the Paris conservatory. Clotilde Kleeberg was her most important student. - On stationery with embossed monogram. Traces of former mounting and minor browning to the upper border.
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Mendelssohn Bartholdy, Felix, Komponist (1809-1847).
Eigenh. Brief mit U. Leipzig, 4. III. 1847.
4to. 1 S. An seinen Verleger Nikolaus Simrock zum Fortschritt der Arbeit an der Drucklegung des "Elias": "Gestern habe ich die beiden Violin-Stimmen des 1sten Theils [...] erstellen lassen u. schicke sie heut corrigirt auf dieselbe Art zurück. Da es mir nicht möglich war den Englischen Text ganz deutlich [...] zu schreiben, so schicke ich morgen früh per Fahrpost die Nummern des Engl. Clavier-Auszugs [...] Danach kann nun fast überall in die beiden Geigenstimmen der Text sicher u. correct unterlegt, auf der deutschen Clav. Ausg. gestochen werden. Gewiß wird es am besten sein, wenn Sie jetzt vor allen Dingen an den Saiten-Instrumenten arbeiten lassen, damit von denen sobald als möglich die nöthigen Exemplare nach England abgehen können. Ich werd Ihnen alle Correcturen die ich erstelle unverzüglich zurückschicken, u. sehe nun [...] den übrigen Saiten-Instrum., Chorstimmen etc. entgegen". - Partitur, Klavierauszug und Stimmen konnten im Herbst 1847 fertiggestellt werden. Schwer erkrankt, konnte Mendelssohn die für den 18. Oktober vorgesehene Uraufführung in Berlin nicht mehr dirigieren; er starb am 4. November.
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Méquillet de Biarowsky, Sophie, Italian opera singer (b. 1822).
Autograph letter signed. No place, [postmark: 20 March 1838].
8vo. 1 page on bifolium. With autograph address verso. To Mademoiselle de Kontski in Paris, probably Eugenia de Kontski (born 1816), the sister of the violinist Antoine de Kontski, regretting that she cannot provide her with concert tickets, as the pianist and composer Sigismund Thalberg (1812-71) has to pay his artists and does not hand out tickets; about sorting the tickets she has right now, and mentioning a letter of thanks to Kontski's brother: "Je doute ma bonne Demoiselle que Mr. Thalberg me donne des Billets, car il paye Ses Artistes, et a ce titre je n'oserai en reclamer, autrement vous pensez bien que je me ferais un plaisir de vous les offrir. Je débrouille dans ce moment mes Billets et ne manque pas de besogne, autrement. J'aurai été remercié Monsieur Votre frère [...] mais je lui ait écrit encore hier à ce fois [...]“. - With the former collector's number "26" in pencil. Traces of former mounting on verso; traces of old folds; slightly foxed.
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Norblin, Émile, French musician and art collector (1821-1880).
Autograph letter signed. N. p., 6. II. 1873.
8vo. 1 p. on bifolium. Poetic letter to an unnamed recipient, explaining that he had "renounced in an absolute manner performing music as an amateur this winter" but not having denied himself the pleasure of "doing so as an artist". - Émile Norblin's father Louis-Pierre Norblin (1781-1854) had been a cello teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, where his students included Charles Lebouc, Auguste Franchomme and Louis-Marie Pilet. Louis-Pierre started the art collection that his son Émile continued. Émile Norblin published sheet music throughout his life, mostly arrangements for cello and piano but also original compositions. - With traces of former mounting and some browning to the upper border.
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Paris, (...), French viola player (fl. mid-19th century).
Autograph letter signed. [Paris], "19 avril" (ca. 1860s).
8vo. 1 p. on bifolium. To a fellow musician concerning an invitation by a mutual colleague, Jacquemin, to play in a concert. Paris asks whether the concert is supposed to be the following day or in a week, as he could participate only on the later date. - Traces of folds. With some browning to the upper border and traces of former mounting.
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Pfitzner, Hans, Komponist (1869-1949).
Eigenh. Postkarte mit U. Salzburg, Österreichischer Hof, 4. XII. 1943.
1 S. Qu.-8vo. Mit eh. Adresse. An den befreundeten Graphiker Carl Anton Reichel in Wien: "Ich bin am 13. oder 14. in Wien, Hotel Sacher, weshalb erfahren Sie mündlich. Haben Sie meinen Einschreib-Brief vom 30ten Nov. bekommen? [...]". - Von Reichel, einem Vorläufer der Wiener Schule des Phantastischen Realismus, stammen mehrere Portraitradierungen von Hans Pfitzner, die etwa zur Zeit der vorliegenden Karte entstanden sind. - Zwei kleine Löchlein und ein kleiner Randeinriss (alle ohne Textberührung).
