Bomb attack against Napoleon, Paris Dec. 24th 1800

Charles Joseph Antoine Schwilgué (1775-1808), letter (in French) from Paris after 24.12.1800

"Le 3 Nivose (= 24.12.) in the evening there was an attempt to blast Napoleon with a bomb of gunpowder. You certainly have got the news already. The Jacobins are accused to be behind this attack. Paris is calm. Several suspects have been arrested already and there is hope to find the culprits. (...) "

EUR 380,- → Item 14929 / Details

Malta - Order of Knights
The end of the reign 1798

Bill of exchange over 2.700 florin ("Gulden") issued in Malta on 26th April 1798 adressed to the ambassador of the Order of the Knights of Malta at the Imperial Court in Vienna Count Carl Wenzel von Herberstein (1729-1798).

From the last days of the reign of the Order of the Knights of Malta before Malta was conquered by Napoleon.
Signed by Gran Comandatore Montauroux and the leading Knights in Malta, Palermo, Livorno, Venedig, und Triest.

The bill arrived in Vienna on 2nd July 1798, two weeks after Napoleon had taken over Malta.

EUR 400,- → Item 13064 / Details

Grétry, André Ernest Modeste (1741-1813)

Autograph letter signed, Paris, 10.03.1799

To the Paris ballet master Gardel, demanding an overdue payment for his ballet "La Caravane du Caire", and asking to promote a female dancer having a loving affair with an important personality.

"Ich bitte Sie Mlle Delisle ein kleines Solo tanzen zu lassen - ich habe die Air gemacht, die Sie mir angedeutet haben. Sie ist mit Barterreche liiert, und ich habe das größte Interesse, mich ihm zu verpflichten."

sold

Méhul, Étienne-Nicolas (1763-1817)

"Adrien" - Napoleon?

Autograph letter signed [Paris ca. 1799]
to the French female singer, writer and composer Henriette Georgeon,
with advice about a composition of Georgeon and remarks about the success of his opera "Adrien" (Paris 1799).

Die Oper "Adrien", komponiert 1791 als "Hadrian, Kaiser von Rom", sollte 1792 uraufgeführt werden. Da man im revolutionären Paris aber Kaiser Hadrian mit dem feindlichen Österreichischen Monarchen gleichsetzte, wurde die Oper zurückgezogen. 1799 kam die Oper mit einigen Umarbeitungen als "Adrien" (ohne "Empereur" im Titel") doch noch auf die Bühne und erlebte einen sensationellen Erfolg. Da man nun aber Parallelen zwischen Adrian und Napoleon zu sehen glaubte, wurde die Oper abermals vom Spielplan genommen.

EUR 800,- → Item 16709 / Details

Méhul fooling Napoleon:

Air de l’Irato: Chanté par Dozainville. Musique de Méhul. Accompagnement de Lyre ou Guitare, par Phillis.

Paris, Pleyel (PN 399 d), [1803]

Méhul though befriended with the later emperor was criticized by Napoleon for composing in "German style" instead of the more lovely "Italian style". Therefor Méhul composed the opéra-comique "L'Irato" and staged it under an Italian pseudonym. The premiere attended by Napoleon became a great success, and when Méhul revealed his authorship applauded by the crowd Napoleon answered "In this way fool me more often." ("Trompez-moi souvent ainsi").

verkauft / sold

Very rare parts of the Ouverture of Méhuls most successful opera:

Ouverture de l'opéra Joseph pour deux Violons, Alto, Basso, 2 Flutes, 2 Hautnois, 2 Clarinettes, 2 Cors, 2 Bassons, 2 Trompettes & Timbales. [Stimmen, Parts]

Offenbach, Jean André (PN 3175), [ca. 1813]

Nur 1 Exemplar im WorldCat.

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Cherubini, Luigi (1760-1842)

Beethoven as Ghostwriter of Cherubini? - The incredible Fake of 1893:

Musical manuscript of "Der Wasserträger"
falsely titled as "autographic sketches by Beethoven" - from the provenience of the "Beethoven-fool" Sigmund Austerlitz.

