BIZET Georges (1838 - 1875)

Lot 19
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BIZET Georges (1838 - 1875)
MUSICAL MANUSCRIPT autographed "Georges Bizet", Overture to David Rizzio; title and 24 pages and a half in-fol. (34,5 x 27 cm) paginated 1-25, bound in contemporary red half-chagrin with title page in gilt letters on red chagrin on the upper board (accidents to the binding). Important unpublished musical manuscript by Bizet, of great rarity, orchestration by Bizet of the Overture of the opera David Rizzio by Hippolyte Rodrigues. Hippolyte RODRIGUES (1812-1898), a wealthy stockbroker, also a lawyer, was also a writer and composer; he retired early enough to devote himself to writing and composing music, notably melodies and piano pieces, but also more ambitious works, such as this David Rizzio; he was also the secretary of the Société scientifi que-littéraire israélite. His sister Léonie had married the composer Fromental Halévy, the master of Bizet. Hippolyte Rodrigues was therefore Geneviève Halévy's uncle, and witness to her marriage to Bizet on June 3, 1869; he lent the young couple his house in Saint-Gratien for their honeymoon. Hippolyte Rodrigues gave in 1866 a first edition of the libretto of his opera David Rizzio; he will publish the piano-chant score (preceded by the libretto) of this opera in 4 acts (first designated as a lyric drama in 3 acts and 4 tableaux), words and music by Hippolyte Rodrigues, in a private edition in 1873 (Saint-Germain, imp. d'Eugène Heutte); Bizet listed this score in the catalog of his music library. David Rizzio (1533-1566) was the secretary (and lover?) of Mary Stuart; he was murdered by the jealous Lord Darnley (husband of the Queen of Scots) and a conspiracy of Protestant nobles. Bizet's manuscript is written in brown ink on 32-line paper, with two systems of 15 staves per page (except on the last page which has only one system). The title page includes a first title: "Ouverture / Jean-Jacques.", followed by the title written by Bizet: "Ouverture de / David Rizzio / composée par / Hippolyte Rodrigues / orchestrée par / George Bizet." The work has 431 measures. The orchestra includes: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in A, 2 bassoons, 2 horns in D, 2 horns in C, 2 pistons in A, 3 trombones, timpani, bass drum and cymbals, violins I and II, violas, cellos, double bass. This Overture begins with an Allegretto moderato in B minor in 2/4 time (25 bars); then, after a rallentendo, and a brief Andante (10 bars, the last two, forgotten, are noted p. 4), comes a Allegretto (16 bars), followed by a reprise of the Andante, then an Allegro in 2/2 (36 bars); this is followed by an Andantino in D minor in 2/4 (72 bars), then a brief passage A little lively (14 bars) leads to an Allegretto in E major (79 bars) and then briefly in C (11 bars) ; the work ends with an Allegro in C minor in 2/2 (110 bars), then in D, passing after 4 bars in 2/4 until the end (46 bars). Catalog Bizet MacDonald T56. PROVENANCE Sale of musical autographs, Delorme & Collin du Bocage, 14 November 2008, n° 10.
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