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Planté, Francis, French pianist (1839-1934).
Autograph calling card. La Ferté-Alais, 9. VI. 1899.
Calling card format. 1 p. To Madame Duchanoy, his "dear colleague", thanking her for attending a concert together with her daughter: "Bien touché de votre affectueuse présence d'hier, Madame et chère collégue, et bien reconnaissant de toute la grâce bienveillante de votre chère fille. Elle a compris comme vous combien mon souvenir vous est resté fidèle et dévoué [...]". - The celebrated virtuoso Planté was hailed by his contemporaries as "God of the piano". Performing from age seven, he met giants like Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt, with whom he performed. Marcel Proust immortalized Planté in his "À la recherche du temps perdu". Planté was also among the first artists ever to record. - On calling card with printed name. Traces of former mounting
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Sighicelli, Vincenzo, Italian violinist and composer (1830-1905).
Autograph letter signed. 50 rue basse du rempart [Paris], "Vendredi matin".
8vo. 1½ pp. on bifolium. To an unnamed pianist inquiring after the title of a Mozart andante that they had played together two years ago in the salon of the writer Marie-Constance Moisson de Vaux, baroness of Montaran (1796-1870): "J'ai eu l'honneur de jouer avec vous, il y a deux ans, chez Madame de Montaran, un andante de Mozart pour orgue, piano et violon. Je désire jouer ce morceau à mon Concert, et je viens vous prier de vouloir bien m'en donner le titre exact. Je l'ai déjà fait chercher mais inutilement, à cause de ma mauvaise indication sans doute [...]". - Vincenzo Sighicelli had moved to Paris in 1855, where he lived as a prolific violinist, teacher, composer and arranger. In 1893 he bought the famous Le Brun Stradivarius once owned and played by Niccolò Paganini. - On stationery with embossed monogram and mourning border. Several minor tears and traces of former mounting.
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Tagliafico, Joseph Dieudonné, Italian-French opera singer (1821-1900).
Autograph letter signed. Rue de Clichy 20 [Paris], "Lundi".
8vo. 2 pp. on bifolium. Addendum. To an acquaintance about a ten-year-old boy aspiring to become an artist, asking him to recommend a boarding school where he may receive a general as well as a musical education, as most schools offer only the former, mentioning the addressee's history of hosting female students, including the daughters of the violinist Lefebvre, for which reason she assumes he might know of a place for a boy as well: "Je connais un petit garçon de dix ans que ses parents eloignés de Paris destinent a être artiste. Dans un Collège et les pensions ordinaires, les soirs et le temps donnés à l'étude de la Musique sont en géneral sacrifiés à tout le reste, et on voudrait trouver une pension particulière ou il travaillerait d'abord la Musique de Piano etc. et en même temps des leçons d'histoire, géographie etc. que completteraient son Education. J'ai pensé que vous, Monsieur, qui avez eu chez vous quelques pensionnaires privilégiées (comme les Demoiselles Lefebvre de Clermont dont le père a été mon Maitre de Violon) pouviez mieux que personne m'indiquer une maison où l'on se chargerait aussi de l'éducation d'un garçon. Celui dont je vous parle joue déjà un peu du piano [...]". - With the former collector's number "27" in pencil. Traces of former mounting on verso; small tear in the upper gutter; traces of old folds. - Includes an ALS by an unidentified singer to the Polish pianist and composer Antoine de Kontski (1816-99) with an invitation to attend his performance as Raoul in the opera "Les Huguenots" the following Sunday: "La secretaire de l'Académie Royale de Musique vient de fixer pour Dimanche prochain 21 avril mon second début dans le rôle de Raoul de l'Opéra Les Huguenots. Je m'empresse de vous en prévenir et de vous prier de vouloir bien sacrifier quelques heures pour votre soirée et me donner vos suffrages si j'en paraissais de gré de votre sage appréciation […]" (no place or date, 8vo, 1 page on bifolium with autograph address on verso). Former collector‘s number "28" in pencil. Traces of former mounting on verso; traces of old folds.
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Viardot-García, Pauline, French mezzo-soprano, pedagogue and composer (1821-1910).
Autograph letter signed. No place or date.
