Letters of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, with music and other material of the Horsley family

Title

Letters of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, with music and other material of the Horsley family

Shelfmark

MS. Horsley c. 1

Summary

Boxed fascicles, containing:

a (fols. 1-47) 20 letters of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy to members of the Horsley family. Those marked * were printed in Goethe and Mendelssohn, 2nd ed. (London, 1874):

(fols. 1-2v) to William Horsley, Berlin, 4 Aug 1832*

(fols. 3-4v) to William Horsley, Berlin, 21 Oct 1832

(fols. 5-6v) to William Horsley, Berlin, 16 Jan 1833*

(fols. 7-9) to William Horsley, [signature and date cut off, Düsseldorf, late summer or autumn 1833]*

(fols. 10-11v) to William Horsley, Düsseldorf, 23 Aug 1834*

(fol. 12r+v) to William Horsley, Leipzig, 1 Mar 1839 [end of letter missing, but text supplied in pencil by R.B. Gotch]*

(fols. 13-14v) to William Horsley, Leipzig, 15 Mar 1841*

(fols. 15-16v) to Elizabeth Hutchins Horsley, Düsseldorf, 3 Apr 1834 [signature cut off]*

(fols. 17-18v) to Elizabeth Hutchins Horsley, Leipzig, 17 Jan 1839*

(fols. 19-20v) to Elizabeth Hutchins Horsley, and Frances Horsley (from 1841 Mrs Seth Thompson), Leipzig, 16 Feb 1840

(fols. 21-22v) to Frances Horsley, Leipzig, 1 Mar 1839 [end and signature cut off]

(fols. 23-25v) to Frances Horsley, Leipzig, 14 Mar 1843

(fols. 26-28v) to Frances Horsley, Leipzig, 31 Jul 1843

(fols. 29-30v) to Frances Horsley, [London], 13 June 1844

(fols. 31-34) to Frances Horsley, 'On board the Soho' [Antwerp steamer], 11 Jul 1844, pencil note (fol. 31r+v), together with an ink copy by a member of the Horsley family (fol. 33r+v)

(fols. 35-36v) to Frances Horsley, Frankfurt, 1 Feb 1845

(fols. 37-39) to Frances Horsley, Frankfurt am Rhein, 17 Feb 1845

(fols. 40-42v) to Frances Horsley, Leipzig, 16 Feb 1846

(fols. 43-45) to Frances Horsley, Thun, 9 Jul 1847

(fol. 46r+v) to Sophy Horsley, [London], 22 May 1844. Includes a four-part canon, with the words 'Dear Miss Sophy, let me thank you for the beautiful conductor stick! Thank you!' [MWV X15].

b (fols. 48-49v) 'Contract' drawn up in 1833 between Mendelssohn and Mary, Frances and Sophy Horsley, for an exchange of gifts. In Mendelssohn's hand, including a 'seal' picture, with one line by Mary Horsley. Witnessed by Abraham Mendelssohn Bartholdy. See R.B. Gotch, Mendelssohn and his friends in Kensington (London, 1934), pp. 70 and 92.

c (fol. 50) Scrap of green paper headed '1832. K.G.P. [Kensington Gravel Pits] with various Mendelssohn signatures, at least partly imitations by the Horsley family.

d (fols. 51-73v) Transcriptions and lists of the letters and other documents described in a-c above, by various members of the Horsley family and descendants, including Rosamund Strode (1982).

e (fol. 74r+v) Letter of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, probably to Elizabeth Hutchins Horsley, [London], 5 Aug [1833]. On the verso is part of a letter of William Horsley, perhaps addressed to Mendelssohn. Badly water-damaged.

f (fols. 75-76) 'God rest you merry gentlemen'. For voice and piano. Copied by William Horsley. Sent to John Callcott Horsley by Sophy Horsley for his birthday, 29 Jan 1891, with the inscription 'An old Xmas carol, written down by our dearest father for us to sing about the house, early in the morning on Xmas Day'. With an envelope. Oblong quarto (222 x 295 mm).

g (fols. 77-80) Anon. [?William Horsley]: 'For the New Year'. Begins: In the bosom, joy and grief. Part-song. Separate parts for S, A (x 2) and B, in the hand of two copyists. Mid-19th cent. In the S part, the words of v. 2 are added by a third hand. The A and B parts indicate it as 'no. 39' of a collection. Folio (305 x 240 mm) and oblong quarto (150 x 240 mm).

h (fols. 81-84) William Horsley: 'When the wind blows in the sweet rose tree'. Glee for ATTB. Separate parts for 'chorus on the repeat' section only. Autograph. Watermark date (2nd tenor): 1838. Folio (305 x 240 mm).

i (fols. 85-6) William Horsley: 'Sweet is evening's tranquil time. Glee for five voices [AATTB]'. 'The poetry translated from Camoens by Lord Strangford'. Mid-19th cent. copy. Watermark date: 1838. Folio (300 x 245 mm).

j (fols. 87-95) William Horsley: 'Cold is Cadwallo's tongue'. Glee for ATTBB. Separate parts for ATT and second B (x 2). Early 20th-cent. copies, except for one bass part, which is mid-19th cent. Watermark date: 1841. Folio (300 x 240 mm).

k (fols. 96-97) William Horsley: 'Cold is Cadwallo's tongue'. Chorus part for SS (dubling the original AT line), with (fols. 96v-97) 'Coda to May Day' for unspecified 4-part voices. Mid-19th cent. copy. Watermark date: 1841. Folio (300 x 245 mm).

l (fols. 98-99) Francis Pilkington (d 1638): 'Have I found her'. Madrigal for SSATB. Early 19th cent. copy. Folio (300 x 245 mm).

m (fol. 100) Moritz Hauptmann (1792-1868): 'Absence' Begins: Tho' we're parted by land and sea. For voice and piano. Mid-19th cent. copy. Oblong folio (232 x 292 mm).

n (fols. 101-108) Charles Edward Horsley (1822-1876): 'Three diversions for the piano forte ... Op. 49'. Nos. 1 and 3 only. No. 1 autograph (watermark date: 1862), no. 3 mid-19th cent. copy. Folio (305 x 245 mm).

o (fols. 109-110v) Charles Edward Horsley: 'Song'. Begins: A deep and mighty shadow. 'Humbly dedicated to Miss Charlotte Callcott'. Words by Barry Cornwall. Autograph. On fol. 110v is an untitled march for piano in C major, also in Horsley's hand. Watermark date: 1836. Folio (325 x 255 mm).

p (fols. 111-112v) Charles Edward Horsley: 'Hush a bye baby!' For SSTB and piano (ad lib.). From A musical joke: four homely rhymes, no. 2 (published, London, 1849). Late 19th cent. copyist. Folio (305 x 245 mm).

Date

1832-1982

Language

English

Physical extent

1 box