Földvári Books

Collection of Rossini’s first Editions and Early Manuscript Copies, Provenance: Albertine de Staël

Rossini, Gioachino; Mayr, Simon

Collection of 2 Manuscripts and 7 Printed Musical Scores of Excerpts for Operas by Rossini (8) and by Mayr (1), from the Collection of Albertine, Baroness Staël von Holstein.

First editions. Printed scores between 1812 and 1817 by Giovanni Ricordi. In contemporary green half vellum binding. Title vignette on front panel. Binding rubbed, damaged. Spine opened at front joint. Title vignette partly removed. Imprecise content in ink on front free endpaper (creased), doodle in pencil on the rear. Bookblock firm, generally in fine condition.

Scarce early manuscript copies and printed first editions of Rossini and Mayr’s opera excerpts, from Albertine, Baroness Staël von Holstein’s collection.

First editions of excerpts from Rossini’s operas Demetrio e Polibio, Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra, La gazza ladra and Otello; and from Simon Mayr’s La rosa bianca e la rosa rossa. The first two scores are in manuscript, the prior, Siveno’s first aria from Demetrio e Polibio has no title page, the second, an excerpt from Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra has a printed title page by the Milanese music publisher Giovanni Ricordi. All the printed scores are by him.

Two of the scores (Questo cor ti giura amore Duettino nel Demetrio e Polibio; Gran Duetto E’deserto il bosco intorno nell’Opera, La Rosa bianca e la rosa rossa) bear Albertine de Staël’s possessor’s inscriptions on their title pages. Albertine, Baroness Staël von Holstein (1797–1838) was the daughter of Madame (Germaine) de Staël and allegedly Benjamin Constant.

1 Rossini, Gioachino [Siveno’s aria. (Pien di conteno…)] [Milano?]: [1812?]. [1 (blank)] [22] [1 (blank)] p. Manuscript copy. In brown ink, on 10-stave paper, score written on 8 staves. In fine condition. Excerpt from Rossin’s first opera, Demetrio e Polibio, written in 1806 and premiered in May 1812 in Rome’s Teatro Valle. A manuscript copy of the full score of Siveno’s first aria (Pien di conteno…). We couldn’t trace such an early printed version of this part of the opera.

2 Rossini, Gioachino Nell' Elisabetta. Scena e Duetto incanta che festi Del Sr. Mo. Rossini. Milano: Giovanni Ricordi […]. [1815?]. ff. [1 (blank)] [1 (engraved title page)] [18]. First edition(?). Manuscript score with engraved title page by Silvistri, title added in brown ink. Score in brown ink, on 10 and 16-stave paper. In fine condition. Excerpt from Rossin’s opera, Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra, premiered in October 1815, a manuscript copy of the full score of scenes III and IV of the first act.

3 Rossini, Gioachino Questo cor ti giura amore Duettino nel Demetrio e Polibio Del Sig.r Maestro Gioachino Rossini. Eseguito in Roma al Teatro Valle delle Signore Maria, e Ester Monbelli. Milano: Presso Gio.i Ricordi Editore di Musica […] [PN 118], [1812?]. [2 (title page)] 11 [1] p. First edition. Engraved full score. Albertine de Staël’a possessor’s inscription at the top left of the title page (trimmed). Musical notes in pencil on p. 3., a doodle on p. 11. A light water stain on the outer edge throughout. A cluster of brown spots at the upper outer corner of the title page. Otherwise in fine condition. Excerpt from Rossin’s first opera, Demetrio e Polibio, written in 1806 and premiered in May 1812 in Rome’s Teatro Valle.