8vo. 1 page on bifolium. With autograph address verso. To the sculptor and pianist Juliette Dubufe, née Zimmermann (1822-55), whose black velvet jacket she admires, asking her to show it to her tailor, as she would like to have an identical one made for herself, and about leaving for the countryside, giving her regards to Dubufe's husband, the painter Édouard Louis Dubufe (1819-83), and regretting her having been unable to visit her, as she had not a minute to herself during the past week: "Chère Juliette, ayez la complaisance de montrer à Mme. Legrand, ma conturière, votre petite jaquette en velours noir. Elle est très jolie, et je voudrais en avoir une et ce même modèle. Je pars aujourd'hui même pour la Campagne. Je vous embrasse et vous fais mes adieux, ainsi qu'au Caro Sposo et au tutti quanti [...] Je n'ai pas eu une minute à moi depuis huit jours, sans quoi je n'aurais pas manqué d'aller vous voir. Vous serez probablement encore à Paris dans un mois, n'est ce pas?". - With a note on verso: "donné par Mme. Zimmermann". Former collector‘s number "23" in pencil. Traces of former mounting on verso; traces of old folds.
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Viguier, Alfred-Joseph, French violist (1828-1904).
2 autograph letters signed. Paris and n. p., 4 Nov. 1897 and "mardi matin".
8vo. Together 3 pp. In French. The dated letter to an unidentified lady concerns her subscription to a concert series of the Paris conservatory and the closing of the conservatory's concert hall in Rue Bergère (Rue du Conservatoire). Viguier informs the recipient that he met his friend, the cellist and conservatory professor Hippolyte Rabaud, who assured him of the continuation of her subscription. He laments the closing of the concert hall, where he had been a "soloist and member of the society" for so long. Viguier doubts plans to reconstruct the concert hall on the site of military barracks: "Like you, I believe that we will never regain what we have lost". - In the undated letter Viguier announces that he will send a concert programme. - Both letters with traces of former mounting. The letter from 1897 with some foxing.
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Viguier, Alfred-Joseph, French violinist (1828-1904).
2 autograph letters signed. 40 rue de Berlin [Paris], 30 Nov. and 8 Dec. (n. y.).
8vo. Together 4½ pp. Concerning a subscription to the concerts of the Paris conservatory. Viguier explains to the unnamed recipient that she needs to write to the cashier of the conservatory, the cellist Hippolyte Rabaud, to obtain a subscription, but also offers his wife's orchestra stall to her, as his wife now has a seat in a box. In the shorter second letter, Viguier arranges to transfer the subscription: "Je suis bien aise que la stalle d'orchestre de ma femme vous convienne. Elle vous est reservée et vous pourrez la faire prendre chez moi dès votre retour [...]". - Both letters with traces of former mounting, letter from 1897 showing some foxing.
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Vivier, E., French musician (fl. 1870s).
Autograph letter signed. Paris, 14. V. 1879.
12mo. 5 lines. Thanking the recipient for a letter and apologizing for a problem with the seating at a concert: "je vous remercie de la lettre que vous m'avez l'honneur de m'écrire, et vous prie de coire à tous mes regrets, pour l'embarras que vous a donné la recherche des places au concert de votre respectueux musicien [...]". - Some browning to the upper border and traces of former mounting.
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[Album amicorum].
Freundschaftsalbum der Magdalena Haberditzl. Wien, 1932-1933.
35 Bll. mit 31 Einträgen (davon 3 in Bleistift). Leinenband der Zeit mit geprägtem Deckeltitel "Poesie" sowie montierter Aquarellvignette. 8vo. Hübsches Stammbuch der Magdalena Haberditzl (1919-2017), Tochter sowie spätere Mitarbeiterin und Nachlassverwalterin des Wiener Malers Franz Martin Haberditzl (1882-1944). Die Einträge stammen von bekannten Persönlichkeiten der von der erst 13-jährigen "Lene" frequentierten Wiener Kulturszene der frühen 1930er Jahre, darunter die Komponisten Franz Léhar und Charles Weinberger (beide jeweils mit Notenzitat), die Musiker bzw. Sänger Emilie und Hans Auer-Weißgärber, Stefano Ballarini, Gerd Niemar, Alfred Piccaver, Friedel Schuster und Otto Storm, die Regisseure Lajos Lazar, Richard Oswald und Eugen Strehn, die Schauspieler Lizzi Holzschuh, Attila Hörbiger, Hans Kammauf, Raul Lange, Kalman Latabar, Hubert von Meyerinck, Paul Morgan, Hans Moser, Louis Nerz, Hansi Niese, Willi Stettner, Ludwig Stössl, Szöke Szakall und Max Willenz, der Dirigent Josef Krips sowie die Tänzerin La Jana. Mehrere Einträge verweisen auf eine Aufführung der Operette "Die schöne Helena" in Wien im Sommer 1932, so etwa der von Ludwig Stössel: "Zur Erinnerung an den Calchas der Wiener 'Schönen Helena' [...]". - Mit Besitzvermerk und einer Liste der Beiträger am Vorsatzblatt. Der Einband leicht berieben. Ein Doppelblatt lose.
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[Album amicorum].
Freundschaftsalbum eines Wiener Schauspielers. Wien, 1912-1920.