In fact a scribal copy of the vocal score of "Die zwey unvergesslichen Tage nach der Oper: Les deux journées / von Cherubini; im Clavierauszuge." Wien, Kunst- und Industrie-Comptoir, PN 72-75 [1803]

This is the very rare version (with other German words) of the performance of the Theater an der Wien 1802, a private rival production to the imperial Viennese Hoftheater, which staged the opera at the same time, both with great success. - Provenience from the "Beethoven fool" Sigmund Austerlitz, a respected collector of manuscripts in his early days, who later became insane, frequently assuming Beethoven's authorship of the works of other composers. His "theory" from 1893 that Beethoven was the true composer of "Les deux journées" and sold the manuscript with his copyright to Cherubini forced the head of the music department of the Royal Library Berlin Albert Kopfermann to answer in the AMZ.

sold

From the Hoftheater production:

Duett "Ich wage gern das Leben" aus der Oper "Die Tage der Gefahr".

Wien, Hoftheater-Musik-Verlag (PN 218), [1802]

Single piece, separately sold. German words by Treitschke.

EUR 45,- → Item 14265 / Details

3rd contemporary version:

Der Wasserträger. (Les deux Journées.) Ein Singspiel in drey Akten.
Im Klavierauszuge von G. B. Bierey.

Leipzig, Breitkopf und Härtel, [1802]

EUR 280,- → Item 16560 / Details

Jean-Nicolas Bouilly (1763-1842), librettist of "Les deux Journées - Der Wasserträger - Tage der Gefahr", wrote also "Leonore", composed by Pierre Gaveaux, Simon Mayr, Ferdinando Paër and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770-1827)

Fidelio. Oper in zwei Aufzügen nach dem französischen bearbeitet von F. Treitschke. Clavierauszug. [Op. 72].

Bonn, Simrock (PN 1136), [nach 1815]

Titelauflage of the Simrock edition from 1815 with new lithographed title. Printed from the original plates.

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Boieldieu, François-Adrien (1775-1834)

Ouverture du Calife de Bagdad.
Arrangée pour le Piano avec l'Accompagnement de Violon obligé par l'Auteur.

Paris, Chez Mlles Erard, Rue du Mail No. 37 (PN 10), [1800]

Die Oper "Le calife de Bagdad", uraufgeführt am 16.09.1800, war Boieldieus erster großer Erfolg.

From the first year of the editor Mlles Erard, founded by two nieces of the piano manufacturer Erard.

EUR 100,- → Item 13389 / Details

Ma Tante Aurore - Quatuor chanté par Martin Gavaudan, Mesdames St. Aubin et Gavaudan. Paroles de Longchamps. Arrangé pour le Piano Par V. Dourlen.

Paris, Chez Cherubini, Mehul, Kreutzer, Rode, N. Isouard et Boieldieu, [ca. 1803]

First edition. - Arranged by Victor Dourlen (1780-1864), a former student of François Joseph Gossec. Dourlen was longtime professor at the Conservatoire in Paris (1800-1842).

EUR 120,- → Item 13583 / Details

Crescentini, Girolamo (1762-1846)
"Erster Sänger der Concerte Sr. Maj. Des Kaisers von Frankreich und Königs von Italien [= Napoleon, 1805-1814]."

Uebungen für die Singstimme ohne Worte mit einer Vorerinnerung
Recueil d'Exercices Pour la Vocalisation musicale avec un Discours préliminaire.

Leipzig, Breitkopf & Härtel, [1806-1814]

Rare vocal tutorial by the famous Italian castrato singer, 1804 vocal teacher in Vienna at the Imperial court, 1806 at the court of Napoleon in Paris. The introduction in German and French, the 20 arias without words to be practised as vocalises.

EUR 220,- → Item 16355 / Details

Dalvimare, Martin Pierre (1772-1839)
composer and harpist in the orchestra of Napoleon, 1807 master of harp for Empress Josephine.

Fantaisie Sur l’Air Favori de Léonce Avec Six Variations Pour la Harpe. Oeuv. 26.

