FRENCH COMPOSERS: An excellent selection of 15 autograph Letters Signed by various French ...

FRENCH COMPOSERS: An excellent selection of 15 autograph Letters Signed by various French Composers, comprising Charles Gounod (1818-1893) three pages, 12mo, St-Cloud, 4th August 1870, reporting on his opera Polyeucte, and stating ` Polyeucte est fini, et fini complètement, de tête. Il me reste à l’écrire; c’est l’affaire d’un an…´ (Translation: " Polyeucte is finished, and fully finished, in my head. I only have to write it; it is a matter of one year...") Polyeucte was intended to be premiered in 1873 but the theatre, Salle le Peletier, was destroyed by a fire and the premiere only took place in 1878; Jules Massenet (1842-1912) two pages, 8vo, Sunday, n.d., n.y., to Léon Bessand, informing that he will spend the journey at Neuchatel and that he has had to cancel the lunch date he had agreed with his correspondent´s father; Fromental Halévy (1799-1862) one page, 8vo, a short message to his friend Mr. Zimmermann, regretting that he cannot offer him any seat de ne pouvoir lui offrir de place; Ernest Reyer (1823-1909) small 8vo, [1863], to Henry d’Ideville, explaining that he has to attend a performance, saying `... je suis prié d’assister au concert de Broustet-Litolff dans lequel on joue un fragment des Troyens de Berlioz…´ (Translation: "... I am invited to attend the Broustet-Litolff concert in which a fragment of Berlioz’s Les Troyens is being played…"); Ambroise Thomas (1811-1896) one page, 8vo, 7th May 1863, to a Prince and collegue, thanking his correspondent for using his powerful help in favour of the poor Cornette whose last hope was him; Alfred Bruneau (1857-1934) one page, 8vo, 1893; Léon Du Bois (1859-1935) Signed and inscribed 6 x 9.5 photograph, 1912; Carl Flesch (1873-1944) two pages, 8vo, 1909, agreeing on a concert performanceand hoping to be able to perform in Italy where he has not performed yet; Rolf Liebermann (1910-1999) inscription to a concert program on 15th February 1978; Charles Neustedt (1838-1908) two pages, 8vo, 30th May 1909; Georges Piter (18??-1910); Henri Reber (1807-1880) ; Henri Tomasi (1901-1971) four pages, 8vo, accompanied by the original envelope; Auguste Vaucorbeil (1821-1884) and Stanislas Verroust (1814-1863). VG, 15