104 Bll. mit 56 Einträgen. Originaler Lederband der Zeit. Geblümte Vorsätze. Dreiseitiger Goldschnitt. 8vo. Autographenalbum eines Wiener Theaterbesuchers und angehenden Schauspielers, der unmittelbar nach dem Ersten Weltkrieg, zwischen 1918 und 1920, am Wiener Komödienhaus tätig war. Mit Einträgen der Sängerinnen Lotte Lehmann, Rose Ader und Lucie Weidt, der Schauspielerinnen Fanny Walbeck und Lotte Witt und des Schriftstellers und Theaterautors Franz Molnár; daneben finden sich Einträge zahlreicher Schauspieler, Tänzer und Sänger, darunter Georg Molenar, Carl Raimund, Franz Markhoff, Philipp Zeska, Willy Volker, Armin Seydelmann und Fritz Lunzer: "Es ist deshalb so schwer, wahre wirkliche Menschen darzustellen, weil es so wenig Vorbilder gibt. Die Darsteller eines Affentheaters hat[t]en es in dieser Beziehung viel leichter [...]". Manche Einträge (wie etwa der von Carl von Zeska) deuten darauf hin, dass der Sammler erst am Beginn seiner künstlerischen Karriere stand: "Die Schauspielkunst kann leicht erklärt dir werden - Natürlich sein in Worten und Gebärden! Doch wo Natur und wie Natur zu finden - Das ist die Kunst die Wenige ergründen [...]". - Ein ausradierter Scherzeintrag mit dem Namenszug "Stiegengeländer". Ränder und Deckel leicht berieben.
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[Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo].
11 autograph letters signed and 1 telegram. Paris, Le Mans, Barcelona, Vaison-la-Romaine, Kolbsheim, and no place, 1933-1934.
In French and Russian. Various formats. Altogether 14 pp. Together with an autograph letter by Jean Françaix's father Alfred, 1 typed draft for a letter to Aleksandr Shervashidze, the carbon copies of 11 typed letters and 1 telegram, and a copy of the first page of a contract between Leonide Messine and Wassily de Basil. Correspondence of five artists with Wassily de Basil, director of the famous ballet company and his office: André Derain (1 letter), Jean Françaix (2 letters), André Masson (1 letter), Nicolas Nabokoff (2 letters, one of which incomplete), and Pedro Pruna (5 letters). Carbon copies of answers and requests addressed to the artists complete the collection. - André Derain confirms the receipt of a cheque for his stage designs for the ballet "La Concurrence" (Competition) and photographs from the production as announced in an undated letter from the office (Paris, 26 July 1933). "La Concurrence" had successfully premiered on 12 April 1932. - In January 1933 Jean Françaix sold his ballet "Scuola di Ballo" with music based on themes by Luigi Boccherini to the company and later had a disagreement concerning an outstanding payment. A letter from the office was sent with the contract, asking for the signature of Jean’s father Alfred Françaix, as the young composer was not yet of age, prohibiting ballet productions with other companies until the premiere. Jean Françaix responded within a week: "You will find the contract signed by my father, as you requested, attached to this letter. Concerning the letter that you sent me, my father has reminded me that it is important to set the latest possible date for the premiere of our ballet in Paris. This date should be 1 July 1933. Before that date I naturally commit not to have another ballet performed. I would be willing to give you an option for the commission of a new ballet under the condition that I receive the binding commission no later than 1 January 1934 and that the terms of the new contract are established by mutual agreement [...]“ (Le Mans, 17 January 1933). Apparently, Françaix's offer led to the commission of the musical "Beach" mentioned in the telegram from 16 June 1933: "Urgent tell me date first performance Beach". The more successful premiere of "Scuola di Ballo" was on 9 June 1933 at the Théâtre du Châtelet. - In February 1933, André Masson received two letters from the office ahead of the premiere of "Les Présages" on 13 April 1933 at the Théâtre de Monte Carlo, concerning a meeting with Wassily de Basil and a stay in Monte Carlo for the execution of stage designs. "Les Présages" was a plotless ballet choreographed by Léonide Massine based on symphonic music from Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 with costumes and stage designs by Masson. On 10 June 1933 Masson sent a pneumatic post to de Basil, underlining the absolute necessity to repair a damaged frieze: "It is necessary to repair the second frieze that was damaged. I absolutely want to. Please give me notice so that I can go where it needs to be done. Yesterday’s soiree was completely to the honour of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo. Decidedly, it is what is really good that ultimately triumphs over snobism and free advertisement". This intervention probably occurred during the production of "Les Présages" in Paris. - Both letters from Nicolas Nabokov are in Russian. The complete letter from 20 March 1934 concerns his ballet "Union Pacific, composed for the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo that premiered in Philadelphia and