Paris, Magasin de Musique dirigé par Cherubini, Mehul, Kreutzer, Rode, N. Isouard et Boieldieu (PN 491), [1807]

EUR 80,- → Item 13623 / Details

Rode, Pierre (1774-1830)
1800-1803 violin soloist in the private orchestra of Napoleon.

Quatuor pour deux Violons, Alto et Basso Oeuvre XI. No.III.

Leipzig, Hoffmeister & Kühnel (Bureau de Musique) (PN 407), [1805]

The composition dates from Rode's time in the orchestra of Czar Alexander I.

Beethoven composed 1811 his last violin sonata op.96 for Rode.

EUR 140,- → Item 13096 / Details

Effects of the Napoleonic Wars on Viennese periodicals:

Vaterländische Blätter für den österreichischen Kaiserstaat. Herausgegeben von mehreren Geschäftsmännern und Gelehrten. 1.-3. Jahrgang 1808-1810.

Wien, Degen, 1808-1810

The "Vaterländischen Blätter für den österreichischen Kaiserstaat" were published in Vienna 1808-1814, with reports from all over the Habsburg monarchy, intended to improve the Austrian self confidence.

With the famous general report on music in Vienna: "Übersicht des Gegenwärtigen Zustandes der Tonkunst in Wien" (27.05.1808 und 31.05.1808), naming professional musicians as well as amateurs, e.g. the former Mozart students Freyinn von Jaquin and Frau von Lagusius. The obituary of Joseph Haydn was published a half year late, the delay forced by the war.

sold

Napoleon's defeat 1812:

Jansen Louis (1774-1840)

The Battle of Salamanca. A song written by G. Walker and set to music by Louis Jansen.

London, G. Walker, [1812]

Patriotic- anti-napoleonic song celebrating the victory by Wellington in Salamanca (22.07.1812).

No copy in WorldCat. - Patriotic song celebrating the victory of Wellington against Napoleon in Salamanca 22.07.1812. - Louis Jansen (1774-1840), composer, pianist, brother of English-German famous female pianist Therese Jansen Bartolozzi, for whom Clementi J. L. Dussek and Haydn composed several works. Haydn himself befriended with the family was her best man at her wedding in London 1795.

EUR 120,- → Item 14775 / Details

Yearning remembrance of Napoleon: "Te souviens-tu?"

Meyerbeer,Giacomo (1791-1864)

Autograph letter signed with musical quotation (9 bars) to Nicolas-Louis Gouin asking for details of the authorship of the song "Te souviens-tu?".

Ems, 25 juillet 1840

Meyerbeer being in Bad Ems asks his friend and representative in Paris wether Gouin has evidence to prove that the famous air of "Te souviens-tu?" was originally composed by Joseph-Denis Doche père (1766-1825). This melody became extremely popular after 1817 by chansonnier Émile Debraux (1796-1831), who used it for his romanticizing song about the Napoleonic wars. The melody was later used by others for the remembrance of the Polish freedom war. Meyerbeer in Bad Ems is in discussion with Polish and German guests about the origin of this air.

EUR 600,- → Item 16663 / Details

2 musical echoes to Napoleon from the 20th century:

Krenek, Ernst (1900-1991) - Grabbe, Christian Dietrich (1801-1836)

Napoleon oder Die hundert Tage.
Playbill Schiller-Theater.

[Berlin], [Schiller-Theater], [ca. 1923]

Play by Christian Dietrich Grabbe (1801-1836), performed by the Schiller-Theater Berlin (directed by Leopold Jessner) with the incidental music by Ernst Krenek.

sold

Schoenberg, Arnold (1874-1951)

Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte (Lord Byron)
for string quartet, piano and reciter.

New York, Schirmer (PN 40981cx), [ca. 1945]

Early Titelauflage of the full score of this version arranged by Schoenberg himself.

"This is the first musical work, in which Schoenberg adressed the political events, which had forced him into exile. His hope, that his "Ode" would be frequently performed as a political message were nevertheless disappointed.

EUR 150,- → Item 13088 / Details