Autograph musical quotation signed "Wilhelm Ganz," dated August 13, 1875, and inscribed
In black ink on ivory paper, ca. 64 x 103 mm. Laid down to ivory mounting paper.
Quotation comprising the first five measures of the vocal part from Ganz's song "Sing Birdie Sing," notated on one staff, in 6/8 time, in A major. Marked "Allegro vivo." With text underlay in English ("Sing birdie sing and let thy song be of this earth").
Some light creasing and foxing; minor staining from remnants of adhesive to upper edge, not affecting music or signature.
Ganz was a noted organist, violinist, conductor, and composer. Born in Mainz, he settled permanently in London in 1851. "In 1856 Ganz was an accompanist on Jenny Lind’s tour of England and Scotland, and for some years thereafter he accompanied many of the leading singers in London. He was also the organist at the German Lutheran church in the Strand. Ganz joined Henry Wylde’s New Philharmonic Society as second violinist in 1852. In 1874 he became joint conductor of the society (with Wylde) and in 1879, on Wylde’s resignation, continued the concerts alone, first under the former name and after 1880 as ‘Mr Ganz’s Orchestral Concerts’. During his three seasons as conductor, Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique and Liszt’s Dante Symphony were performed in their entirety for the first time in London, and a number of eminent artists, including Annette Essipov, Sophie Menter, Saint-Saëns and Pachmann, appeared as soloists." M.C. Carr and Robert Pascall in Grove Music Online.
Item #25380
Price: $150.00 other currencies