New York with resounding success. - The correspondence with the Spanish painter and Picasso student Pedro Pruna concerns stage and costume designs for the revival of "Les Matelots" (The Seamen) in Monte Carlo, which had originally premiered in Paris on 17 June 1925. In a letter to de Basil from 15 February 1933, Pruna accepts the commission: "I agree to redo the sets for the Ballet 'the Matelots' under the conditions indicated in your kind letter from the 12th February inst. In three days I will have the documents that will serve me for this reconstruction, and I will start immediately. Please be so kind and tell me until when you will be in Paris, as well as the dimensions in which I need to do the designs. Is it 12 by 18 meters? I forget [...]". Pruna's set designs were to be complemented by decorations by the scenographer and painter Prince Aleksandr Shervashidze. In a letter from 27 March 1933 an impatient Wassily de Basil asked Pruna for two additional costume designs for the premiere on 11 April. In later letters Pruna asks for the final payment and confirms sending his sets to Shervashdize after the production, as the company needed them for an exhibition in New York: "I have asked you several times please to return to us Pruna's designs in your possession. Mr Pruna himself confirmed to us by letter and verbally that these designs will be sent us by you. As we cannot wait any longer, being obliged to send them to New York for the exhibition, I ask you to have them sent to me as soon as you receive this letter [...]. Do you have the model for your design for Swan Lake? If you want it to be shown in New York, please provide us also with the same [...]" (draft for a letter to Shervashdize). - All but one of the letters and all carbon copies with filing holes occasionally touching the text. Some rust stains and small holes from paper-clips and staples. Minor browning and tears to some of the letters; carbon copies with creases, tears and brownstains but no loss to text.
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Chevalier, Maurice, French actor, cabaret singer, and entertainer (1888-1972).
"C'est fort la Musique". Autograph manuscript signed. No place or date.
4to. 21 ff. on Arches paper, inscribed on rectos only. Manuscript of a lecture on the powerful influence music wields over people, recounting a conversation with the chansonnier Félix Mayol (1872-1941), whom he describes as wearing a blond toupee, having a charming face, being a little chubby, and talking with a Toulouse accent, as well as a concert of the violinist Nathan Milstein (1904-92), whose youth, sportsmanship, and short hair surprised him: "Je me promenais un jour sur le Boulevard de Strasbourg avec le chanteur de café Concert le plus populaire de l'époque et qui s'appelait Mayol [...] Il parlait un peu drôlement parce qu'il avait été Toulonnais [...] Il avait un volumineux toupet très blond et frisé, un charmant et fin visage a cette époque. Il était un peu dodu de sa personne et chantant la glorification des femmes [...] Et il y a quelques mois, justement, il y avait un grand violoniste qui arrivait d'Amérique pour donner un récital au Théatre des Champs Elysées. Il s'appelait Milstein [...] Un garçon tout à fait moderne. Pas du tout le type du musicien avec les longs cheveux [...] Non, au contraire, jeune, sportif [...]". - Further about a thrilling experience at the legendary Cotton Club in Harlem, where he heard Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, concluding with a reference to the stage routine with his pianist Fred Freed (1903-83): "Tenez en 1928 quand nous sommes partis pour faire des films à Hollywood et que nous nous sommes arrêtés quelques jours à New York où des amis nous ont fait visiter la ville et un soir nous ont emmenés à Harlem le quartier des noirs. Oui, il nous ont aussi fait visiter le Cotton Club. C'est un endroit où tous les jeunes de couleur dansent entre eux. Ah, il y avait un orchestre. Duke Ellington qui a çe moment là n'avait encore jamais joué pour les blancs a Broadway. Non, il n'avait joué jusque là que pour ses frères de couleur à Harlem. Il y avait aussi la Trompete, Armstrong. Ah, cet orchestre, non j'avais déjà entendu des orchestres Américains à Paris, mais jamais des dynamites de çe genre [...] Fred! (Fred entre en jouant les premiers mesures d'un blues) [...] Alors, attention, are you ready Fred (Il répond 'yes' d'un air lugubre) [...]". - First and last leaf with small rust stains from a paperclip.
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Hülsen, Botho von, Theaterintendant (1815-1886).
Eigenh. Brief mit U. Berlin, 18. IV. 1884.
4 SS. auf Doppelblatt. 8vo. An einen Bekannten mit einer schlechten Kritik der Sängerin Marcella Sembrich: "Sembrich habe ich gehört. Sie gefällt mir in keiner Weise. Fertigkeit gross, Stimme scharf und ohne Reiz; Persönlichkeit sehr wenig angenehm. Ich danke für das Anerbieten, lehne es aber ab […]". - Auf Briefpapier mit gedr. Briefkopf der Generalintendanz der Königlichen Schauspiele. Horizontal durchgerissen.
