SPOHR, Louis 1784-1859

[Op. 45, no. 1]. Quatuor [C major] pour deux Violons, Alto et Violoncelle... Œuv 45 (12 Quatuor.) Prix 7f. 50c. [Parts]

Paris: Richault [PN 1025 R.], [1825-28].

Folio. Unbound. Violino primo: 1f. (title), [i] (blank), 96-107, [i] (blank) pp.; Violino secondo: [i] (blank), 68-75, [i] (blank) pp.; Viola: [i] (blank), 64-71, [i] (blank) pp.; Violoncello: [i] (blank), 60-67, [i] (blank) pp. Engraved. Header "12" printed to all pages of music. Publisher's handstamp to foot of title.

With overpaste of Wessel & Co., 18, Hanover Square, London and Wessel handstamps to foot of initial blank pages of all parts. Early owner's handstamp, "R. F. Laubach," to upper right corner of title and initial blank pages of all parts. Measure numbers added in pencil in a modern hand throughout.

Slightly foxed and soiled; impression occasionally light; outer bifolium of Violino primo part reinforced at spine; Violino secondo part creased at lower inner corner.

An uncut copy.

First French edition of Spohr's 12th quartet, in C major. Part of the complete edition of Spohr's quartets to date. Göthel p. 82. Devriès-Lesure II, p. 365. WorldCat (1 copy only, at the Koninklijke bibliotheek, The Hague. The overpaste dates from 1856-60 (see Humphries & Smith p. 328).

"The largest portion of Spohr's chamber music was for strings alone, ranging from 19 unsurpassed duos for two violins to four masterly, and largely unemulated, double string quartets. These, together with the 36 string quartets (and several other works for the same combination), seven string quintets and the String Sextet of 1848, display a number of common features. Spohr's own mastery of the violin is evident in all of them, and their technical difficulties, together with the particular style of performance necessary to secure their full effect, may partly explain their infrequent performance. The quartets, especially, fall into two distinct categories: solo quartets in the tradition of Rode (often entitled Quatuor brillant), which are essentially violin concertos with string trio accompaniment, and true quartets where the interest is more evenly divided between the instruments." Clive Brown in Grove Music Online.

Item #25978

Price: $130.00  other currencies