4 Mayr, Simon Gran Duetto E’deserto il bosco intorno nell’Opera, La Rosa bianca e la rosa rossa Del Sig.r M.o Gio. Sim. Mayr. Eseguito in Milano, dalli Signori Elisabetta Pinotti e Claudio Bonoldi nell’Anno 1815, e Dedicato all’egregio Cantate Signor Claudio Bonoldi sud.to, dall’Editore. Milano: Presso il Negoziante di Musica Gio. Ricordi, […] [PN 214]. [1815?]. [2 (engraved title page)] [3 (letterpress “Catalogo”)] 2–37 (engraved score) [1] p. First edition, engraved title page, and full score, letterpress catalog of the publisher. Albertine de Staël’a possessor’s inscription at the top left of the title page (slightly trimmed). Lower outer corner of p. 9 torn, no effect on the print space. Otherwise in fine condition. Excerpt from Simon Mayr’s opera, La rosa bianca e la rosa rossa, premiered in 1813 in Genoa and apparently staged in Milano in 1815.

5 Rossini, Gioachino Cavatina. Il mio piano è preparato Nell'opera La Gazza Ladra del Maestro Gioachio Rossini Dedicata dall’Editore Al Dilettante Sig.r Luigi Zuccoli. Milano: Presso Gio. Ricordi […] [PN 458], [1817?]. [1 (title page)] 2–9 [1] p. First edition. Engraved score for cembalo and voice. Bookseller’s stamp on title page. In fine condition. Excerpt from Rossin’s opera, La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie), premiered in May 1817 at La Scala, Milan.

6 Rossini, Gioachino Duettino Vorrei che il tuo pensiero Nel Dramma Otello Del. Sig.a M.o Gioachino Rossini. Eseguito in Napoli della Sig.a Colbran e Manzi Dall’Editore Dedicato Alla Signora Carlotta de Luigi nata Kramer. [Milano]: Presso Gio. Ricordi […] [PN 341], [1816?]. [2 (title page)] 13 [1] p. First edition. Engraved full score. Bookseller’s stamp on title page. In fine condition. Excerpt from Rossin’s opera, Otello, premiered in December 1816 in Naples, Teatro del Fondo.

7 Rossini, Gioachino Cavatina Bell’Alme generose Nell’Elisabetta d’Inghilterra Del Sig.r M.o Gioachino Rossin.i Eseguita in Napoli dalla Sig.a Colbran ed in Mil.o dalla Sig.a Adel.e Sala. Dedicata dall’Editore all’insigne dilettante signora Elena Viganó. Milano: Press il Negoziante di Musica Gio Ricordi […] [PN 342], [1815?]. [2 (title page)] 7 [1] p. First edition. Engraved full score. Bookseller’s stamp on title page. Lower outer corner of the first and last leaves are torn. Otherwise in fine condition. Excerpt from Rossin’s opera, Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra, premiered in October 1815 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.

8 Rossini, Gioachino Preghiera. Deh tù reggi in tal istante Nell’Opera La Gazza Ladra del Sig.r M.o Gioachino Rossini. Eseguita al R. Teatro alla Scala dalla Sig.a Teresa Belloc. Dedicata dall’Autore Ella Sig.a Marietta Lodi Torriani. Milano, Presso Gio. Ricordi […] [PN 339], [1817?]. [2 (title page)] 14 p. First edition. Engraved full score. Bookseller’s stamp on title page. In fine condition. Excerpt from Rossin’s opera, La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie), premiered in May 1817 at La Scala, Milan.

9 Rossini, Gioachino Duetto. E ben per mia memoria nell’Opera La Gazza Ladra Del Sig.r M.o Gioachino Rossini. Eseguito al R. Teatro alla Scala, dalle Sig.re Belloc e Gallianis. Dedicato dall’Editore All’Ill.ma Sig.ra la Signora Contessa Amalia Belgiojoso. Milano: Presso Gio. Ricordi […] [PN 340], [1817?]. [2 (title page)] 32 p. First edition. Engraved full score. Bookseller’s stamp on title page. Lower outer corner of p. 13 and lower edge of p. 21 torn. Otherwise in fine condition. Excerpt from Rossin’s opera, La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie), premiered in May 1817 at La Scala, Milan.

Price: €3,000.00