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Biett, Laurent-Théodore, Swiss dermatologist (1781-1840).
Autograph letter signed. N. p., "2 février".
8vo. 1½ pp. To a colleague with the recipe and instructions for the preparation of a syrup made from daphne mezereum, a toxic plant that has been used as an emetic in traditional medicine: "Le sirop de Daphne Mexereum que je prescris souvent se fait par infusion. Le plus souvent je fais ajouter pour avoir des doses plus rigoureuses croissantes ou décroissantes selon les indications. La tincture de Daphne au sirop simple ou au sirop de Salspareille [!] est un 4 ou 3rs [?] ou un 5 par once mais le plus souvent je commence par des doses réduites". - Laurent-Théodore Biett is chiefly remembered for introducing in France an anatomical methodology for analyzing skin diseases that was first developed by the British dermatologist Robert Wilan. - Well preserved.
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Commission de santé.
Document signed. N. p. o. d., [1794-1798].
Folio. 1 p. List of sixteen "medicaments" such as rhubarb, tamarind, gum arabic, manna, vitriolic acid, Spanish Fly etc. and their quantities "judged necessary for the treatment of the disease that has stricken our brothers-in-arms from the district of Sauveterre". The document was issued by the revolutionary "Commission de Santé" and signed by five of its members, including the chemist and physician Claude-Louis Berthollet (1748-1822) and the surgeon Antoine Dubois (1756-1837). Formed by nine to twelve medical officers, the commission was created by the "loi du 3 ventôse an II" (22 February 1794) as part of the ministry of war. Both Berthollet and Dubois later served during the French campaign in Egypt and co-founded the "Institut d'Égypte" in 1798. On 26 May 1808 Dubois was named consulting surgeon to the Emperor and in 1811 he was chosen to deliver the son of Napoleon and his wife Empress Marie Louise of Austria. Berthollet saw an equally stellar career under Napoleon in view of his important contributions to chemistry. - Somewhat stained and with traces of old repairs. Several pin holes to the lower left corner and tears to the right border.
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Dubois, Antoine, French surgeon (1756-1837).
Autograph letter signed. Paris, 16. XI. 1832.
8vo. ½ p. on bifolium. With autograph address. To the surgeon and obstetrician Antoine-Constant Danyau (1803-71), asking him to introduce two "good women", probably relatives of Dubois, to Danyau's father-in-law, the surgeon Philibert Joseph Roux (1780-1854): "Voilà, mon amie, ces deux bonnes femmes dont je t'ai parlé et aux quelles je porte beaucoup d'intérêt je te prie de les présenter à mon amie Mr Roux ton cher beaupère et voyez, mes chers enfans, d'arranger cette affaire là pour le mieux [...]". - Antoine Dubois rose as an eminent surgeon during the French Revolution and under the rule of Napoléon. He served during the French campaign in Egypt and co-founded the "Institut d'Égypte" in 1798. On 26 May 1808 Dubois was named consulting surgeon to the Emperor and in 1811 he was chosen to deliver the son of Napoleon and his wife Empress Marie Louise of Austria. Following the birth of Napoleon II, he was given the title of a "Baron of the Empire". - Philibert Joseph Roux, the longtime chief surgeon at the Hôtel-Dieu de Paris, was a pioneer of plastic surgery. In 1819 he performed one of the earliest surgical repairs of a cleft palate (staphylorrhaphy). He is also credited with being the first surgeon to suture a ruptured female perineum. - Well preserved.
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Magendie, François, French physician (1783-1855).
Autograph letter signed. N. p., 3. VIII. 1841.
8vo. 1 p. Medical certificate for Jean-Delphin Alard (1815-88), then first violinist in the orchestra of King Louis-Philippe. Magendie diagnoses Alard with a "very serious nervous affection" and states that he should not work for at least six weeks and "breathe his native air" as a cure: "J’atteste que Monsieur Alard artiste de la Musique d. s. M. vient d’éprouver une maladie nerveuse très grave qui a laissé de profondes traces dans son organisation. Je crois en conséquence indispensable que Mr Alard s’abstienne pendant six semaines au moins de tout travail et qu’il aille sans retard respirer l’air natal [...]". - François Magendie was a pioneer of experimental physiology. He first illustrated the concept of empty calories and described the so-called Bell-Magedie law, verifying the differentiation between sensory and motor nerves in the spinal cord. - With a minor tear to the upper border and traces of former mounting.
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Pariset, Étienne, French physician and psychiatrist (1770-1847).
Autograph letter signed. Paris, 12. I. 1836.
