ID 1109046
Lot 246 | Vincent Novello (1781-1861)
Estimate value
£ 1 000 – 1 500
Autograph letter signed (‘V. Novello’) to Thomas Attwood, 67 Frith Street, Soho Square, London, 24 December 1830
3 pages, 186 x 228mm. With a letter from Christian Kramer signed (‘C. Kramer’) to Thomas Attwood, Bedford Square, London, 15 August 1831. Provenance: Sotheby's, 12 May 1981, lot 162.
‘May I request the favour of your looking over the annexed two editions of Mozart’s masses, and then saying whether you think they are the same?’: Novello requests Attwood’s assistance in confirming the differences between the two versions. Novello’s concerns centering around editions of the first fifteen masses previously published for him by W. Galloway. Noting that copyright was never given to Galloway, Novello complains that the publisher’s successor is not only continuing to sell the work but is ‘endeavouring to prevent the sale of my new arrangements of the masses, by procuring against me an injunction from the Court of Chancery, under the pretence that my new work is the same as the old edition’. Novello compares the two versions, discussing differences in the introductions, arrangements, number of plates, and orchestral parts. He warns against the implications of being confused by the two, ‘I have taken especial care to caution the public against mistaking the one for the other’. He makes references to the ‘undeniable differences’ and that other friends ‘whose judgement I highly esteem’ are also comparing the two. The second letter concerns Cramer asking Attwood not to attend the coronation of William IV on 8 September 1831 in his capacity as musician within His Majesty’s Band.
Novello edited and published seventeen of Mozart’s masses in vocal score with accompaniments arranged by himself for organ or piano. These editions are of great historical importance with regards to the reception of Mozart’s music in England in the early nineteenth century. Kramer was a performer, composer, and arranger; he served as Master of the King’s Musick (1829-1834), spanning the reigns of George IV and William IV, and led the former’s private band.
Address of auction |
CHRISTIE'S 8 King Street, St. James's SW1Y 6QT London United Kingdom | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preview |
| |||||
Phone | +44 (0)20 7839 9060 | |||||
Buyer Premium | see on Website | |||||
Conditions of purchase | Conditions of purchase |
More from Creator
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.