4to. 1¾ pp. With autograph address and traces of seal. Together with a letter to the recipient Paul Jolly by an unidentified sender. To the physician and fellow member of the Académie royale de médecine Paul Jolly (1790-1879), informing him that Jolly's 1834 publication "De l'état sanitaire" has been ordered to be deposited in the library of the Academy and thanking him officially: "L'académie a reçu, avec beaucoup d’intérêt, un exemplaire de l’ouvrage que vous venez de publier sous le titre de : De l’État sanitaire et des moyens d’assainissement des Landes de Bordeaux. Elle en a ordonné le dépôt dans la Bibliothèque, et m’a chargé de vous transmettre des remerciemens. J’ai l’honneur d’être avec la plus parfaite considération [...]". - Étienne Pariset served as the secretary of the Académie royale de médecine from 1822, a position he maintained until his death. From 1826 he worked as a psychiatrist at the Salpêtrière Hospital. - On stationery of the Académie royale de médecine with lithographed letterhead. Traces of folds and tear from breaking the seal.
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Portal, Antoine, French anatomist and physician (1742-1832)
Autograph letter signed. N. p., 27. VI. 1831.
12mo. 1 p. Mounted on paper. To a M. Roux, probably the surgeon Philibert Joseph Roux, asking him to perform an examination of his neighbour and to treat her if necessary: "Veuillez bien mon cher Roux revoir avec votre discernement ordinaire la Madame Marchais [?] ma voisine et la donner quelques conseils oubien [!] s'il le fallait la retablir dans votre hospice pour la traiter. Tout cela sera digne de vous [...]". - At the time, Roux was president of the surgical section of the Académie royale de médecine. The academy had been co-founded by Portal in 1820 who was its honorary president until his death. After studying medicine in Montpellier, Antoine Portal moved to Paris to serve as private medical tutor to the Dauphin, the later King Louis XVI. In 1769 he was named professor of anatomy at the Collège de France and in 1778 was appointed to the prestigious position of professor of anatomy at the Jardin du Roi. During the reigns of Louis XVIII and Charles X, Portal served as first Physician to the King. - Minimal browning. Mounted on 4to single leaf with old collector's note in ink: "Antoine Portal, Premier Médecin des Rois Louis XVIII et Charles X."
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Schweitzer, Albert, Arzt und Theologe (1875-1965).
Bildpostkarte mit eigenh. Widmung und U. Lambarene, 24. VII. 1953.
2 Zeilen auf 1 S. 8vo. Die Aufnahme zeigt Schweitzer über einen liegenden Jungen gebeugt. Die Widmung für "H. Dr. Carlos Adler mit besten Gedanken". - Die von anderer Hand beschriebene Versoseite mit starken Verunreinigungen durch gelöste Montage und einem etwas auf die Bildseite durchschlagenden Papierdurchbruch.
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Sorel, Albert, French historian (1842-1906).
Autograph letter signed. N. p., 9. III. 1908.
12mo. 1 p. Accepting an invitation: "Ainsi que vous me demandez, je me rendrai à votre étude le samedi 14 mars à 2h [...]". - On mourning paper. With collector's note erroneously identifying the recipient as Sully Prudhomme.
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Reichlin-Meldegg, Adolfine von, Malerin und Schriftstellerin (1839-1907).
Villa Amsee bei Lindau. Aquarell über Bleistift auf Papier. [Lindau, um 1870].
1 Blatt. Ca. 217:211 mm. Auf Trägerkarton. Das charmante Aquarell zeigt eine Gartenansicht der berühmten Bodenseevilla, die der spätere Prinzregent Luitpold von Bayern (1821-1912) wegen des milden Seeklimas 1848 für seine an Tuberkulose leidende Frau Auguste Ferdinande von Österreich (1825-64) erworben hatte und erweitern ließ. Die "Villa Amsee" wurde zum Treffpunkt für den europäischen Hochadel, bedeutende Künstler und Wissenschaftler. - Das unsignierte Aquarell ist wohl ein relatives Frühwerk der Künstlerin, datierbar um 1870. Die Zuschreibung beruht auf einer Notiz in Blei auf dem Trägerkarton (verso): "Villa Amsee v. Baronin Adolfine Reichlin gemalt". - Wohlerhalten. Der Trägerkarton braunfleckig. Aus Wittelsbacher Besitz.
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Unger, Johanna, Malerin (1836-1871).
Allegorische Bleistiftzeichnung auf Papier mit eigenh. Widmung und U. [Wohl Possenhofen, um 1860].
1 Blatt. 236:329 mm. Die schöne Zeichnung illustriert die gereimte Widmung: "Ihr Kleinen, sagt freundlich, mit lieblichem Gesang | Der hohen Frau mein Danken, weil's nie im Wort gelang. | Singt Lieder, ihr zur Freude, bekränzet ihre Thür | Ein Sträusslein bringt und saget viel gute Wünsche ihr. | Nun thut, wie ich befohlen - so recht von Herzen dankt! | Jetzt geht - seid brav und rührt euch, sonst werdet ihr gezankt." Bei der "hohen Frau" handelt es sehr wahrscheinlich um Ludovika Wilhelmine Prinzessin von Bayern, die Mutter der Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich-Ungarn ("Sisi"). Johanna Unger war Zeichenlehrerin von Elisabeths jüngster Schwester Sophie (1847-97) und gern gesehener Gast auf Schloss Possenhofen am Starnberger See, wo Sophie und die Geschwister ihre Kindheit verbrachten. - Johanna Unger wurde als Tochter des Juristen und Kunsthistorikers Friedrich Wilhelm Unger in Hannover geboren. 1855 ging sie nach Düsseldorf, um Malerei zu studieren, anschließend erhielt sie Privatunterricht bei Ludwig Lindenschmit d. Ä. in München. Nach ihrer Ausbildung wirkte sie als Lehrerin unter anderem in Possenhofen. 1868 gründete sie gemeinsam mit anderen Künstlerinnen unter Mitwirkung von Moriz Carrière eine Damenakademie in München. Sie verstarb im Alter von nur 31 Jahren während eines Kuraufenthaltes in Pisa. Ihr älterer Bruder ist der Radierer und Kupferstecher William Unger. - Minimal braunfleckig. Aus Wittelsbacher Besitz.
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Auguste Ferdinande von Österreich, Ehefrau des späteren Prinzregenten Luitpold von Bayern (1825-1864).
Sammlung von eigenh. 31 Zeichnungen teilweise mit U. und Datierung. Neapel, Florenz, Nymphenburg, München und o. O., 1841-1845.
23 Gouachen, 6 Bleistiftzeichnungen und 2 aquarellierte Bleistiftzeichnungen auf Papier und Zeichenkarton, ca. 143:116 bis 305:470 mm. In dieser außergewöhnlichen Sammlung erweist sich Auguste Ferdinande insbesondere als begabte Blumenmalerin. Die sorgfältig und detailverliebt nach der Natur angefertigten Gouachen zeigen u. a. Zweige und Blüten von verschiedenen Rosenarten, Winden, Alpenrosen, Pfingstrosen, Hibiskus, Lorbeer, Mohn und Glockenblumen. Das früheste datierte Werk der Sammlung ist im Dezember bzw. Jänner 1841/42 in Neapel entstanden. Es zeigt die spektakuläre Blüte einer Aloe Vera. Die Datierung befindet sich auf der schönen Bleistiftvorzeichnung. In einer Gouache versuchte sich Auguste Ferdinande an einem Stillleben mit Zyklamen im Blumentopf und Orangen. Zwei aquarellierte Blumenbouquets sind kurz nach Auguste Ferdinandes Hochzeit mit Luitpold 1844 in Nymphenburg und München entstanden. Besonders gelungen sind Auguste Ferdinandes Bleistiftzeichnungen. Im Frühjahr 1843 hielt sich die Erzherzogin wieder Neapel auf, wo sie neben einer Bergblume ihren Papageien lebhaft mit Bleistift porträtierte. Eine Hafenszene könnte ebenfalls in Neapel entstanden sein. Ein undatiertes Blatt zeigt ein Stillleben mit Trauben auf einem Teller. Die Stubenfliege auf einer der Trauben bezeugt Auguste Ferdinandes intensive Beschäftigung mit der Gattung. - Bis zu ihrer Hochzeit mit dem späteren Prinzregenten lebte Auguste Ferdinande von Österreich als Tochter Erzherzogs Leopold II., Großherzog der Toskana, in Florenz. Dort heiratete sie am 15. April 1844 den bayerischen Prinzen Luitpold. Das Paar lebte zurückgezogen, hielt aber regen Kontakt zu bedeutenden Wissenschaftlern und Künstlern wie Franz Lenbach, Max Slevogt und Adolf von Hildebrand. Die vorliegende Sammlung belegt eindrucksvoll Auguste Ferdinandes Interesse und eigene Begabung für Kunst. Sie starb im April 1864 im Alter von nur 39 Jahren an den Folgen der Tuberkulose. - Insgesamt sehr gut erhalten. Meist mit beschnittenen Rändern, besonders die Bleistiftzeichnungen und Aquarelle mit vereinzelten Randeinrissen, teilweise leicht fleckig und gebräunt. Die Papageienzeichnung mit einem tieferen Einriss mit Bildberührung. Aus Wittelsbacher Besitz.
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